Ka Ying Rising began his return to Australia with almost no fanfare on Tuesday morning, quietly stretching his legs at Canterbury Park as trainer David Hayes prepared the Hong Kong sprinting star for another attempt at The Everest.
The scene was a sharp contrast to last year's arrival and race week, when the horse became the center of intense public attention. At 7.08am, beneath heavy skies, only a small group of officials, journalists and camera operators watched as Ka Ying Rising emerged for his first exercise since reaching Australia.
There were no loud cheers and no boos. Mostly, there was silence.
That suited Hayes. After a 16 hour journey from his Sha Tin base to Canterbury Park's quarantine facility, the trainer had little interest in pushing his stable star. Ka Ying Rising completed two and a half laps of gentle exercise along the outside rail before turning around at the 400 metre mark and heading back to his barn.
The entire session lasted 26 minutes.
For a horse whose reputation has been built on speed and an extraordinary winning streak, the slow pace was deliberate.
Hayes sees a stronger horse this year
Hayes believes Ka Ying Rising has returned to Australia in better shape than he was 12 months ago. He rates the horse conservatively 10 percent better than last year, when Ka Ying Rising travelled to Sydney and defeated some of Australia's leading sprinters at Royal Randwick.
The trainer has followed a measured preparation since then, gradually building the horse's workload while avoiding unnecessary pressure.
"Going into the trial next month we're going to lengthen his slow work, which we have been doing all season in preparation for The Everest," Hayes said.
That approach will continue in the weeks ahead. Ka Ying Rising is scheduled to trial on October 6, 11 days before The Everest, following the same broad preparation used last year.
His arrival has already provided Hayes and his team with several encouraging signs.
Ka Ying Rising arrived at Canterbury on Monday after the long flight and immediately lowered his head to eat grass. It was a familiar reaction for a horse accustomed to Hong Kong's highly managed racing environment, where access to grass is limited compared with Australian conditions.
"He nearly took the mafoo with him," Hayes joked, referring to the stable staff member handling him. "In Hong Kong they don't see any grass, and he really loved having a pick last year."
The horse lost only five kilograms during the journey. That figure was particularly pleasing because he is already seven kilograms heavier this season than he was during his previous campaign.
His temperature remained normal and his appetite was unaffected.
For an international campaign involving a long journey, quarantine and a change in environment, those details matter to the trainer.
A different horse from last year's campaign
Hayes said his veterinarian was also satisfied with the way Ka Ying Rising handled the trip.
"I was just talking to my vet, and she said she really thinks he handled it better than he did last year," Hayes said.
The trainer acknowledged that the 2025 journey had gone well enough, but said the experience gave his team a better understanding of what the horse needs when travelling internationally.
"Last year was fine, but we're all better for the run," he said.
Ka Ying Rising's greater body weight has also encouraged Hayes rather than concerned him.
"He's a heavier horse, but that's a big positive as far as I'm concerned," he said.
Hayes remains cautious about international travel because even a well prepared racehorse can respond differently to a new environment. But after the first day in Sydney, the signs were positive.
"You can never be too confident when you're travelling internationally, but we're confident in the process we're going to do," he said.
The process will now focus on keeping Ka Ying Rising healthy while gradually increasing the intensity of his work.
Rivals have yet to emerge
The Everest, worth A$20 million, is less than a month away, yet the field remains far from settled.
As of the latest stage of preparations, only Ka Ying Rising and Michael Freedman's Ninja had officially been confirmed for the October 17 race.
Several of Australia's leading short course sprinters are expected to join them. Last year's runner up Tempted remains among the anticipated contenders, while Royal Ascot placegetter Joliestar and promising three year old Guest House are also expected to be considered.
The lack of confirmed opposition has done little to reduce interest in Ka Ying Rising. Bookmakers have installed the Hong Kong champion as a $1.35 favorite, with the race potentially extending his winning streak to 22 consecutive victories.
Hayes, however, is not concerned about how many horses eventually enter the field.
Instead, he points to Ka Ying Rising's performances in Hong Kong since his Everest victory as evidence that the standard required to beat him has risen.
Since returning home from Australia, Ka Ying Rising has continued to reset track records at Sha Tin. Those performances have given Hayes greater confidence than he had before last year's Everest.
"We were all wondering how the form would hold up in 2025, whereas this year we've got no doubt he's improved," Hayes said.
The trainer has spent much of the season watching Australia's leading sprinters closely. He believes the country has several talented horses capable of competing at the highest level, but he says they will need to improve significantly to match Ka Ying Rising.
"This year, I've been watching the sprinters very closely and I think there's clearly some good ones," Hayes said.
"But they've probably got to improve a lot, and he's got to lose a bit of form the way I'm looking at it."
Hayes does not expect the latter to happen.
"And I don't think he has," he added.
October 6 trial carries extra attention
The decision to trial Ka Ying Rising on October 6 will attract attention because of what happened last year.
His 2025 trial generated considerable discussion after he appeared agitated and failed to produce the performance many expected. The reaction spread rapidly online, with speculation that something might have been wrong with the horse and that he could even be withdrawn from The Everest.
Betting markets reacted sharply. His odds drifted before bookmakers eventually suspended betting.
Hayes maintained throughout the episode that Ka Ying Rising was healthy.
The trainer said he spent roughly 10 days trying to convince people that the horse was fine and would still be ready for the race.
The atmosphere intensified on Everest raceday.
Ka Ying Rising had attracted a large following as he prepared to leave the stalls. But when he appeared on the track, the reception was not what Hayes expected.
"I was a bit taken aback. They did boo him and it was quite a big boo," Hayes recalled.
The mood changed once the horse delivered on raceday.
Ka Ying Rising won, silencing doubts about his condition and earning a much warmer response from the crowd.
"Then when he won, they gave him a warm reception," Hayes said.
This year, Hayes hopes the relationship between the horse and Australian racing fans will begin differently.
"Hopefully he will be better received by the general public this year," he said.
For now, there is little need for Ka Ying Rising to prove anything on the track. His job at Canterbury is to settle, recover from the journey and build fitness gradually.
The real test comes later.
On October 6, the champion will return to the track for his final public trial before The Everest. Eleven days later, he is expected to face Australia's best short course sprinters at Royal Randwick with a second consecutive title at stake.
Until then, the fastest horse in the yard will continue doing something remarkably ordinary: walking, eating grass and taking his time. Will Ka Ying Rising's quiet Sydney return lead to another dominant Everest performance on October 17?