Hong Kong: Ka Ying Rising crowned 2024/25 Horse Of The Year

Cover image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Unbeaten sprinter Ka Ying Rising crowned Horse Of The Year

David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) has been crowned the 2024/25 Hong Kong Horse Of The Year, and also picked up the Champion Sprinter and Champion Four-Year-Old crowns, at a ceremony held on Friday night.

Crowned Champion Griffin in 2023/24 after winning five of his seven starts including the G3 Sha Tin Vase to end his 3-year-old season, Ka Ying Rising was unbeaten in eight starts in 2024/25. In November 2024, he broke the Sha Tin 1200 metre record in the G2 Jockey Club Sprint, stopping the clock at 1:07.43s and the world started paying attention to him.

Immediately after that, Ka Ying Rising was set his most difficult challenge, his first Group 1 race, the G1 Hong Kong Sprint at December’s international meeting, and he won that in style, before adding the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup next, a race in which he broke his own Sha Tin track record, covering the 1200 metres in 1:07.2s.

Ka Ying Rising followed that effort with victory in the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup, the G2 Sprint Cup, and concluded his unbeaten season in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize. Winner of the Hong Kong Speed Series, he added a bonus to his earnings which currently stand at HK$65.9 million (AU$12.8 million).

Champion Miler and Champion Stayer to Voyage Bubble

In any other season, Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) would be Horse Of The Year, having become only the second horse in Hong Kong history to win their Triple Crown of the G1 Stewards’ Cup, G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup, and G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup, earning his connections a HK$10 million (AU$1.9 million) bonus.

As well as those three Group 1 wins, Voyage Bubble also won this season’s G1 Hong Kong Mile on international day, and the G2 Jockey Club Mile to make it five wins for the season. Over his three season career in Hong Kong, Voyage Bubble has won 11 of his 26 starts and over HK$97.4 million (AU$18.8 million).

Sold by Torryburn Stud to trainer Ricky Yiu for $380,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Voyage Bubble is out of Raheights (Rahy {USA}) who has also produced Group 3 winner Diddums (Snitzel) and stakes placed Brettan (Commands).

Romantic Warrior is Champion Middle Distance Horse

For the fourth consecutive season, Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) has been awarded the Champion Middle Distance Horse in Hong Kong. The 7-year-old gelding raced twice in Hong Kong during the season, being unbeaten, and three times overseas.

He won the G2 Jockey Club Cup and G1 Hong Kong Cup, both over 2000 metres, in the spring, then headed overseas where he won Meydan’s G1 Jedda Hatta, demolishing his opposition by four lengths in the record breaking time of 1:45.1s. In doing so, he also became the first Hong Kong trained horse to win Group 1 races in four different regions, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and Dubai.

He concluded his season with second placings in the G1 Saudi Cup and G1 Dubai Turf. The 2023 G1 Cox Plate winner now has 18 wins from 25 starts, and is the world’s highest earning racehorse with earnings of AU$3,083,750, HK$152,881,400, 3,500,000SAR, 183,780,000¥, and 2,110,000Dhs, which equates to AU$36 million.

Most Improved Horse won by My Wish

Mark Newnham-trained My Wish (Flying Artie) was crowned Most Improved Horse for the season, having gone from a rating of 54 to 105 in a season where he won four races, including the Listed Hong Kong Classic Mile and was second in the other two legs of the Four-Year-Old Series, the Listed Hong Kong Classic Cup and Listed Hong Kong Derby. He was also fourth in the G1 Champions Mile.

One of ten stakes winners for Flying Artie, My Wish was sold to Hong Kong privately after winning a trial at Newcastle. His dam, Set The Tone (Reset) has only two foals, My Wish and a weanling full brother to My Wish. She was a $16,000 yearling who was a winner at Tuncurry.

For the eighth time, Purton is Champion Jockey

Zac Purton was awarded his eighth Hong Kong Champion Jockey award at the ceremony, having an unassailable lead in the premiership with 132 wins for the season, with second placed Hugh Bowman sitting on 71 wins.

The 2024/25 Hong Kong Champion Trainer title is yet to be decided with John Size on 66 wins and David Hayes on 60 with two meetings to go in the season. The Tony Cruz Award for most successful local jockey will be announced on Wednesday July 16, after the final meeting of the year, as will the Champion Griffin Horse.

The season’s Most Popular Jockey and Most Popular Horse awards will be announced at the end of the final Sha Tin meeting of the season, on Sunday July 13.