Cover image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Hat-trick of Group 1 wins for Ka Ying Rising
The latest sprint king of Hong Kong, 4-year-old gelding Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), continued his march into the Hall of Fame with Sunday’s G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup victory, giving him three Group 1 wins in succession, and a total of ten wins in succession.
With a quick time of 1:20.33s for his first attempt over 1400 metres, Ka Ying Rising was ridden by Karis Teetan, with Zac Purton still out with injury. Teetan is now two from two on the exciting sprinter, having ridden him to victory in last season’s G3 Sha Tin Vase, while Purton has ridden him in all his other starts.
“It’s unbelievable how this opportunity came up to be sitting on one of the world’s best horses,” Teetan told hkjc.com.
“I’m just really thankful that everything worked out well – I think I was just the pilot on him today. He flew out of the gate, I wanted him to use the early speed that he has, but sort of dropped my hands and he just came back to me pretty easily. He was waiting for me to press the button and, when I did, he produced really well.
“He (Ka Ying Rising) flew out of the gate, I wanted him to use the early speed that he has, but sort of dropped my hands and he just came back to me pretty easily. He was waiting for me to press the button and, when I did, he produced really well.” - Karis Teetan
“I want to thank the owner and David and finally Zac. I spoke to him during the week and he was really kind. He said ‘just know you’re on the best horse and ride him like that and trust him’, so thank you to Zac.”
Ka Ying Rising took his record to 11 wins from 13 starts, with earnings over HK$45.6 million (AU$9.2 million). The win gave him the first two legs of the Hong Kong Sprint Series, and if he can win the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin on April 27, he will get a HK$5 million (AU$1 million) bonus too.
“It was fantastic. I had a nervous moment at the 200 metres, but on the line, I think he was holding them very well. It was an enjoyable last 100 metres, but a frightening 200 metres,” Hayes told hkjc.com.
“I did a little bit of self-monitoring and normally I’m about 68 (beats per minute) through a race, but I must say at the 200 metres I looked down and I was 98. I was seriously just a bit uptight for some reason.”
In ominous news for his rivals, Hayes thinks he’ll get better over ground. “I have always said he’s a miler but he’s just such a good sprinter, (so) I’m a bit loath to change. They were closer to him at the 1200 metres than the 1400 metres.
“The good thing about drawing wide, as he always does, Karis was never going to get boxed in. But what I didn’t like was the track is running a bit swooperish today. I thought he had to defy a bit of a track trend today.
“It was a little bit like my sons’ horse (Mr Brightside winning the G1 Futurity Stakes on Saturday) – there’s a little bit of breeze, horses aren’t winning from the front and he didn’t get one bit of cover for one stride, and he was good enough to beat them nearly breaking a track record at a different distance yet again. He’s a very special horse. There should be a lot more to come.”
Shamexpress (NZ) | Standing at Windsor Park Stud
His sire Shamexpress (NZ) has superior statistics with 14 stakes winners from 257 named foals (5.4 per cent), with Ka Ying Rising one of his two Group 1 winners, with the other being Coventina Bay (NZ) who won the G1 Herbie Dyke Stakes and G1 New Zealand Stakes. Her first foal is a 2024 filly by Diatonic (Jpn).
Ka Ying Rising is one of only two foals for Missy Moo (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) who died in 2021 after foaling a Turn Me Loose (NZ) colt. Winner of five races and fourth in the G3 Manawatu Breeders, Missy Moo is the only filly for her dam Royal Rhythm (NZ) (Rhythm {USA}) who had also produced eight colts, of whom six raced and only two won.
Curiously, Ka Ying Rising’s fourth dam, Taiona (NZ) (Sovereign Edition {Ire}) is also the fourth dam of Lindsay Park trained-nine-time Group 1 winner Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars).
Voyage Bubble overcomes trouble to record fourth Group 1 win
Sometimes the mark of a champion horse is not the number of victories, but the manner in which they win, and Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) put his hand up to be counted in that elite group on Sunday night at Sha Tin when he clipped heels at the 800-metre mark, nearly fell and was shuffled back to almost last in the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup before recovering from the stumble to fly home and win. The win gave him three Group 1 wins in succession, and a career tally of four elite victories.
“It wasn’t smooth sailing, but he’s a great racehorse. I’m lucky to have him as a partner because he got me out of a sticky situation. It was very muddling and he overcame many obstacles throughout that race to come away for a great victory,” McDonald told hkjc.com. McDonald flew in from Riyadh, where he’d ridden Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) into second place in the G1 Saudi Cup the previous night.
“We got shuffled back but he’s a great racehorse and he got us out of trouble. We might have found a new way of riding him as well. Who knows? He’s not a one-trick pony, he’s got so many strings to his bow and I really enjoy riding him even though it was hairy through the middle stages – it wasn’t ideal at all.”
“It wasn’t smooth sailing but he’s (Voyage Bubble) a great racehorse. I’m lucky to have him as a partner because he got me out of a sticky situation. It was very muddling and he overcame many obstacles throughout that race to come away for a great victory,” - James McDonald
Voyage Bubble has won the first two legs of the Triple Crown Series, and if he can add the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup on May 25, he’s set for the HK$10 million (AU$2 million) bonus. Only one horse has managed to sweep the series, River Verdon (Ire) (Be My Native {USA}) in 1993/94.
“That’s (2400 metres) another pain barrier he’s got to go through and he’s a great racehorse, and we have seen it with the great horse (Romantic Warrior) last night how good these Hong Kong horses are – they’re as tough as they come – and they fly the flag anywhere. Definitely going to be a new challenge for him, but he’s up to it,” McDonald said.
With 10 wins from 24 starts, Voyage Bubble took his earnings over HK$85.1 million (AU$17.2 million). Trainer Ricky Yiu enjoyed his first Group 1 winner at 2000 metres with the win, and he purchased Voyage Bubble from Torryburn Stud’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft for $380,000.
Voyage Bubble winning the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
“I’m a bit optimistic to run him over 2400 metres. Before James takes off tonight, we’re going to have a little celebration party and I’m going to have a good chat with him to see where we go next. I’m pretty optimistic – we’ll take the challenge,” Yiu said.
One of four Group 1 winners for Deep Field, who is largely a sprint stallion, Voyage Bubble is out of Rahy (USA) mare Raheights, who also produced G3 PJ Bell Stakes winner Diddums (Snitzel). Rahy’s 96 stakes winners were led by Fantastic Light (USA) who won six Group 1 races and stretched out to 2400 metres, and Serena’s Song (USA) whose 18 wins were up to 1800 metres including 11 Group 1 wins.
Raheights was a winner of four races up to 1900 metres, and her dam Laoub (USA) (Red Ransom {USA}) won the UAE Oaks at 1800 metres and produced Listed winning sprinters Moulin Lady (Reset) and Bannock (Ire) (Bertolini {USA}).
Bowman makes it 200 and 201
A double for Hugh Bowman took him to 200, and then 201 wins in Hong Kong. He won on John Size-trained 3-year-old Sky Jewellery (The Autumn Sun) who made it two wins from three starts and is already being talked about as a 2026 Hong Kong Derby prospect. “He was obviously unlucky last start and he’s shown a lot of potential. Up in distance today was fine but he had to overcome (barrier 13) and he did it in style,” Bowman told scmp.com.
Not offered at auction, Sky Jewellery was bred by his Hong Kong owner Tung Moon Fai. His dam, G1 New Zealand One Thousand Guineas winner Rollout The Carpet (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), has produced three winners from five to race and has a Churchill (Ire) yearling filly and a filly foal by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr).
Bowman’s other winner was one race later on Size trained 3-year-old gelding Crossborderpegasus (Rich Enuff) who was on debut. “He did enough to get home and that’s the main thing. It was good,” Size told scmp.com.
Crossborderpegasus was sold as a weanling for $20,000 by Makybe Racing and Breeding to Garryard Equine and on-sold as a yearling by Sledmere Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $160,000 to M Staunton.
Four for Size takes him to top of table
There’s a new leader on the Hong Kong Trainer’s Premiership table after John Size won four races on Sunday with Sky Jewellery, Crossborderpegasus, Brenton Avdulla-ridden Juneau Pride (Pride Of Dubai), and Brilliant Express (Starspangledbanner).
Size now has 32 winners for the season, the same as David Hayes, but with more second-place finishes, Size leads the table for now. He previously won the title in 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04, 2005/06, 2007/08, 2009/10, and 2011/12, then four times in succession from 2025/16 to 2018/19, and again in 2022/23, for a total of twelve victories.
John Size | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Brilliant Express was ridden by Alexis Badel and the 4-year-old gelding has two wins in succession, with four placings from his six starts prior to that. “He’s starting to work it out and there seemed to be no competition for the front today, so it looked like they gifted it to him. Still, he did it and he’s run some time, so we’ll go forward confidently,” Size told scmp.com.
Sold by Makybe at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale for $80,000 to Northmore Thoroughbreds who on-sold him at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $170,000 to M Staunton, Brilliant Express is out of Listed winner Fun In Flight (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}), who has produced five winners from as many to race. Fun In Flight is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Master Ash (Sebring) and Listed winner Come Hither (Redoute’s Choice).
Howdeepisyourlove heads to Dubai
John Size’s quartet of runners in the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup, Helios Express (Toronado {Ire}), Howdeepisyourlove (Deep Field), Beauty Eternal (Starspangledbanner) and Red Lion (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), were second, third, fourth, and fifth behind Ka Ying Rising (NZ), and third-placed Howdeepisyourlove will head to Dubai next.
Howdeepisyourlove | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
“Those four horses seem to turn up all the time, but as is the case, we have dominant horses here in Hong Kong and they’re expected to win and mostly they do,” Size told scmp.com.
“I think Howdeepisyourlove can go to Dubai. He looks OK for that.” He will run in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint down the Meydan straight on April 5, which was won last year by Hong Kong-trained California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner). Australian-bred horses won this race in 2012 with Ortensia (Testa Rossa), in 2014 with Hong Kong-trained Amber Sky (Exceed And Excel), and in 2016 with Buffering (Mossman).
