It’s always special when Kiwi bred sprinter Ka Ying Rising steps out at Sha Tin, but just lately it seems like every outing brings a new track record!
On Easter Monday, the David Hayes trained champion strolled home to win the Group II The Sprint Cup (1200m) by a widening four lengths with Zac Purton in the saddle and stopped the clock at 1.07.12 seconds.
It was a fourth Sha Tin track record for the champion, who extended his winning streak to a 19th successive victory.
“It (the win) is right up there, for sure,” Purton said. “The way the track is today with the strong headwind down the back straight and every horse that’s been uncovered around the circle – he was on the fence, but he had nothing outside him – has just fallen in a hole. That wind has really gassed them,” Purton said.
“So, he had to absorb that, and I suppose a few other horses had to as well, but things were there to try and unsettle him a little bit with the extra weight to carry, as well, coming back in distance but he’s just different.”
Asked if Ka Ying Rising, who first shattered Sacred Kingdom’s longstanding 1200m track record of 1m 07.50s with a gallop of 1m 07.43s and then bettered it again two starts later with a time of 1m 07.20s, could have gone even faster, Purton said: “I wasn’t out there to run time today.
“Of course, Stellar Express ran along and that set it up and I just got my horse into a lovely rhythm, and he let down so beautifully. It’s the best he’s accelerated at the top of the straight, so it was there for him to do it (run even faster), but I wasn’t looking for him to do it.”
Hayes believes Ka Ying Rising’s maturity is a key in his continuing development.
“Just behind the gates and everything he does, he’s taking it in so well, and to saddle him up he’s a quieter horse. He’s just really maturing and it’s been a golden year this year, but I think that he’ll have another one next year,” Hayes said, addressing a defence of the world’s richest sprint The Everest (G1, 1200m) at Royal Randwick in Sydney, Australia after his 2025 victory.
“I think he’ll be a better horse when he goes down for The Everest,” Hayes said.
“We’ll just keep on doing what we’re doing because it’s working so well. It’s not stressing our horse and we’re hoping to have him for another couple of seasons, especially one more at the top, and he’s nearly two and a half years undefeated.
“Zac’s words, he said, ‘I think he’s getting better’. He just said ‘he loves taking a sit, if they go fast, he’s a better horse. The faster they go, the better he is’, those were his words.”
Ka Ying Rising has the overall record of 20 wins and two seconds from 22 starts and barring misadventure it looks hard to see him being beaten when he returns to Australia later this year for another crack at the $20million The Everest.
The best horse sired by Shamexpress, Ka Ying Rising is the first winner for Missy Moo, a five time winning Per Incanto (USA) mare that traces directly back to blue hen Taiona, the dam of Group I winners Sovereign Red, Gurner’s Lane and Trichelle with the family also producing modern day superstar Mr Brightside.
Both Mr Brightside and Ka Ying Rising have Taiona as their fourth dam!
