Ka Ying Rising has been defeated in an incredible upset at Randwick, seeing the David Hayes-trained horse not claim victory for the first time in 22 races.

Instead, that honour went to Tempted, with jockey Chad Schofield and trainer Ciaron Maher winning the $20 million race.

This sees the four-year-old Chestnut Mare get her revenge after finishing runner-up to Ka Ying Rising in last year's Everest.

Following the win, David Taggart was in admiration of the mare and its improvement in recent times.

"How good is this mare?" Taggart exclaimed on SEN Track's Saturday Trackside.

"I said this mare has improved from her three-year-old days.

"She has flourished and blossomed. He's just furnished into a great racehorse."

In his reflection of Ka Ying Rising's performance, the former jockey put it down to the Hong Kong-based superstar being unable to handle the track conditions.

"Soft 6, we thought, 'Oh well, he's back to his liking', but I reckon it's that shifty track; he just didn't handle it," the 2004 VRC Oaks winner said.

"He just did not like it."

However, Cam Luke believes that with the six-year-old Bay Gelding getting no cover after being four wide did him no favours.

"I will tell you this, he was four wide, no cover," he explained.

"I'm not as certain that it was the conditions. His slow start, he was four wide, no cover, and it hurt him."