Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising scales Everest
Hong Kong hero Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) earned confirmation of his global superstar status and a comparison to his trainer’s former champion Better Loosen Up (Loosen Up) in storming to victory in Saturday’s The Everest at Randwick.
The world’s highest-rated sprinter now has the world’s richest sprint title to show for it, after racing in third place, charging past leader Overpass (Vancouver) at the 200 metres, and coming away to win by 1.15 lengths.
Ciaron Maher – the winner last year with Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) had to be content with both minor placings this time.
Godolphin filly Tempted (Street Boss), the race’s sole three-year-old, produced a mighty effort to finish second at $16, while Jimmysstar (Per Incanto) sustained a long run to finish third, a further 0.27 lengths away, at $13. Overpass ($41) clung on for fourth.
Having been around $1.70 for months leading up to the $20 million event, the New Zealand-bred Ka Ying Rising was easy on course on the day, jumping at $2 by official starting prices. But he was $1.50 on the World Pool tote, with his legion of Hong Kong fans backing him heavily.
By Windsor Park Stud’s relatively modest, fertility-challenged sire Shamexpress, the five-year-old gelding has now won 15 of his 17 starts – the last 14 on the bounce – with his earnings leaping past $21 million with Saturday’s $7m injection from the world’s richest race on turf, and its second-richest race behind the $31m Saudi Cup (Gr 1, 1800m).
And it was an emotional trainer David Hayes who breathed a sigh of delighted relief following the win, after almost a month of intense media scrutiny since Ka Ying Rising’s arrival in Sydney, especially surrounding a moderate-looking third in a Randwick barrier trial on October 7.
Hayes put Ka Ying Rising on a level with Better Loosen Up, his former champion middle distance galloper who won eight times at the highest level, including the Japan Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) in 1990.
“Better Loosen Up was the last world champion horse I’ve trained, and this one is the next one,” the Hong Kong-based Australian said.
“There’s been a lot of good horses in between but these are the two stars.”
In a rare event on a racecourse – especially before a race – Purton revealed Ka Ying Rising had been roundly booed by mostly young and rowdy racegoers amongst the sell-out crowd of around 46,000 as he made his way to the starting gates.
“The crowd did a good job of trying to buzz him up before the race,” said Purton, the Australian who’s won eight Hong Kong riding titles.
“I didn’t expect them to boo him and be as vocal as they were when he came out on the track, and it was all the way until we got to the end of the crowd.
“But he handled it really well, I was really impressed with that.
“I just love him. He’s just such a nice horse to ride.”
Hayes, who has also trained such outstanding gallopers as Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice), Criterion (Sebring), Jeune (Kalaglow) and Primacy (Prego), was in an ebullient mood after the weight-for-age slot race.
“It’s an absolute thrill,” he said. “I can’t wait to watch the replay and enjoy it. It’s a long straight isn’t it, when you hit the front with 300 metres to go?
“But I think he held up pretty well. Great ride by Zac.
“I actually would’ve been shattered had he lost today, truth be known, when he was so calm an hour before the race.
“It’s certainly the biggest thrill of my life, and it’s been the longest ten days in my life.”
Ka Ying Rising’s mere presence brought the ninth Everest a genuine international flavour for the first time.
Asked what the victory meant for Hong Kong racing, Hayes said: “I think it will be wonderful. He’s the pin-up boy there.”
He added that despite the criticism and whispers it induced, Ka Ying Rising’s Randwick barrier trial had worked well. In his 0.23 length third, the star sprinter finished behind Group 1 winners Linebacker (Super Seth) and Overpass, and ahead of multiple elite victors Mr Brightside (Bullbars), Joliestar (Zoustar) and Fangirl (Sebring).
“He blew out all the mothballs and a lot of people were very critical of the trial but he still beat [the winners of] 20 Group 1 [races] and ran third, not really tested,” Hayes said.
“So relieved, but when he saddled up calm he had to really run below form not to win today. But I couldn’t say that, I couldn’t be cocky [but] I would’ve been so disappointed if he didn’t win when he saddled up calm.”
Just as Hayes opined that “there’s more to come with this horse”, Purton said Ka Ying Rising had won despite being below his best.
“Overpass skipped for him early and I had to chase him. To my horse’s credit, he wasn’t letting him go. He got the better of me in the trial and we said that he’s not going to get the better of me in the race,” said Hong Kong’s eight-time premier rider.
“We chased him down and coasted to the line. There were a few days when I was not that happy with his trial but the more I analysed it, the ground was soft and he didn’t like it, he was overweight and heavy.
“Overpass is a pretty good horse and I underestimated him until I went back into his replays over the last few days and he’d just been beaten in an Everest before.
“I don’t think we saw him [Ka Ying Rising] at his best today but even though he wasn’t at his best he’s still good enough.”
The 40-year-old Purton became emotional when comparing Ka Ying Rising to the other Hong Kong superstar with whom he formed a partnership, eight-time elite victor Beauty Generation (Road To Rock).
“To have one champion I rode in my career, I thought that was unbelievable for me,” he said. “And now to have one come along that could be even better, right at this moment it really does hit home.
“You become a bit emotional. You appreciate it more now because it [Purton’s career] is nearly over, but I’m so lucky. I’ve had such a good career and so lucky to have this horse come along now.”
Bred in New Zealand by his original trainer Fraser Auret, Ka Ying Rising was sold after a trial to Hayes’s Victoria-based sons, Ben, Will and JD.
After two jump-outs and a trial, the brothers alerted their father that they had a horse worthy of Hong Kong. He went to the territory, won his first start as a three-year-old in December 2023, ran 0.1 length seconds at his next two, and hasn’t been beaten since.
Ka Ying Rising is the best of only two foals borne of five-time winner Missy Moo (Per Incanto) before she was euthanised due to crippling arthritis.
The star sprinter’s year-young half-brother Ka Ying Glory (Turn Me Loose) has run one second from three starts for David Hayes in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Englebrecht-Bresges was on course to cheer home Ka Ying Rising. The HKJC acquired a $700,000 slot, in partnership with the Australian Turf Club, to race the gelding in the Everest.
“I think Hong Kong has two global stars,” he said. “One is Romantic Warrior, who has proved himself internationally. Now, Ka Ying Rising has done the same and it’s extremely important when you see how many people in Hong Kong watch this race. It is now the people’s horse.
“It’s extremely important to show that Hong Kong is a global city, that we have one of the best horses in the world and that we can help to create a global atmosphere, because the atmosphere today is absolutely astonishing and fascinating.
“For us, the money for the slot is not important. For us, what we want to create is global racing at its best and therefore we need strategic partners who embrace the same vision we have. We have this here.”