Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
The 2025 Hong Kong International races featured all four of 2024’s Group 1 winners, and all four ran beautifully with three wins and a second.
Second G1 Hong Kong Sprint for Ka Ying Rising
When the Ka Ying Syndicate named their Shamexpress (NZ) gelding ‘rising’, little did they know he would rise above the crowd to become the world’s best sprinter. Last year’s winner of the G1 Hong Kong Sprint came into the race with a ton of expectation. He'd returned from a trip to Australia where he won the G1 The Everest and won the G2 Jockey Club Sprint.
Would he win again and make it 16 wins in a row? Could he cope with the inside barrier? Is he better leading or coming from mid-field?
In the end, none of the speculation mattered. Ka Ying Rising came. He saw. He conquered.
Ka Ying Rising (NZ) jumped perfectly from barrier one, lead, and by the turn, he already had a couple of lengths on the field. With the crowd roaring, Ka Ying Rising and champion jockey Zac Purton did exactly what everyone came to see. He galloped away for a stunning victory.
“It felt good. Listen, we didn’t have a fixed plan (from the gate) other than to be positive. I was always going to be happy to lead, but gees when I looked at the big screen, I was a fair way in front,” said Zac Purton.
“That’s what everyone wanted... He’s in a league of his own now.”
There’s not much that can be written that hasn’t already been said. Bred in New Zealand by Fraser Auret, Ka Ying Rising now has 17 wins from 19 starts. This was his 16th win in succession, equalling the figure set by Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) in Hong Kong and one behind the all-time record of Silent Witness (El Moxie {USA}).
Silent Witness is the only horse to have a statue at Sha Tin racecourse. Now 26, he lives at Living Legends in Victoria.
“I’m relieved he didn’t let our expectations down and the public’s expectations down. He just was superb today. The messages he was sending during the week suggested something like that. They aren’t running fast times today but he did,” said David Hayes.
“We are hoping he has another 20 races in him. On the eye, that was as spectacular win as he’s done. There’s Royal Ascot form in the race, great Japanese form, form from Dubai, and the Breeders’ Cup, and he’s making them look ordinary. They are not.
“One more win equals the great Silent Witness’ record, and the next he breaks it. Every time he runs, there’s something significant he has to do.
“He’ll be sent for the fantastic Hong Kong triple crown again, it’ll be fun to see him out to 1400 metres again. Then the big international sprint here and then The Everest again. If he’s in the form he was today, we’d love to take those Aussies on again.”
David Hayes | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Ka Ying Rising had to beat a very good field with four other Group 1 winners in it. Far behind him in second was Raging Blizzard (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) with Fast Network (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}) filling the minor placings. It was bad luck for the European raider, G1 Royal Ascot Jubilee Stakes winner Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) whose jockey Oisin Murphy lost his stirrups coming out of the gates.
Pedigree notes: The first of only two foals from five-time winner Missy Moo (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), Ka Ying Rising’s half-brother Ka Ying Glory (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) has placed in Hong Kong.
Missy Moo’s dam Royal Rhythm (NZ) (Rhythm {USA}) and second dam Her Dynasty (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) produced no black type, but Her Dynasty is a full sister to six-time Group 1 winner and sire Sovereign Red (NZ) and G1 Caulfield Cup / G1 Melbourne Cup double victor Gurner’s Lane (NZ). Group 1 winner Trichelle (NZ) is another full sister to Her Dynasty, as is Listed winner Queen’s Choice (NZ).
Cup history made by Romantic Warrior
Trainer Danny Shum had the weight of the world on his shoulders with Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) aiming for four successive G1 Hong Kong Cups. He need not have worried, as James McDonald gave the world’s richest horse a perfect ride. Romantic Warrior jumped well, and sat quietly in fourth, then sprinted clear when it mattered to win easily.
“He’s so special. I don’t know what to say, I love him,” said an emotional McDonald.
Romantic Warrior clocked up his 11th Group 1 win, and the globetrotter has won Group 1 races across the world. As well as four G1 Hong Kong Cups, he has a G1 Cox Plate, three G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cups, the G1 Yasuda Kinen, and the G1 Jebel Hatta.
Sales: Sold as a yearling at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (book 2) by Corduff Stud in Ireland for 300,000 gns (AU$633,000) to Hong Kong Jockey Club. He was on-sold through the Hong Kong International Sale to Peter Lau for HK$4.8 million (AU$926,000).
Pedigree notes: The third foal of 2-year-old winner Folk Melody (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}), Romantic Warrior is a half-brother to Listed Turfway Park Rushaway Stakes-placed End Of Romance (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}). Folk Melody had a New Bay colt in 2023 which is her last recorded foal.
Second dam Folk Opera (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) won the G1 Woodbine EP Taylor Stakes and is the second dam of G1 Monterrico GP Nacional Augusto B Leguia winner Mr Bailetti (Exchange Rate).
Voyage Bubble fights hard for second G1 Hong Kong Mile
After winning the 2024 G1 Hong Kong Mile, Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) became only the second horse in Hong Kong history to win the Triple Crown of the G1 Steward’s Cup, G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup, and G1 Champion and Chater Cup for trainer Ricky Yiu.
Back for this season, he ran poorly in the G2 Sha Tin Trophy before a good second behind Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in the G2 Jockey Club Cup last start. The blips on his record had punters nervous, especially with such a strong field assembled for the G1 Hong Kong Mile of 2025.
In a repeat of 2024, the race ended up being a fierce battle down the straight between Voyage Bubble, ridden by Zac Purton, and Japanese star Soul Rush (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}). Soul Rush looked the winner but Voyage Bubble showed all his tenacity to fight back and win to replicate 2024’s quinella. It was the third time Voyage Bubble had run in this race, having run second to Golden Sixty in 2023.
Voyage Bubble has 12 wins from 29 starts. “He’s just showed you what type of horse he is. He’s not going to give you a ‘wow’ performance but he has such a big heart that he’s always up for the fight,” said Purton.
“He’s in the shadow of the big two unfortunately, but in his own right, he’s an extremely good horse. He’s a triple crown winner. What an effort.”
Sale: Sold by Torryburn Stud to his trainer for $380,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Pedigree notes: Voyage Bubble is out of Rahy (USA) mare Raheights who won four races including two in Sydney, and she’s been a wonderful broodmare, producing seven winners from as many foals to race, with Voyage Bubble being the sixth of them. His older half-sister Diddums (Snitzel) won the G3 PJ Bell Stakes and is the dam of recent Listed Woodlands Stakes winner Stardom (Zoustar). Another older half-brother Brettan (Commands) placed in the Listed Qld Tatt's RC Tattersall's Mile.
Raheights wasn’t served for four years following Voyage Bubble’s younger brother Seventies Hit (Your Song) who won for the sixth time on Saturday at Atherton, and she produced a Home Affairs filly in 2024.
Sosie wins the G1 Hong Kong Vase
European raiders have a great history in the G1 Hong Kong Vase, run over 2400 metres, and in 2025 it was the same old story. The favourite Sosie (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), trained by Andre Fabre, won from last year’s winner Giavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman) with Resolute Racing and Baron Philip Von Ullman's Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug) in third.
Fabre has now won the race four times, and one of those was for Sosie’s owners Wertheimer et Frere with Junko (GB) (Intello) in 2023.
Sosie was ridden by Maxime Guyon, who now has three victories in the race. “It’s amazing. I ride three times for Mr Fabre and I win three times. We knew before the race that we had the horse to win, this is the first time he travel like that, and in the morning he was very relaxed and everything was good,” said Guyon.
“He is very easy to ride and very quiet, and win on the soft ground today. To win on a horse like that feels very amazing.”
Sosie hadn’t raced since running third in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe over the same trip in early October. This year, he won both the G1 Prix Ganay and G1 Prix d'Ispahan, and he won the G1 Grand Prix de Paris the year before as a 3-year-old.
The homebred for Wertheimer et Frere now has seven wins from 13 starts and four Group 1 victories.
Sosie | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Pedigree notes: Sosie is the fifth of seven foals and one of four scorers produced by Listed Prix Coronation third Sosia (Shamardal), herself a half-sister to G1 Premio Lydia Tesio heroine Sortilege (Tiger Hill).
He is a half-brother to this term's G3 Prix Noailles victor Uther (Camelot), multiple Group 3-placed Listed Prix Rose de Mai and Listed Prix Charles Laffitte victrix Anasia (Intello), the stakes-winning Copie (Iffraaj) and G3 Prix Daphnis runner-up Sosino (New Approach). His second dam Sahel (Monsun), herself a daughter of storied blue hen Sacarina (Old Vic), is the ancestress of the dual Group 1-placed dual Group 2 winner Straight (Zarak).
