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By Ray Hickson

Champion trainer Chris Waller says he has the firepower to make superstar Ka Ying Rising earn victory – if the Hong Kong visitor is to win - in Saturday’s Group 1 $20 million TAB Everest (1200m) at Randwick.

Trainer Chris Waller (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The two-time Everest winning trainer has Group 1 winners Joliestar and Lady Shenandoah and a horse he is adamant is a Group 1 winner in waiting in Angel Capital lining up to give Ka Ying Rising what Waller says will be his biggest test.

Ka Ying Rising’s presence in the TAB Everest is welcomed by Waller as much as it’s been embraced by the racing public in Sydney but he says the locals are far from easybeats.

“The best thing about Ka Ying Rising being in the race is it brings an international flavour to this year’s event and that’s what we want to see,’’ Waller said.

“We have the best sprinters in the world and take them overseas and normally get it right, so to see a horse coming here with the world’s highest rating Australia has something to prove.

“Let’s hope our horses can beat Ka Ying Rising because he’s a superstar.

“All three of ours are, in my eyes, good enough to win the race. It’s a great contest, everyone has to be on their game and they need to be strong over the last metres of the race.”

The Waller trio have had different build ups, both from racing and trackwork perspective, for the TAB Everest.

Joliestar ($7 with TAB on Thursday), the only runner from the 2024 edition back this year, has been kept fresh since she won the Group 2 Shorts, beating Briasa. Lady Shenandoah’s ($14) last appearance was her fourth in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes while Angel Capital ($21) was unlucky when fourth in the Sir Rupert Clarke a month ago.

The trio, along with King Charles III runner Fangirl, appeared at Rosehill on Thursday morning for what Waller described as a “captain’s run”.

“Lady Shenandoah had a gallop on Wednesday, a little more than Joliestar did this morning,’’ he said.

“Joliestar had a very quiet gallop on the polytrack, if we bring her out on the course proper she’d be ready to charge.

“Angel Capital did work over a short distance on the course proper. It’s just about keeping each horse happy and having them fine tuned for Saturday.”

Waller said he can make a case for each of them to add their names to his previous Everest winners Yes Yes Yes (2019) and Nature Strip (2021) given the promise of a strongly run race and favourable draws.

“Joliestar is a mature mare now, she’s in the zone off a great first-up win,’’ he said.

“Lady Shenandoah is coming off that defeat but there were legitimate reasons for it. We think she’s a rising star and she’ll be there next year in the Everest as well.

“Angel Capital is a rising star, like Lady Shenandoah, he hasn’t won at the elite level yet but he’s ready.

“The things we see at home on the training tracks are quite phenomenal, if he brings that to the races and puts it all together from his good draw he could beat them all.”

There’s no reason why Fangirl can’t secure a second win in the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1609m) as far as Waller is concerned.

She beat Mr Brightside two years ago and finished sixth behind Ceolwulf last year, she arrives at the race third-up this spring having run down Lindermann to win the 7 Stakes.

“She’s in the twilight years but in our eyes she’s going well. She’s certainly not showing any signs of slowing down,’’ Waller said.

Nine of Fangirl’s 12 wins have come at Randwick and four over the mile, Waller said the promise of a strong gallop is going to suit his mare and help her offset a wide barrier.

Joliestar wins the Shorts

“Pride Of Jenni being in the race always adds flavour but we know how not to let her get too far away,’’ he said.

“She’ll get going from the 1000m mark and will try to pinch a break, we’ll have to stay with her and everyone else knows the same. If you let her our of your sights you don’t win the race.

“I think that will suit Fangirl, wide draws when they run along at speed I don’t think is as important.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s TAB Everest meeting at Randwick