Hayes not too fussed about wet Everest
Trainer David Hayes is confident Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) can handle rain-affected ground for Saturday’s G1 The Everest. The Sydney forecast is for up to 5 mm of rain per day on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“The Hong Kong wet track is a bit different to the Australian wet track. The grass is a bit tighter and he has a daisy cutting action,” Hayes told hkjc.com on Monday.
“Zac has a query on an Aussie wet, I don’t. I’m not worried. I think the other day Zac thought he laboured a little bit in the trial; I think that was fitness and having a good look around, and it was his first hit-out in five weeks. Zac has given himself a bit of wiggle room, but when I bought him, I saw him win a trial on heavy ground. It was only a trial but he looked pretty good, so I bought him.”
The quality of the field for Saturday's The Everest is strong but Ka Ying Rising is stronger. “We probably need to have a bad day, and they (Saturday’s opposition) have a very good day to beat him,” Hayes said.
“(Ka Ying Rising) is a freak of nature. He’s a generational horse. Five times he’s broken the (Sha Tin 1200m) track record; I’ve never seen that before. Especially eased down. I never thought I would see a sprinter as good as Black Caviar until this horse came along.
“So, he’s in rare air at the moment. You can have your opinion who’s better, that’s not the point, but he’s as good as her (Black Caviar) anyway I think.”
Angel Capital to represent Yulong in The Everest
On Monday, Yulong announced that Angel Capital (Harry Angel {Ire}) would run in their slot for the 2026 G1 The Everest. “Angel Capital is our best sprinter and has now confirmed the same as a last start Group 1 winner,” Yulong's Head of Racing, Danny Rolston, said in a press release.
Angel Capital | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We are realistic about the task at hand with a quality field and the world's best sprinter in Ka Ying Rising, but Mr Zhang (owner of Yulong) is a competitor and is looking forward to the challenge on Saturday.”
The decision gives Chris Waller two runners in the race, the other being five-time Group 1 winner Joliestar (Zoustar). Bjorn Baker and Ciaron Maher are the other two trainers with two runners apiece.
Savvy Hallie team thrilled with wet forecast
Trainer Brad Widdup galloped The Everest contender Savvy Hallie (Hellbent) on Monday instead of the usual Tuesday. “With rain forecast I decided to give Savvy Hallie her final decent work instead of tomorrow morning,” Widdup told racingnsw.com.au.
Savvy Hallie | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“She worked over 1000m on the course proper at Hawkesbury with stablemate Hyperbolic, increasing from the 600m. It was nice work, and the mare is in great order.
“She was galloped on from behind in winning the Sheraco Stakes against her own sex at Rosehill Gardens on September 12, and as a result we didn’t go south for the Manikato Stakes at Caulfield.
“But she is well and truly back on track as her latest second in the Premiere Stakes showed, and on an upward spiral. I couldn’t be any happier with her. After this morning’s gallop, she will do some light work on Thursday morning.”
Dual Oaks winner ready for Caulfield Cup
Trainer Chris Waller has several potential runners in Saturday’s G1 Caulfield Cup and it’s dual Oaks winner Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) who excites him. “She hasn’t won at less than 2000 (metres), so I’ve probably taken a little different approach,” Waller told racing.com.
Ohope Wins (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“There aren’t a lot of shorter races for her, and she’s been to the Oaks distance twice, so it’s not as if she’s going to it for the first time. She’s sort of been there before and where else do you run? She needs 2400 metres. I can’t just save her for the Tancred and she’s in with a good weight of just 51.5kgs.
“Jye McNeil rides. The 2400 metre distance is fantastic for her as she’s won an Oaks in New Zealand and Australia and she’s building towards her peak. First-up run (ninth in Makybe Diva Stakes) was fair, the Turnbull was good and she’ll appreciate dropping in weight.”
TAB think they can break last year’s The Everest record
Last year, $83 million was wagered through the World Pool on Everest day, while local wagering figures are not available. The TAB believes they will hit $140 million in turnover this year from the domestic wagering market. “TAB Everest Day has catapulted to the second highest turnover day of the year, surpassed only by the Melbourne Cup,” Tabcorp's Chief Wagering Officer Michael Fitzsimons told racenet.com.au.
“It really has transformed the wagering landscape, attracting new audiences to racing. It's become a global race, SKY Racing will broadcast The TAB Everest to 65 countries around the world on Saturday.”
VRC back in the black
For the first time since 2019/20, the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) is back in the black, announcing a net profit of $5.4 million for the 2025/26 financial year. “Our return to net profitability is an important milestone for the Club and reflects the progress we have made over recent years to strengthen our financial position,” VRC chief executive Kylie Rogers said in a press release.
Kylie Rogers | Image courtesy of Victoria Racing Club
“We have remained disciplined in our approach, with a focus on revenue growth, operational efficiency and long-term financial sustainability to ensure the ongoing success of the Club.”
Old school campaign for Royal Supremacy
Australian Bloodstock-managed Royal Supremacy (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) will run in Saturday’s G1 Caulfield Cup, then the G1 Cox Plate and the G1 Melbourne Cup. It’s a path that trainer Ciaron Maher took with Gold Trip (Fr), but was a lot more common in yesteryear. The only horse to win all three in the same calendar year is Rising Fast (NZ) (Alonzo {GB}) in 1954.
“He’s coming off a really good season where he won the (Group 1) Metropolitan (2400m) and Q22 (2200m), but I think he’s going better than ever,” Jamie Lovett told racing.com.
Royal Supremacy (Ire) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He ran fifth in the Caulfield Cup last year and he’s going so much better this time. I think they’ve worked him out. He was a real hard-pulling horse and I reckon they’ve worked him out as he’s racing so much better now. Mark Zahra said it was the best he’s ever felt in the run (after he won the JRA Cup at his most recent start).
“Depending on how he goes on Saturday, I reckon we could do a Gold Trip with him and back him up in a Cox Plate.”
Pinhole rehandicapped for G1 Melbourne Cup
G2 Herbert Stakes winner Pinhole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) has been rehandicapped for the G1 Melbourne Cup lifting him up into 40th in the current order. “The 2kg penalty is a reflection of some of the weight relativities he established against a number of potential Melbourne Cup rivals in the race,” Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper David Hegan told racing.com.
“While it was a narrow victory, he posted the fastest final 200 metres of the race and continues to profile as an emerging staying talent.”
Vale Peter Dearman
Racing SA were saddened to announce the death of Peter Dearman. Beginning his career as an assistant judge, he joined the Port Lincoln Club’s stewards’ panel in 1976 before becoming the Eyre Peninsula District Stipendiary Steward in 1980, a role he held until 1999. He held various other roles across the industry until 2025.
“Over more than three decades, Peter made an enduring contribution to racing across the region. His knowledge, commitment and longstanding service will be remembered with great respect by the Port Lincoln Racing Club and the wider racing community,” racingsa.com.au said.
Autumn Melbourne campaign for Ole Go
Trainer Michael Hickmott is planning an autumn Melbourne campaign for smart 3-year-old colt Ole Go (Ole Kirk). “I’ve always had a lot of time for the horse. My job is to train his brain, not his body. He’s a long way from the finished product. He’s got a lot of upside this horse,” Hickmott told racingsa.com.au.
“We’ll make some decisions if we go over to Flemington, or we save for Inglis Premier in February. I’ve got a huge opinion of the horse; he does some remarkable things in his work, but he’s still very unfinished. He’s a good horse, I just wish he was a gelding. I just want to give him one more run and focus on the autumn.”
Cool Aza Beel filly wins on debut
Cameron Crockett-trained 3-year-old filly Magic Storm (Cool Aza Beel {NZ}) had trialled several times ahead of her debut at Tamworth on Monday and the experience translated into a third of a length victory. Amanda Morris paid $50,000 for her from Newhaven Park Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Magic Storm is the fourth winner from four to race for stakes placed Refer (Fastnet Rock) who is a full sister to Group 1-placed Electric Fusion.
New and old combine at Leonora
The last Leonora Cup at their historic venue was run and won on Saturday by David Smith-trained Boab Boy (Sessions) and ridden by apprentice jockey Gemma Taylor who celebrated her first Cup victory. Leonora’s track will become a mine soon, with a new track to be built outside the township. Taylor has had only 10 race day rides and this was her third win.
“I'm still on cloud nine, but I am extremely grateful to Mr Smith for the opportunity to ride in my first Cup and to come home with the win is just incredible. Every time I look at the trophy all the rush of excitement comes flooding back,” Taylor told racingwa.com.au on Monday.
Pukekohe plans part of wider northern project strategy
Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (ATR) is building a dedicated trials track at Pukekohe and has put in an application with council to build residential housing. “We are assessing lots of different things at the moment, but we don’t want to put the cart before the horse,” ATR CEO Paul Wilcox told Loveracing.nz.
“There’s all the other things happening in the industry, such as with the Waikato greenfields project, and we’ve got to make sure that what we do aligns with that. We’re focusing on what we can do, and that’s the number one grass at this stage.
“We want this so it adds another facility for trialling that isn’t interrupting or utilising the course proper. That can be fraught at this time of year when you’ve got a bit of rain around.”
The ATR have a property investment fund whose strategy is to create recurring income rather than relying solely on the proceeds of land sales. “… build that investment fund so we have a recurring income and that it diversifies our income opportunity,” he said.
“So far the fund is working well. This year we’re putting $5 million into stakes across Pukekohe and Ellerslie. That’s what we want to keep on continuing to grow, while making it sustainable.”
Inis Mor joins Sceptre Sessions
The list of stars set to be offered at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale continues to grow, with the announcement that the G1 Irish Oaks runner-up and G1 Prix de Diane third Inis Mor (Galiway) will be offered as part of the Sceptre Sessions.
Trained by David Menuisier for Quantum Leap Racing, Inis Mor has been a model of consistency at a high level in 2026. The daughter of Galiway won the Listed Height of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood in May, beating the subsequent G2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner Earth Shot, before finishing a close third in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly behind Diamond Necklace. She then secured another Classic placing when second in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh – behind fellow Sceptre Sessions entry Johanna Walsh – and was last seen filling the runner-up spot again in the G3 Princess Royal Stakes at Newmarket.
Inis Mor is out of Mellow, a winning daughter of Deep Impact and the dual Grade I winner Harmonious (Dynaformer). She possesses an official rating of 109.
Khan welcomes EU gambling decision
The European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF) and the European Trotting Union (UET) have welcomed the Irish Presidency's decision to leave online gambling out of the EU budget negotiating box.
“We welcome the Irish Presidency's decision,” said Dr Paull Khan, CEO of the EMHF. “Horse racing is financed by legal betting and an additional tax would have pushed customers towards illegal operators, reducing revenue for governments and racing alike and leaving consumers with less protection.
“But this threat has not gone away completely. We will continue to urge policymakers to carry out a product-specific assessment of the effects of any extra taxation on legitimate horserace betting on Member State tax receipts, racing funding, consumer protection and financial crime.”
It is now very unlikely that online gambling will be reinstated in this round of the EU's 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) negotiations. However, the principle still has considerable support in the European Parliament which, although it does not have the final say, remains an influential voice.
Two Franklin wins for Time To Dazzle
Time to Dazzle (Not This Time) came flying down the center of the Keeneland turf course on Sunday to successfully defend her crown and win the GII Franklin Stakes for the second year running.
Unable to find the winner's circle since this race one year ago, the Mark Casse runner was coming into form at the right time, entered Sunday off a pair of back to back runner-up efforts in both the GIII Hendrie Stakes on the Tapeta at Woodbine July 25 and most recently in the GI Ladies Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs August 29, an effort which netted her her best Beyer Speed Figure (93) since her Franklin win in 2025.
“(One reason she likes Keeneland so much is that) she's about five miles from home, so she's wanting to go home, I think, but she loves it here and this is her weather,” added winning owner Tracy Farmer. “It's wonderful to win a race at Keeneland. She does it that way (from well off the pace) all the time, but it makes you nervous. She's a wonderful filly.”
Third Winterfavoriten for Grewe
Trainer Henk Grewe annexed Cologne's G3 Wettstar Preis des Winterfavoriten with Rubaiyat in 2019 and Sea Bay in 2021 and made it a hat-trick of triumphs in Germany's premier juvenile contest when Western (Saxon Warrior) overpowered four rivals in imperious fashion.
“He is a fantastic horse and it is a great joy to ride him every morning,” said winning rider Thore Hammer-Hansen. “There are only a few horses in my life that are really close to my heart. Flatten The Curve and Assistent are among them, and Western is now part of that group.”
Grewe added, “He is a completely different horse at home and he really seems to know when things are getting serious. He will end his season here and we are now done for this year. The [G1 Deutsches] Derby is the main goal next year, but which route we take there has to be yet decided.”
Sire Tom's d'Etat dies aged 13
Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike), who won three graded stakes races, including the 2019 GI Clark Stakes as a 7-year-old, has passed away. The news was reported via X by Greg Bensel, who oversees and manages the GMB Racing Stable, which campaigned the earner of US$1,762,272 (AU$2.4 million). Tom's d'Etat was 13.
Bensel's tweet read: “Sad news @GMBRacing Tom's d'Etat passed away after a brief illness. Winner the G1 Clark, G2 Stephen Foster, G2 Fayette Stakes, Alydar Stakes at Saratoga and Tenacious Stakes at Fairgrounds – 11 wins from 20 starts. A special thanks to Al Stall, Jay Adcock and @WinStar Farm.”
Tom's d'Etat, who was trained by Al Stall Jr., won 11 of 20 starts, including six stakes races. His other graded wins came in the 2019 GII Fayette Stakes and the 2020 GII Stephen Foster Stakes.
He began his stud career in 2021 at WinStar Farm and remained there until 2025. He moved to Louisiana's Red River Farm for the 2026 breeding season. As a stallion, he sired 71 winners to date including five stakes winners and one graded stakes winner in Take Charge Tom.
