Hong Kong superstar KA YING RISING (11) remains the clear horse to beat in the 2026 The Everest, despite drawing awkwardly in barrier 11 for his title defence. The reigning champion is chasing an extraordinary 22nd consecutive victory and, while the wide gate has seen his quote ease slightly in betting, history suggests it may not be the obstacle some punters fear with Bella Nipotina winning the race from the same barrier in 2024.

The David Hayes-trained son of Shamexpress has established himself as the world’s premier sprinter, winning 21 straight races since January 2024 and arriving in Sydney off a dominant seven-length victory in the Group 3 Chief Executive’s Cup at Sha Tin carrying 61kg. His outstanding 1200m record of 20 wins and two seconds from 22 starts only strengthens his claims.

Champion jockey Zac Purton reunites with the six-year-old, and the pair will likely look to overcome the draw by rolling forward early and settling prominently. While some confidence was restored to his rivals after his trial defeat to Ninja at Randwick earlier this month, connections were more than satisfied with the hit-out and trainer Hayes continues to maintain his star galloper has improved again since winning last year’s race.

On exposed form he is simply the benchmark of the field and, with conditions again in his favour under the weight-for-age scale, Ka Ying Rising looks well placed to join Redzel as the only dual winners in The Everest’s history.

The mare most likely to challenge Ka Ying Rising is undoubtedly TEMPTED (1), who returns to Randwick chasing redemption after her gallant runner-up finish in last year’s The Everest as a three-year-old filly. The now four-year-old daughter of Street Boss has taken her racing to another level over the past 12 months and arrives at Saturday’s feature unbeaten in 2026.

Trained by Ciaron Maher, Tempted boasts an outstanding record at the track and distance, winning five of her six starts over 1200m at Randwick, with her only defeat coming behind Ka Ying Rising in this race last spring. Since then, she has strung together five straight victories, including impressive wins in both the Group 3 Concorde Stakes and Group 2 Premiere Stakes this preparation.

Her latest Premiere success was particularly eye-catching, putting nearly three lengths on fellow Everest contender Savvy Hallie despite overcoming a wide barrier. Third-up and nearing peak fitness, she looks ideally placed to produce another big performance on the grand final stage.

The barrier draw has further strengthened her claims, with Tempted landing gate one for the second consecutive year, while Chad Schofield retains the ride and remains unbeaten aboard the mare. With perfect conditions, proven Randwick form and a faultless lead-up campaign, she profiles as the clear danger to the favourite and looks set to give a huge sight in the $20 million sprint showdown.

Looking beyond the two dominant market elects, the runner capable of adding value to exotics is exciting three-year-old filly BLUE DOOR (9). The sole youngster in this year’s Everest field, the Bjorn Baker-trained daughter of Stay Inside brings plenty of upside into just her fifth career start and could be the X-factor runner in the $20 million sprint.

Blue Door has impressed from day one, defeating quality colt The Next Episode on debut before producing consecutive runner-up performances against the boys in The Rosebud and San Domenico Stakes earlier this preparation. She then stamped her Everest credentials with an explosive victory in the Group 3 Heritage Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill, cruising away to score by 2.2 lengths and recording superb closing sectionals in the process.

While this represents a significant rise in grade for the lightly raced filly, history showed what an elite three-year-old filly can do in this race when Tempted ran second as a three-year-old last spring. Blue Door receives a valuable weight advantage under the conditions, carrying just 51kg, and her natural speed should see her settle prominently from barrier nine.

Another positive is the booking of Jamie Melham, who heads to Sydney for the ride after opting against staying in Melbourne for other high-profile spring engagements namely the Caulfield Cup title defence on Half Yours. That decision alone suggests there is confidence in her chances.

At generous odds she remains one of the more intriguing runners in the field. The Everest is a major test of her credentials, but Blue Door has shown enough talent, speed and untapped potential to suggest she can measure up and play a prominent role in the finish. She rates as an excellent value inclusion in The Everest exotics and a genuine contender for a minor placing.