The Everest 2025: Joliestar, Ka Ying Rising, and the Battle for Racing Glory

The Everest 2025: What’s at Stake in Australia’s $20 Million Sprint?

For horse racing fans, October in Sydney means only one thing: The Everest. Now in its ninth edition, the world’s richest turf race returns to Royal Randwick, promising drama, redemption, and a cast of equine and human stars ready to etch their names into sporting folklore. The 2025 Everest is more than a race; it’s a test of strategy, nerve, and raw speed, with a $20 million purse ensuring the stakes are as high as the anticipation.

Joliestar’s Redemption Run: McDonald and Waller’s High-Stakes Choice

The lead-up to this year’s Everest has been dominated by speculation: which of Chris Waller’s stable stars would champion jockey James McDonald choose? The answer came just hours before the barrier draw—McDonald will be aboard Joliestar, the brilliant mare whose career has soared over the past year. Their decision wasn’t straightforward. Waller had three contenders in the field, but Joliestar’s recent Group 1 wins in the Newmarket Handicap and Kingsford Smith Cup made her hard to ignore. Last year, Joliestar flashed home for seventh in The Everest, finishing just over a length and a half behind winner Bella Nipotina. Since then, she’s added power and polish, culminating in a stirring win in the Group 2 The Shorts at Royal Randwick last month—her Everest credentials stamped in bold.

The chemistry between McDonald and Waller is well documented. Their triumph with Nature Strip in the 2021 Everest is still fresh in racing memory. Now, they’re chasing a new chapter, with McDonald seeking redemption and Waller hoping to further cement his place among the training elite. The pressure is immense, but so is the opportunity. The Everest is a race where reputations are made and lost in just seventy seconds.

International Intrigue: Ka Ying Rising and the Global Challenge

Yet, the local heroes won’t have it all their own way. The international spotlight is fixed firmly on Hong Kong’s Ka Ying Rising, trained by the legendary David Hayes and ridden by champion jockey Zac Purton. Arriving as the $1.70 favourite, Ka Ying Rising’s smooth trial at Canterbury has only sharpened expectations. Can Hayes and Purton, both giants of the Asian racing scene, conquer Sydney’s grandest sprint? The Everest has always welcomed international challengers, but few have arrived with credentials as strong as Ka Ying Rising’s. The horse’s presence adds a layer of global intrigue to an already electric contest.

But the field is deep. Victorian jockey Damian Lane will guide Lady Shenandoah, another of Waller’s charges, while Ben Melham is aboard Angel Capital. Last year’s winning trainer, Ciaron Maher, returns with two contenders: Tempted (to be ridden by Craig Williams) and the in-form Jimmysstar, who is rated a $7 chance. There’s also Briasa, a recent Premiere Stakes winner, and a host of other hopefuls including War Machine, Magic Time, Overpass, Mazu, and the experienced Jedibeel with three-time Everest winner Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle.

Form, Odds, and the Unpredictable Nature of The Everest

Form guides only tell part of the story. Joliestar’s current odds, sitting around $8 before the barrier draw, reflect both her class and the unpredictability of The Everest. Lady Shenandoah is a $15 outsider, despite strong recent performances—a fast-finishing second in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes and a respectable fourth as favourite in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes. Tempted, with Williams back in the irons, is at $21, while Ka Ying Rising dominates the market as the clear favourite. Yet, the Everest is notorious for upsets and bold frontrunning tactics. Every jockey, every trainer knows that a moment’s hesitation or a split-second decision can change everything. The field’s depth means no horse can be discounted. Briasa ($9), War Machine ($17), Magic Time and Overpass (both $51), and long-shot Mazu ($101) all have the ability to shape the race’s early tempo.

Meanwhile, the barrier draw—a critical moment in any sprint—remains the final piece of the puzzle. The tension is palpable as connections await their fate. A favourable gate can set up a perfect stalking run; a wide draw may force a bold, early move. In The Everest, fortune favours the brave, but luck, as always, plays its part.

Stories Within the Race: Redemption, Rivalry, and the Spectacle of The Everest

What makes The Everest unique isn’t just its prize money or its international appeal. It’s the stories that unfold each year. For McDonald and Waller, it’s a shot at redemption after last year’s near-miss. For Ka Ying Rising, it’s about proving Hong Kong’s best can conquer the world’s richest turf race. For the rest, it’s an opportunity to upset the odds, to seize a moment that could define careers.

Royal Randwick will be packed. The roar as the gates crash open, the thunder of hooves, the swirl of colour and noise—The Everest is as much a spectacle as it is a sporting contest. Fans will debate tactics, pore over form, and place their bets. But once the gates open, it’s all about instinct, courage, and the split-second decisions that make champions.

As the horses thunder down the Randwick straight, the world will watch. Will Joliestar’s late charge prove irresistible? Can Ka Ying Rising justify the hype and deliver for Hong Kong? Or will a new name emerge from the shadows to claim the summit of The Everest?

As The Everest 2025 draws near, one thing is clear: this is more than a race. It’s a collision of ambition, preparation, and a touch of fortune. In a sprint where fractions separate glory from heartbreak, every decision—from the jockey’s mount to the trainer’s plan—can change the narrative. Whatever the result, The Everest remains a testament to the enduring allure of horse racing’s grand stage, where legends are written in the space of a single, unforgettable minute.

Image Credit: wdw-magazine.com