EVEREST IS A DIFFERENT KETTLE OF FISH: MCDONALD

Only jockey to have toppled Ka Ying Rising calls HK ace a superstar, but not unbeatable

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James McDonald has declared the world’s top-rated sprinter Ka Ying Rising “an absolute superstar” but warns the Hong Kong champion will need to be at his best to win the A$20 million (S$16.8 million) Group 1 The Everest (1,200m) at Royal Randwick on Oct 18.

The multiple Sydney champion jockey, who remains the only rider so far to have inflicted defeat on Ka Ying Rising, will ride Chris Waller’s Joliestar in the world’s richest turf race this weekend.

McDonald, who twice toppled Ka Ying Rising on Wunderbar at Sha Tin in January 2024, believes The Everest’s unrelenting pressure will present a formidable challenge to the 14-time winner.

“He’s a superstar, he’s an absolute superstar. If he brings his Sha Tin form, he’s almost sometimes impossible to beat the way his figures read,” said the Kiwi jockey of the Shamexpress five-year-old.

“I've ridden some good horses against him and he’s made them look pretty second rate, to be fair.

“But this is a different kettle of fish. This is probably the toughest test to date for him and he’s going to know he’s in a horse race, especially with the likes of Jimmysstar, Briasa, Joliestar and Lady Shenandoah coming at him.

“He’s going to have to be at the top of his game.”

McDonald is chasing his second victory in The Everest after triumphing on Waller’s Nature Strip in 2021.