The Hayes brothers are eyeing a potential Everest clash between their rising star War Machine and their father’s Hong Kong sprint sensation Ka Ying Rising as part of an ambitious spring campaign.
War Machine confirmed his status among the top echelon of Australian sprinters with a breakthrough win in the Stradbroke Handicap on Saturday.
Now, co-trainer Will Hayes has revealed that the Lindsay Park team will be pushing hard to have War Machine line up in the $20 million Everest, potentially giving the family two runners in the world’s richest turf race.
“It’s hard not to (think about the Everest) … there’s 20 million reasons,” Hayes told Melbourne’s RSN radio.
“His progress has just been insane over the past two months. He’s just gone from strength to strength.”
Ka Ying Rising, who has been confirmed to run from the Hong Kong Jockey Club slot leased via the Australian Turf Club, is the odds-on favourite for the Everest, while War Machine currently sits at $21 in early markets.
