The Everest 2026 Tips, Field, Odds and Race Preview

The 2026 Everest is a $20 million Group 1 sprint over 1200 metres at Royal Randwick, run as Race 7 at 4:15pm AEDT on Saturday 17 October 2026. Ka Ying Rising, the defending champion on a 21-race winning streak, is the $1.50 favourite, with Tempted at $5.00 and Jimmysstar at $15. Punt Hub's value bet is No. 6 Headwall ($34) each way. He is two from two on heavy tracks and was beaten only half a length by Tempted first-up.

Twelve horses start in the 10th running of the world's richest turf race, and the story is the rain: Randwick had about 100mm this week. We're against No. 9 Tempted, who risks getting trapped on the rail from barrier 1. All odds below are Punt Hub's best displayed win prices. Follow the live market on the Punt Hub Everest race page.

The Everest 2026 tips at a glance

• Value bet (each way): 6. Headwall (barrier 6, 58.5kg, Kerrin McEvoy). Each way, $34 best displayed.

• Market favourite: 1. Ka Ying Rising ($1.50).

• Punt Hub selection: 6.

• Against: 9. Tempted ($5.00). She is a top-class mare, but barrier 1 is the problem. She'll have to stick to the paint and hope the gaps come, or she'll need too much luck.

The Everest 2026 key facts

All times are AEDT. The race starts at 4:15pm in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart, 3:45pm in Adelaide, 3:15pm in Brisbane and 1:15pm in Perth.

The Everest 2026 field, barriers and odds

The table lists each runner's barrier, weight, jockey, trainer and recent form. Odds are Punt Hub's best displayed win price across the bookmakers Punt Hub compares.

Emergencies: 13. Overpass (Bjorn Baker), 14. Charm Stone (Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr), 15. Skybird (Mitchell Freedman) and 16. Marhoona (Michael Freedman). An emergency runs only if a slot holder replaces a scratched runner.

Scratchings close on race morning. Check the live Everest odds before you bet.

The Everest 2026 market overview

Ka Ying Rising is odds-on at $1.50, with Tempted the clear second pick at $5.00. Then come Jimmysstar ($15), Ninja ($18) and Joliestar ($18). Headwall has been the big mover, in from $61 to $34. Angel Capital has drifted from $51 to $71.

Ka Ying Rising's price has eased this week as the rain set in. The other big move has been for Headwall, who is two from two on heavy ground.

Our Everest value bet: Headwall each way

Headwall is the wet-track sprinter at a price. He has won both of his heavy-track starts, he finished half a length from Tempted first-up after more than a year off, and he has Kerrin McEvoy, a three-time Everest winner. Each way at his price, he is the one we want.

Made for this track

Headwall has won both of his starts on heavy tracks and finished in the top three in all four of his soft-track starts. On a week when Randwick has had about 100mm of rain, that is one of the best wet-track records in the field.

Right with Tempted first-up

He returned from a year out with a pastern injury to run second in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m), beaten half a length by Tempted after being held up. He won that race in 2025. He then ran fifth, beaten about a length by Mazu, in The Shorts (1100m). He has been placed twice at Group 1 level over 1200 metres.

The jockey and the draw

Kerrin McEvoy has won The Everest three times, more than any other rider. Barrier 6 lets him settle in the first half of the field, behind a fast pace set by Ka Ying Rising, Blue Door, Caballus and Savvy Hallie. The market has noticed: he has firmed from his opening price to $34.

The case against

Headwall has never won beyond 1000 metres, and he has not raced on a wet track in more than two years. He also needs to beat Ka Ying Rising, who would be a strong favourite on a better track. That's why we're each way, not win only.

The Everest 2026 contenders and form analysis

6. Headwall ($34)

Matthew Smith's seven-year-old has run second in the Concorde and fifth in The Shorts this preparation. Kerrin McEvoy rides from barrier 6.

1. Ka Ying Rising ($1.50)

The six-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding has won 21 races in a row, 20 of them at Sha Tin, where his 1:06.11 last start broke his own 1200-metre record by almost a second. He won last year's Everest by 1.25 lengths from barrier 7. His only run on rain-affected ground was a win, but he has never raced on a heavy track. David Hayes said: "A 5, 6 or 7 I can tolerate. 8 I would start to worry." If the track is soft rather than heavy, he is the one to beat.

9. Tempted ($5.00)

Godolphin's four-year-old mare was second to Ka Ying Rising last year, beaten 1.25 lengths carrying 51kg. She is unbeaten in five starts since, including the Group 1 Surround Stakes, the Concorde and a three-length Premiere Stakes win. She has won all four of her soft-track starts and has never finished worse than second in six runs over 1200 metres at Randwick. But barrier 1 is the problem. With more speed in the race than last year, she'll have to scrape the paint and go up the rail, and on a wet inside track that needs a lot to go right. If the gaps don't come, she's going to need too much luck. Redzel (2018) is the only winner from barrier 1, and she carries 5.5kg more than last year. We're against her on Saturday.

2. Jimmysstar ($15)

Ciaron Maher's seven-year-old was third last year after racing wide from barrier 11. He won the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield last start by three-quarters of a length at $6.50. He has won five of his 13 wet-track starts and placed in four more, though he has never raced on a heavy track. He gets back, so he needs pace up front.

8. Joliestar ($18)

Chris Waller's five-time Group 1 winning mare was beaten a neck by Mazu in The Shorts first-up. She was seventh in this race in 2024 and fifth last year, beaten about 1.5 lengths each time. She ran third in her only heavy-track start. James McDonald rides from barrier 5, the only gate to produce two Everest winners.

7. Ninja ($18)

Michael Freedman's gelding won the Group 2 Missile Stakes first-up, then was ninth in The Shorts after racing wide. He went to the line just ahead of Ka Ying Rising in a Soft 7 trial on 6 October, and he has won twice on heavy tracks in weaker company.

The rest of the field

Blue Door ($31), the only three-year-old, gets 51kg but has never raced beyond 1100 metres. Giga Kick ($41), the 2022 winner, has won on heavy but was 10th and eighth this preparation. Angel Capital ($71) won the Sir Rupert Clarke over 1400 metres but wants a dry track. Spicy Martini ($51) and Savvy Hallie ($91) both handle the wet, and Caballus ($151) was eighth in his only heavy-track start.

The Everest 2026 speed map and barriers

There is more speed than last year. Ka Ying Rising has 600 metres from the chute to cross from barrier 11, and Hayes is happy with the gate. Blue Door, Caballus and Savvy Hallie will all push forward, which should mean a genuine tempo on a tiring track. That suits Headwall, who can settle just behind them from barrier 6. Tempted is the one at risk. From barrier 1 she'll be on the rail behind the leaders, and she needs a run up the inside to arrive in time.

History says… Barrier 5 is the only gate to produce two winners, Giga Kick (2022) and Think About It (2023). Redzel (2018) is the only winner from barrier 1, and two winners started from double-figure barriers.

Randwick track condition and weather for The Everest

Randwick was rated Heavy 8 on Wednesday after about 64mm overnight, and Soft 7 on Thursday. Track manager Michael Wood said the course received twice the rain expected, and that after 100mm "it is still going to be very soft come Saturday". The Bureau of Meteorology forecast is a 70% chance of up to 3mm on Friday and 50% of up to 2mm on Saturday. Expect a soft or heavy track, and recheck the rating on race morning.

The Everest trends and statistics

We analysed every Everest from 2017 to 2025.

• Dual winners: Redzel (2017 and 2018) is the only horse to win twice. Ka Ying Rising is trying to be the second.

• Barriers: barrier 5 has produced two winners. The other seven winners came from seven different gates.

• Jockeys: Kerrin McEvoy has won three times, and Craig Williams twice.

• Trainers: Chris Waller has won twice (Yes Yes Yes in 2019 and Nature Strip in 2021). Ciaron Maher won in 2024 with Bella Nipotina.

• Age and sex: two three-year-olds have won (Yes Yes Yes and Giga Kick), and Bella Nipotina is the only mare to win.

• Last year's placegetters: Tempted (second), Jimmysstar (third) and Joliestar (fifth) are all back for another try.

Recent Everest winners

In 2025, Ka Ying Rising beat Tempted by 1.25 lengths, with Jimmysstar third.

The Everest history

The Everest was first run in 2017. It runs on a slot model: 12 slot holders each pay about $700,000 for a place in the field, then race, lease or trade it with a horse of their choice. Redzel won the first two. Prizemoney rose to $15 million in 2018.

Prizemoney reached $20 million in 2023, making it the world's richest turf race. It ran under special conditions until 2024, when it became a Group 1. In 2025 Ka Ying Rising became the first Hong Kong-trained winner. Yes Yes Yes's 1:07.32 in 2019 is the fastest winning time.

The 10th running is billed as a coronation for Ka Ying Rising, the world's highest-rated horse, but the week's 100mm of rain has changed the betting. He has eased in the market as the track softened, Tempted, the horse who chased him home last year, is the clear second pick, and wet-trackers like Headwall have been backed.

The Everest 2026 prizemoney

• 1st: $7,000,000

• 2nd: $2,900,000

• 3rd: $2,000,000

• Prizemoney is paid to all 12 runners.

The Everest 2026 frequently asked questions

When is The Everest 2026?

The 2026 Everest is Race 7 at Royal Randwick on Saturday 17 October 2026, starting at 4:15pm AEDT.

How much is The Everest worth?

The 2026 Everest is worth $20,000,000, with $7,000,000 to the winner, $2,900,000 for second and $2,000,000 for third. It is the world's richest race on turf.

Who is the favourite for The Everest 2026?

Ka Ying Rising is the favourite at $1.50, ahead of Tempted at $5.00 and Jimmysstar at $15. These are Punt Hub's best displayed odds.

What are Punt Hub's tips for The Everest 2026?

Punt Hub's tip is No. 6 Headwall each way, who is two from two on heavy tracks. We're against No. 9 Tempted, who risks being trapped on the rail from barrier 1.

Can Ka Ying Rising handle a heavy track?

Nobody knows. Ka Ying Rising has won his only race on rain-affected ground but has never raced on a heavy track, and trainer David Hayes has said a heavy rating would be a genuine concern.

What is the track condition at Randwick for The Everest?

Randwick was rated Heavy 8 on Wednesday and Soft 7 on Thursday after about 100mm of rain. More light rain is forecast, so expect a soft or heavy track and recheck the rating on race morning.

How does The Everest slot system work?

Twelve slot holders each pay about $700,000 for a place in the field, then choose a horse to fill it. They can race, lease or trade the slot, so the field is decided by deals, not by ratings.

Who won The Everest in 2025?

Ka Ying Rising won the 2025 Everest for trainer David Hayes and jockey Zac Purton, beating Tempted by 1.25 lengths with Jimmysstar third, in 1:08.13.

Has any horse won The Everest twice?

Redzel is the only dual winner, in 2017 and 2018. Ka Ying Rising is trying to become the second in 2026.

Which barrier is best in The Everest?

Barrier 5 is the only gate to produce two Everest winners, Giga Kick in 2022 and Think About It in 2023. Joliestar has drawn barrier 5 this year.

How to watch The Everest

Watch live on Channel 7 and stream free on 7plus. The Australian Turf Club sells tickets for Everest Day.