Cover image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Ka Ying Rising makes it 13 in succession
Is there anything this horse can’t do? Last season’s Hong Kong Horse Of The Year Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) was asked to carry a massive 135lb (61kg) when resuming in Sunday’s Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap over 1200 metres at Sha Tin on Sunday night, and the impost was no barrier to his ongoing success. Not only that, but in covering the distance in 1:07.63s, he almost broke his own Sha Tin track record of 1:07.20s.
In romping home by 2.5l, Ka Ying Rising took his record to 13 wins in succession, and a career total of 14 wins and two seconds from 16 starts with earnings over HK$68 million (AU$13.3 million). Ka Ying Rising became the first horse in Hong Kong history to win this race twice, and he equalled the weight carrying record he created last year.
“To carry that weight against those horses at that speed first-up and do what he did, it’s probably the equal of any performance he’s put up, I think,” jockey Zac Purton told hkjc.com.
“He’s come back in really good order. I said to David before the race that he just looks a different horse. He’s furnished really nicely and that’s what we wanted before we get on the plane and go down to Sydney.”
It’s all systems go for the G1 The Everest with Ka Ying Rising heading into quarantine immediately after the victory. The Everest will run at Royal Randwick on October 18. “We’ve been saying privately that we think he’s better than last year and I think that showed – the time he ran, the way he did it, the weight he carried. He’s bigger and stronger and probably better,” trainer David Hayes said.
“He’s always physically been a backward-looking horse and now I think he looks like a complete sprinter. So, yeah, he’s the best I’ve had. The worry with this ‘prep’ was running with 135 (lb) at the start, but I didn’t want to go six months between runs, first-up in an Everest. Now I know we’ve got him there, we just maintain him and he holds form for a long time this horse. That’s why he’s a champion.
“He’s a pretty good traveller and I’m very confident travelling him.”
In second was Group 1 winner and former Champion Sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) who was resuming after sustaining a fracture when fourth in the G3 Sha Tin vase back in May. He is being set for the G1 Sprinters Stakes in Japan. Third place went the way of Listed Hong Kong Classic Mile-placed Divano (Brave Smash {Jpn}).
Purton begins where he left off with a five-timer
Reigning Champion Jockey Zac Purton began the season by sending a signal to all his rivals that he’s still the best of the best in the region winning five of 10-race card. It was his best starting day to the season ever, having won four races on opening last year and in 2018. “It’s always good to start well,” Purton told scmp.com.
“The weather was a bit of a worry early in the day and then all day, but the track raced well and the horses turned up.”
Ka Ying Rising was the star of the show and he also won on Michael Chang-trained Perfect Peach (Sebring), Manfred Man-trained Super Strong Kid (Brutal {NZ}), and Jamie Richards-trained pair of Groovy Feeling (Cable Bay {Ire}) and the progressive Bulb General (NZ) (Embellish {NZ}).
Bulb General being aimed at 4-year-old series
Jamie Richards was buoyant after a double on the opening day of the season and will be aiming exciting 4-year-old gelding Bulb General at the rich 4-year-old series. “Obviously, all the owners here want to be a part of the 4-year-old series and let’s hope he’s good enough to keep going and get a few more rating points in hand,” Richards told scmp.com.
“I asked Zac (Purton) to ride this horse a month ago and wanted to try and start strong and try and give the owners and everyone here a bit of faith that I hadn’t forgotten how to do it after a shocker last year. The team has been working hard during the off-season and hopefully we can get it going again.”
Third on debut last season, Bulb General won his maiden at his second start, coincidentally on the final day of last season. Sunday’s win takes his record to two wins from three starts with earnings over HK$1.8 million (AU$352,000).
Sold by Cambridge Stud at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale to Jamie Richards and Andrew Williams Bloodstock for NZ$175,000, Bulb General is the first winner for Stylish Achiever (Fastnet Rock) who has an unraced 3-year-old full brother named Bellish Boy (NZ) and a yearling filly also by Embellish (NZ).
Vincent Ho returns from injury with a win
In his first day back riding after seven months out with injuries sustained in a fall, jockey Vincent Ho returned to the winner’s circle on The Heir (Impending). “It feels great after a long period of time, seven months and coming back is not easy,” Ho told hkjc.com.
“Caspar always supports me and I’m really grateful that he always sticks with me and he always has my back. When Caspar knew I was coming back, he has supported me which is great. Everyone has helped me in these seven months – my family, the medical team, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the CEO (Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges) gave his patience and support, the physios, my coach, all the sports psychologists.
“It tastes a lot sweeter to have a winner like this after the last seven months – all the hard work pays off.” The Heir, who raced in Australia as Watch The Clock, took his record to four wins from 27 starts and it was his first win in Hong Kong where he’d previously recorded six placings.
Offered through the April 2020 Inglis Digital Sale by Middlebrook Valley Lodge, he was purchased by Gall Bloodstock for $38,000. The 6-year-old gelding arrived in Hong Kong in the spring of 2023, having won three races in Australia from his first seven starts. A half-brother to Listed winner Solaia (Toronado {Ire}), The Heir is one of four winners for Isola Blu (Blackfriars) who missed to I Am Invincible in 2024.
Opening day regarded as a success despite the rain
Despite wild weather on the first day of the Hong Kong season, 43,259 people attended the races and turnover reached HK$1.399 billion (AU$273 million). “Today was a celebration of an outstanding talent – it is amazing what Ka Ying Rising does. Having this as the first race meeting, I thought it was the perfect start of the season,” CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges told hkjc.com.
“The excitement we had having the world’s best sprinter running was definitely the sporting highlight of the day and he is creating even more excitement for Hong Kong.
“When you see how much rain our tracks could cope with, I’m proud of the tracks team because despite all the rain, the races were run in perfect condition. Sometimes we need a bit of luck but we were prepared for all the contingencies when the T3 Signal went up and when considering how the races went, it was a really good start.”
