Photo: supplied
The phenomenal Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) has been the horse of a lifetime for everyone associated with him, including his New Zealand breeders, Fraser and Erin Auret.
Under their Grandmoral Lodge banner, the Aurets bred Ka Ying Rising as the first foal out of their Per Incanto mare Missy Moo.
Missy Moo was bought for just $500 as a yearling at Karaka in 2014, and Fraser Auret trained her to win five races and finish fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2000m). She also contested a Wellington Cup over two miles – a world away from the scintillating sprints her son is famous for.
The Aurets selected Windsor Park stallion Shamexpress for Missy Moo’s first mating, and the resulting foal showed early promise at the jumpouts before being sold to Hong Kong-based Australian trainer David Hayes in a deal brokered by Mike Marais.
Photo: HKJC
The rest is history, and even after 20 consecutive victories, millions of dollars in prize-money and numerous track records, Fraser Auret is still in disbelief about the career trajectory of the horse his children had nicknamed Rocket.
“Even after he’s put this many of them in a row, each one of his performances continues to amaze,” he said. “He’s just a well-oiled machine.
“He’s taken us on a wonderful journey, whether it’s being on course for his Hong Kong Sprint victory, or the gatherings that we have here at home when we watch his races. It’s always a great occasion, and one of my favourite things about it is how excited the kids get, having known him since he was a foal.”
Auret has often been asked if he has any regrets around selling the horse that has gone on to become the highest-rated racehorse in the world, but that is the reality of the business he operates. He notes that having Ka Ying Rising fly the Grandmoral Lodge flag on the Hong Kong and world stage has brought some significant benefits.
“We’ve definitely seen some great flow-on effects on that side of things,” he said. “As a seller, you have to be selling your good horses if you want to have repeat business, and he’s certainly opened up a few doors for us and particularly with that Hong Kong market.”
Photo: (Race Images PN) Peter Rubery
Auret also operates a public training stable at Marton, in New Zealand’s lower North Island, and boasts a career total of 384 wins. He has had another successful season in 2025-26 with 20 victories, headed by Khanshe in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) and Gr.3 Phar Lap Trophy (1600m). The daughter of Mongolian Khan also finished fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).
“I’ve been pretty happy with the season that we’ve had,” Auret said. “We probably don’t quite have the number of horses that we may have had a few seasons ago, but we’ve had some solid results headed by horses like Khanshe.
“We’ve got a very nice group of young horses that we’re bringing through at the moment as well. So, while there won’t be much happening over the next couple of months, I think we’ve got a bit to look forward to in the spring, which is always a good way to be in this game.”
