Everest Day and Caulfield Cup Day 2026 Review: Tempted, Kingswood and a Finish Nobody Wanted

Saturday 17 October 2026 gave Australian racing its biggest crowd, its biggest upset and its hardest moment in one afternoon. At Randwick, a record 52,110 people watched Tempted end Ka Ying Rising's 21-race winning streak in the $20 million Everest. At Caulfield, Kingswood won the 150th Caulfield Cup at $26, then the celebrations stopped as Half Yours fell inside the final 300 metres, bringing down Ohope Wins, who could not be saved. Here is how the day unfolded, what the jockeys said, and how Punt Hub's tips fared.

The day in 60 seconds

• The Everest: Tempted ($6.50) beat Ka Ying Rising ($1.35) by a half-neck, with Joliestar ($19) a neck away third. Headwall ($46) ran fourth.

• Caulfield Cup: Kingswood ($26) by half a length from Saint George ($10) and Enfjaar ($12). Cosmic Crusader ($4.80) fourth. Half Yours fell, Ohope Wins was euthanised, Mark Zahra and Jye McNeil hospitalised and since discharged.

• King Charles III Stakes: Autumn Glow ($1.26) by 2¼ lengths from Ceolwulf ($4.50) and Just Folk ($41).

• Thousand Guineas: Saintly Dancer ($4.60) led all the way to beat Icelady ($11) and Regal Ambition ($3.70).

• Favourites: Cavalry Girl was the only winning favourite from 10 races at Caulfield. At Randwick, Ka Ying Rising was rolled but Autumn Glow, So You Are and Cross Tasman saluted.

The Everest: Tempted ends the streak

For 1,000 days nobody had beaten Ka Ying Rising. He arrived at Randwick with 21 straight wins, a $1.35 quote and barrier 11, and it was the barrier that undid him. Zac Purton settled sixth with no cover, six wide, and when the field turned in he looked beaten. He was not. He charged at Tempted all the way to the post and missed by a half-neck. Trainer David Hayes put it simply: "If we have to take a positive out of it, he was in front one stride after the post."

Tempted had finished second to him in this race 12 months ago, and Chad Schofield rode her completely differently this time. From barrier one, he sent her forward instead of waiting. "First time I've really ridden her and asked her from the start," he said. "I knew he wasn't up there and I held my spot and kept him deep, and I'm pretty sure that made Zac have to come back. From there, I had the perfect trip." She hit the front early in the straight and was still finding when the champion arrived. Ciaron Maher called her "something special" and said the mare was still improving.

Joliestar flashed home from the back for third, and Headwall ran a brave fourth under 58.5kg at $46 after racing handy, holding on well when the quality runners came. Jimmysstar was sixth and Giga Kick, the 2022 winner, ninth. The track was upgraded to Soft 5 before the race, and Hayes said "the ground was absolutely perfect", so there is no excuse there. Ka Ying Rising now heads home to Hong Kong with his reputation intact and a first defeat in 22 starts.

King Charles III Stakes: Autumn Glow's masterclass

Two hours after the favourite punters thought could not lose was beaten, the one they backed to make amends did not miss. Autumn Glow ($1.26) sat behind the speed for James McDonald, was asked at the 600 metres and simply ran away from Ceolwulf. The 2¼-length margin flattered nobody: McDonald said he wanted to give her "a lung buster" after a run of easy wins, and the mare obliged.

Ceolwulf, chasing a third straight win in the race with blinkers on for the first time, followed her everywhere and quickened, but as McDonald put it, "Was waiting for Ceolwulf with his blinkers on, he never came." Schofield eased the gelding in the last 50 metres once the race was gone. Just Folk ran into third at $41, with God's Window and Militarize giving Chris Waller three of the first five. Waller said Autumn Glow would have a few days in the paddock before connections decide what is next.

Caulfield Cup: Kingswood's day, and racing's worst moment

The race

The 150th Caulfield Cup drew more than 30,000 people, the biggest crowd at the track in more than a decade, and they saw a grey seven-year-old most of them had not considered. Kingswood ($26) drew the outside gate, was posted three wide the whole way and still won. John Allen refused to panic. "Bit of a messy race, we were three wide early but he was in a nice rhythm, didn't want to light him up," he said. "When a bit of a wave came around him at the 1200, I was happy to leave that go and tack them into the race. He cantered up to them and put them away."

Gavin Bedggood, training from Cranbourne, had been "gutted" by the draw and had heard every doubt about his horse staying 2400 metres. "Everyone wanted to question the horse's credentials at a mile and a half. It's great to be vindicated," he said, before thanking Darren Weir for sending the horse his way. Kingswood, a half-brother to Group 1 winner Eldar Eldarov, had won the Zabeel Classic in New Zealand on Boxing Day and finished fourth in the Underwood and Might And Power, so the form was there if you squinted. He stopped the clock at 2:28.21 on a Good 4.

Saint George was a half-length away, giving Craig Williams and Ciaron Maher an uncomplicated run from barrier two. Enfjaar, first-up since August for Roger Varian, was another half-length back in third, and Ray Dawson said he "couldn't have dreamed for a better run around" before the horse "felt the pinch" in the last 100 metres. He goes to the Melbourne Cup. Kings Valley ran a cracking fifth at $31 and Zahrann was sixth after being flat-footed when the field sprinted mid-race.

Cosmic Crusader

The favourite ran fourth, beaten 1½ lengths, and the run was better than the placing. William Pike used him early from barrier 17, was three wide into the first turn, then landed outside Enfjaar with a good run and clear air in the straight. "I really got my hopes up turning for home," Pike said. "He hit the bridle, he was travelling, I really did think I was the winner. Maybe he doesn't like being on the speed like that, I don't know, but credit to the winner today, he was too good." At his first try at 2400 metres, with a wide gate and a strong tempo change, it was a Group 1-quality run that found three better on the day.

The fall

Just inside the 300 metres, defending champion Half Yours stumbled and fell, dislodging Mark Zahra. Ohope Wins, racing behind him, was brought down and Jye McNeil hit the turf. Stewards confirmed the four-year-old mare, winner of the New Zealand and Australian Oaks this year, suffered injuries that could not be treated and she was euthanised on the track. Zahra was taken to hospital with a sternum injury and was discharged late on Saturday night, and McNeil was released on Sunday morning after a night under observation. Half Yours suffered lacerations and is expected to make a full recovery, though his Melbourne Cup defence now looks unlikely. Stewards have opened an investigation into the incident.

Craig Williams spoke for the room after finishing second: "My horse was great, the horse ran his heart out, but my thoughts, most importantly, are with the horses and riders that fell." Our thoughts are with Ohope Wins' connections and the Yulong team.

Thousand Guineas: Shinn's comeback day

Blake Shinn had not ridden a Group 1 winner since returning from a badly broken leg, and he fixed that with a front-running ride that won the race from the barriers. Saintly Dancer ($4.60) jumped from gate four, held the fence and dictated. "I think the draw ultimately won us the race because I was able to hold the fence," Shinn said. "Got a nice little breather down the side, she told me how fast she wanted to go, and around the turn I was supremely confident."

Stablemate Icelady ($11) chased her home to give Ciaron Maher the quinella from four runners in the race. Regal Ambition ($3.70) missed the start, raced three wide with cover and ran on for third, with Michael Dee calling it a "great effort" on a track that was "playing to the inside". De Armas was fourth, while the other fancied runners failed: Over The Bridge ($5.50) was 11th and the five-time winner Pretty Baby ($8) ninth. Maher's Jack Turnbull said the filly "just keeps proving us wrong" and that she will get further.

Around the grounds

Zac Lloyd rode three winners at Randwick, Tommy Berry two, and Ciaron Maher's stable walked away with The Everest, the Thousand Guineas quinella, a $61 Gothic winner and second in the Caulfield Cup. Randwick raced as a Soft 6 early and was upgraded to Soft 5 from The Everest onwards, with the rail out 3 metres. Caulfield was a Good 4, rail out 3 metres, and six of its 10 winners started at double-figure odds.

Punt Hub's scorecard

Three Group 1 tips, two placings, no winner. Not the Saturday we wanted, and we will not dress it up. The lesson from The Everest is the one that stings: we built a case around a barrier being a problem and the winning jockey turned it into an advantage.

What it means for the next fortnight

The Cox Plate is next Saturday and the Caulfield Guineas winner Warwoven, unbeaten this spring, heads there with a stronger claim after Cosmic Crusader was beaten. Enfjaar goes to the Melbourne Cup off a first-up third, Kingswood has earned his place at Flemington, and Half Yours is likely to miss his title defence. Apocalyptic's Silver Eagle win puts a $26 shot into the Golden Eagle picture, Grafterburners earned a shot at the better sprints, and Autumn Glow's connections have a decision to make about how much more she needs to prove this spring.

Replays, results and the live markets for every race from both meetings are on the Punt Hub Randwick and Caulfield race pages.