Ka Ying Rising stuns with second Sha Tin course record in three starts
David Hayes anointed Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) as “probably the best horse” he has trained, while Zac Purton described the speedster as a “really special horse” after the four-year-old’s incredible record-breaking win in the HK$13 million (approx. AU$2.68 million) Centenary Sprint Cup (Gr 1, 1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Clocking 1m 07.20s in a phenomenal display of sustained speed, Ka Ying Rising lowered the track record for the second time this season, eclipsing the 1m 07.43s he posted on November 17, to secure his tenth win from 12 starts and leaving Hayes and Purton awestruck.
Pitted against seven rivals, all drawn to his inside, Purton drove Ka Ying Rising out of the barriers and crossed the face of the field inside the opening 200 metres to lead Magic Control (Sioux Nation) and Victor The Winner (Toronado) – and was never headed – clocking 23.30s for the first 400 metres before unleashing a devastating mid-race split of 21.54s to have the race at his mercy.
Rounding the home turn, Purton flicked Ka Ying Rising into overdrive and the gelding responded with a blistering 10.59s burst from the 400-metre mark before easing down the $1.10 favourite to finish three and a quarter-lengths ahead of Helios Express (Toronado), with Howdeepisyourlove (Deep Field) a neck further back.
“He did surprise Zac [Purton] when he jumped well and then went to the lead – to lead those fast horses so easily just shows his versatility. He can take a sit, or he just leads. He’s certainly the best sprinter I’ve had anything to do with and probably the best horse,” Hayes said.
“He’s quite freakish at what he does. The last 100 metres today, Zac switched the engine off, so in the two track records he’s broken, he’s actually eased him down the last 100 metres or 80 metres.
“He just doesn’t lose – and I know he lost twice when he was immature – but now he’s mature, he’s just got that ability to win. He’s got amazing cruising speed and he’ll quicken off it, which is very hard to compete against.”
Purton, who has ridden a string of champion Hong Kong sprinters during a glittering career, said facts and figures underscored Ka Ying Rising’s extraordinary talent.
Asked if the four-year-old was the best sprinter he had ever ridden, Purton said: “He’s right up there. He’s doing things that other sprinters haven’t done, winning with the ease he’s winning with, running the times he’s running.
“We’ve had a lot of champion sprinters grace our turf here and they’ve all had the chance to run the times he’s run. So, yeah, he’s starting to become a really special horse.”
Desperate to avoid a repeat of the Hong Kong Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) in December when Ka Ying Rising triumphed by half-a-length in his slowest time of the season – 1m 08.15s – Purton enacted a simple plan.
“Jump, be positive and just work it out as we go,” he said. “They went too slow in December and it allowed the horses to be too close, so today I made sure the man was going to take care of the boys.
“He can run sectionals comfortably and kick off it. It’s very unique to have a horse that can do that, but he can. But when you go too slow, it allows the other horses a bit of an opportunity. Today, we made a statement again.”
The Centenary Sprint Cup is the first leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series, and Hayes confirmed Ka Ying Rising would chase a HK$5 million (approx. AU$1.03 million) bonus by winning the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (Gr 1, 1400m) on February 23 and the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (Gr 1, 1200m) on April 27.
Longer term, Hayes is contemplating a tilt at The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) – worth a staggering AU$20 million – at Randwick in Sydney on October 18.
“It’s the richest turf race in the world, it’s at his distance, so it’s getting more realistic every month we go on. We’ll really start thinking about a pathway towards it after the international race here in April and then after that, he’ll probably just be set for the big sprint,” Hayes said.
Purton finished the meeting with 1,812 wins – one shy of Douglas Whyte’s Hong Kong record – having also scored on David Hall’s Mr Energia (Swiss Ace) in the Class 4 Seasons Bloom Handicap (1400m), while James McDonald took riding honours with a treble.
The New Zealander claimed the Stewards’ Cup (Gr 1, 1600m) on Ricky Yiu’s Voyage Bubble (Deep Field), the Class 4 Beat The Clock Handicap (1200m) on the Danny Shum-trained Blazing Wind (Deep Field) and the Class 3 Mr Vitality Handicap (1400m) for John Size on Bundle Award (Shamus Award), who claimed a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million (approx. AU$310,030).
Andrea Atzeni slotted a double with Manfred Man’s lightly-raced Gold Master (The Autumn Sun), who won the Class 4 Helene Paragon Handicap (1600m), and Noisy Boy (Real Steel), who enhanced his Hong Kong Derby (2000m) credentials with victory for Dennis Yip in the Class 2 Able Friend Handicap (2000m).
Man also sealed a brace when Patch Of Cosmo (Super Seth) clinched the Class 3 Sound Print Handicap (1400m) for Matthew Chadwick, while Craig Williams posted his first Hong Kong winner since 2016/17 when Cody Mo’s Forerunner (Almanzor) triumphed by a head in the Class 4 Waikuku Handicap (1400m).
“It’s great to be here, it was a home away from home for a long period of my life, my riding career and I was very grateful for the opportunity I had many years ago to make me the rider and the person I am today, so it’s nice to come back,” Williams said.
Three-year-old Sky Joy (Hellbent) continued his impressive progress with victory under Jerry Chau in the Class 4 Peniaphobia Handicap (1200m), posting his second victory for Ricky Yiu, before Prince Of Porty’s (Wandjina) success in the Class 3 Aerovelocity Handicap (1200m) under Matthew Poon gave Hall a double.