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The latest in world horse racing news from the journalists at Idol Horse.
**Episode Title:**
Ka Ying Rising Lives: The Day Racing Lost Its Mind
**Episode Description:**
A wild 24 hours before the $20 million Everest as social-media rumors sent betting markets into chaos over the world’s top-rated sprinter, Ka Ying Rising.
Australian racing correspondent Adam Pengilly joins the Idol Horse Newsdesk to unpack the hysteria, the Canterbury gallop that calmed nerves, and trainer David Hayes’s cool response. Plus, a preview of Adam’s upcoming feature on the remarkable Lindsay Park legacy across three generations of the Hayes family.
**Episode Keywords:**
Ka Ying Rising, The Everest, David Hayes, Adam Pengilly, Idol Horse Newsdesk, Canterbury gallop, Sydney racing, Hong Kong sprinter, Everest favorite, Australian racing, Royal Randwick, social media rumors, betting markets, Lindsay Park, Colin Hayes, JD Hayes, thoroughbred racing, Group 1 racing, international racing
**Episode Chapters:**
00:00 – Opening — “Ka Ying Rising Lives”: a frantic day before The Everest
01:00 – Social-Media Meltdown — Rumors, market drift, and stewards’ calls
03:00 – Monday Morning Relief — Canterbury gallop and media circus
05:00 – Fitness and Temperament — How Hayes plans to manage the preliminaries
08:00 – Calm Before The Everest — Final prep and confidence building
09:30 – Legacy Feature Preview — The story of Lindsay Park and the Hayes dynasty
---
**Transcript:**
**Host (00:01)**
Well, Ka Ying Rising lives. From social-media hysteria to market mayhem, Australian racing correspondent Adam Pengilly joins me to recap the day racing lost its mind. That, and how the world’s highest-rated sprinter fared in his latest gallop at Canterbury on Monday morning. For the Idol Horse Newsdesk, it’s Monday, October 13.
**Host:**
Adam, thanks for joining me after what’s been a chaotic 24 hours ahead of The Everest this weekend. You’ve been on the ground in Sydney covering Ka Ying Rising’s preparation, and what was meant to be a quiet Sunday turned to madness when rumors spread that the horse could be a doubt for the race. What happened?
**Adam Pengilly:**
Absolutely crazy, Jack. On Sunday afternoon Sydney time, betting markets started shifting dramatically. The horse had been rock-solid for weeks since his Hong Kong debut at Sha Tin, then his price began drifting. Rumors online suggested all wasn’t well with Ka Ying Rising—maybe he wasn’t eating up at the Canterbury quarantine stables.
Trainer David Hayes first heard about it at lunchtime when his son JD called after seeing the chatter online. Hayes laughed it off, but soon his phone exploded with media inquiries asking if Ka Ying Rising was okay. His price on betting exchanges blew out to around $3 — remarkable stuff. Even Sydney stewards phoned Hayes to check in; he assured them all was well, and by late evening the rumors were finally put to bed.
**Host:**
Wild speculation indeed. Do we know how it even started?
**Adam Pengilly:**
From what Hayes could tell, a Melbourne media identity apparently had a fake social-media account impersonating him, which posted something questioning Ka Ying Rising’s health. It took off fast — social media being what it is — and soon the favorite for The Everest was caught in that wildfire. Some bookmakers even suspended betting briefly while they checked the facts.
**Host:**
And first thing Monday morning, the horse was out for a gallop at Canterbury, under plenty of media scrutiny.
**Adam Pengilly:**
Exactly — cameras everywhere. It was always meant to be his final serious gallop before Saturday’s Everest. He wasn’t asked for much: ran his last 600 m in 38 seconds, home the final furlong in 12. Hayes preferred to keep him relaxed rather than stretch him out. He knows what he’s got under the bonnet.
**Host:**
And he looked settled this time?
**Adam Pengilly:**
Much better. In his Randwick barrier trial last week he’d sweated up badly and got agitated. None of that today. He’s clearly more at ease in quarantine surroundings now. His fitness has improved, and Hayes’s smile said it all afterward.
**Host:**
So all positive heading toward race day?
**Adam Pengilly:**
Yes, with one caveat: how he handles the preliminaries at Royal Randwick. Hayes has a plan — if Ka Ying Rising gets stirred up in the saddling area, they’ll walk him to a quiet spot to relax, similar to what was done for Winx. The detail shows how seriously they’re taking this. Hayes even joked that if the ground’s firm and fast, the horse might challenge the track record.
**Host:**
Classic David Hayes — ever the optimist. Amazing to think 24 hours earlier he was fielding phone calls asking if the horse was even alive.
**Adam Pengilly:**
Exactly. He told his wife Prue on Sunday morning he couldn’t get the horse in better condition. Then a few hours later, his world flipped with baseless rumors. It shows how volatile the racing world can be.
**Host:**
And now a few quiet days before the big one.
**Adam Pengilly:**
Yes, he’ll just canter at Canterbury — light work only. Hayes reckons he’ll head to Randwick about ten pounds lighter than at the trial, fit, lean, and ready to unleash against Australia’s best sprinters in The Everest.
**Host:**
Fantastic. And Adam, before we let you go, you’ve got a new piece coming up on Idol Horse about the Lindsay Park legacy.
**Adam Pengilly:**
That’s right. We trace the Hayes family story across nearly 80 years, from Colin S. Hayes founding Lindsay Park in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, to David’s international career in Hong Kong and beyond. The operation’s been part of racing’s fabric since the 1960s — even Queen Elizabeth II visited the property on her 1971 royal tour. With Ka Ying Rising heading into The Everest, this might be David Hayes’s defining moment.
**Host:**
Brilliant. That’s all for this episode of the Idol Horse Newsdesk. Like, share, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and visit idolhorse.com for the latest international racing news.