Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club
Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) confirmed his status as the world’s best horse with a record-breaking victory in the HK$24 million Gr.1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (26 April) to crown a flawless season, sealing the Hong Kong Speed Series and extending his winning streak to 20.
He has now broken the Sha Tin track record in each of his last two runs – one at 1200m and also in the Gr.1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m).
His time of 1m 07.10s was slightly better than his previous record of 1m 07.12s. Ka Ying Rising now owns six of the nine fastest times ever run over 1200m turf at Sha Tin.
After a slowly run first 200m, Ka Ying Rising accelerated over the final 400m, running a blistering 21.52s – his fastest final sectional.
Adding the Chairman’s Sprint Prize to his Gr.1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) and Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup triumphs completes the Hong Kong Speed Series for a second consecutive season and delivers connections a bonus of HK$5 million. He becomes just the second horse to win the Series twice.
Stablemate Tomodachi Kokoroe (Written Tycoon) flew the gates, but Ka Ying Rising was able to sit in third position with his main rival, last-start Group One winner Satono Reve (Lord Kanaloa), sitting on his outside.
Superbly ridden again by Zac Purton, the world’s highest-rated horse was urged to go at the 300m and did what he has done so often, and left the field in his wake.
Despite not being ridden out, he set another track record and finished four-and-a-quarter lengths in front of Satono Reve, who was again behind the great sprinter.
Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club
An emotional Purton said Ka Ying Rising was something special, and it was amazing what he could do.
“It was pretty painless,” Purton said. “His speed was nice, he was in a good rhythm, and it was just a matter of him turning up and doing what he has all season, and he did that.
“It was nice to break the track record again, albeit just slightly. When I let him go he quickened, but he did take a couple of strides to balance up a little, but once he quickened, he quickened extremely well and a long way out he felt very comfortable and very confident.”
David Hayes admitted he was relieved to win, given the pressure of having his horse start at such short odds when the second favourite was 90/1.
Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club
“You tend to worry that you are going to let everyone down,” Hayes said. “He doesn’t, does he? In the Year of the Horse, he is now one of the all-time greats, I think. The way he is running times and rating so incredibly well.
“A long time ago I thought he might have been the best horse I trained, and about a year ago I thought he was definitely the best horse I trained, and now I think he is one of the best horses I have ever seen.”
Hayes said he considered himself lucky to have a horse of Ka Ying Rising’s class.
He said Ka Ying Rising would now be spelled before defending his title in the world’s richest race on turf, the Gr.1 The Everest (1200m) in Sydney, Australia in October.
