Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Ka Ying Rising sprints home in record
Hours after Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) broke his own track record in the G3 Chief Executive’s Cup, he went into quarantine for Australia. He’ll be back to defend his G1 The Everest crown on October 17.
“He goes into quarantine at 3.30pm today (Sunday), and then he’ll just have a recovery week, and a little piece of work next week – probably a couple – then he’s on the plane back to Canterbury,” trainer David Hayes told scmp.com.
“The lovely thing about Canterbury is that we know he thrives there, and I know the routine now, so I’ll be more confident with what we’re doing than last year. He’ll have 13 days here, and as soon as the quarantine ends here, there’s a plane organised.”
Ka Ying Rising took his record to 22 wins, with 21 of those in succession, when winning his third successive G3 Chief Executive’s Cup. Both Hayes and jockey Zac Purton warned the world that he’s improved since last season. He covered the 1200 metres in 1:06.11, beating his own previous record of 1:07.10.
“When I pulled up, I was interested to see what time he ran, because the track was very fast in a barrier trial here last week. I sort of let him get into his rhythm and I asked him for an effort, so I just wanted to see where we’re at and obviously we’re in a good place,” Purton said.
“We’ve both said that he’s a bigger, stronger horse, and that didn’t mean that he’d come back fat, he was just physically more developed and stronger and he’s feeling great.
“He hasn’t raced since April, so any amount of racing is going to improve him. I’m not going to stand here and say that he’s going to improve lengths off that – he doesn’t need to, but I’m sure he’s going to pull up better for the run.”
He won last year’s The Everest in 1:08.13 for the 1200-metre trip, beating Tempted (Street Boss {USA}) who won Saturday’s G2 Concorde Stakes and Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}).
Zac Purton | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He’s just a different beast, and it shows because he’s 29lb heavier than last season’s track record time, and probably 9lb above his best winning weight. So he’s got better – bigger and better. I’ve got to get a new trophy cabinet because of him,” Hayes said.
“Zac basically eased him down last year in the same race for the last 200 metres – he let him run to the line today, and he hasn’t been let run to the line many times. Of course, he smashed his own record, you don’t see that very often by a second.
“It just adds more relevance to the win, you know, there could be people out there saying ‘he beat nothing’ – a few of those horses have won HK$20 million, $25 million (AU$3.5 million, $4.4 million). They’re well-rated horses, they’re good horses around the world, but they don’t look like it when they race him – they get taken out of the comfort zone.”
David Hayes | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Weighted down with 61kg, Ka Ying Rising had 7.75 lengths over G3 Premier Cup winner Copartner Prance (Epaulette) with G3 Red Anchor Stakes victor Magic Control (Sioux Nation {USA}) in third.
“I watch him mostly behind the gates, and he’s just walking around like he knows what he’s doing now. You look at him in his early races, he was up on his toes, and he didn’t have the ‘good horse’ attitude. He’s got a ‘good horse’ attitude now. He’s coping with everything that’s thrown at him.”
Written Tycoon opens season with a double
Yulong’s Champion Sire Written Tycoon opened the season with a double. Chris So-trained Sing Dragon shocked punters when victorious at 104-1 odds. The dirt specialist resumed on turf to win by a short head for jockey Matthew Chadwick in a tight battle with Victory Sky (U S Navy Flag {USA})).
Before this win, all five of Sing Dragon’s previous Hong Kong wins have been on dirt, and he’d had 14 turf runs for no score. He also won twice in NSW, when named Operative, before heading to Hong Kong, so has eight career victories from 32 starts.
“Honestly I didn’t expect it – it was a surprise,” So told scmp.com.
“I hoped he could come back strong but not that – we were looking for the dirt races in the programme. We had a race for him in the middle of October, but it’s 85-60 and now he’s over. Now, I need to see, the plan is totally changed now but good to have a winner.”
Sing Dragon was originally sold by Arrowfield Stud at the 2021 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $900,000, and went through Inglis Digital in 2023 where he made $230,000 to City Gold Bloodstock. He took his earnings over HK$12 million (AU$2.2 million).
He is one of two winners for city winner Secret Doubt (Not A Single Doubt), who is a half-sister to Listed winner Bombay Blitz (Snitzel) and his Group 3-placed full brother Bourne Supremacy.
Written Tycoon’s double came in the last on the card when Jumbo Treasure won for trainer Cody Mo. He ended last season with a win and took his record to five wins form 15 starts, with all his racing having been in Hong Kong. He has earnings over HK$5.6 million (AU$990,000).
George Moore Bloodstock paid $375,000 for Jumbo Treasure at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from Newgate Farm’s draft. He is an older half-brother to last season’s G2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes-winning juvenile Berzelius (Extreme Choice) and Group-placed Styling City (Starspangledbanner). Their dam, Secret Liaison (Artie Schiller {USA}) won the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes.
Class records broken by maidens
The Sha Tin track was running fast on Sunday night. Not only did Ka Ying Rising smash his own record by a second, but two class records were set as well.
Pierre Ng-trained Good Fortune (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) lowered the 1200-metre Class 5 record to 1:08.59s for jockey Nichola Yeun. It was his maiden win at his 13th attempt, with all his racing having happened in Hong Kong. The 7-year-old gelding placed at the trials in New Zealand in 2022, but wasn’t sighted in Hong Kong until June 2025. He was an NZ$80,000 sale by Ohukia Lodge at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale.
Danny Shum-trained General Smart (Shamus Award) clocked 1:33.91 for the mile in to break the Class 5 record for that distance. Ridden by Andrea Atzeni, General Smart was also winning his maiden, having placed twice in 15 prior starts, all in Hong Kong.
Ultra Thoroughbreds sold him for $50,000 at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale in 2023.
Tagaloa gelding on target for 4-Year-Old Series
Jockey Vincent Ho combined with trainer Francis Lui to win on the exciting 4-year-old gelding Baby Sakura (Tagaloa). He is being aimed at the first leg of the 4-Year-Old Series, the Listed Hong Kong Classic Mile on January 13.
One of last season’s best 3-year-olds, Baby Sakura took his record to four wins from seven starts, with two third placings in there too, and earnings over HK$4.1 million (AU$726,000). Baby Sakura was purchased by R Chan for $70,000 from Supreme Thoroughbreds’ Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft.
From the first crop of Tagaloa, Baby Sakura is one of three winners for unraced True Priority (Bel Esprit) who is a full sister to G1 Manikato Stakes-placed True Persuasion.
