They are the equine superstars of Hong Kong racing and Ka Ying Rising (NZ) and Romantic Warrior (IRE) saw off the big gun international raiders at Sha Tin on Sunday to claim victory in their respective G1 races.
The David Hayes trained Ka Ying Rising turned it on again for Zac Purton in the Group I The Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), lowering the track record once again when clocking 1:07.10 seconds.
He thrashed Japanese G1 winner Satono Reve to win by more than four lengths taking his overall record to 21 wins from 23 starts with the last 20 of those wins coming in a row.
Ka Ying Rising now owns six of the nine fastest times ever run over 1200m turf at Sha Tin.
After a slowly run first 200m, Ka Ying Rising accelerated over the final 400m, running a blistering 21.52s – his fastest final sectional.
Adding the Chairman’s Sprint Prize to his G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) and Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup triumphs completes the Hong Kong Speed Series for a second consecutive season and delivers connections a bonus of HK$5 million. He becomes just the second horse to win the Series twice.
“It was pretty painless,” Purton said. “His speed was nice, he was in a good rhythm, and it was just a matter of him turning up and doing what he has all season, and he did that.
“It was nice to break the track record again, albeit just slightly. When I let him go he quickened, but he did take a couple of strides to balance up a little, but once he quickened, he quickened extremely well and a long way out he felt very comfortable and very confident.”
David Hayes said he considered himself lucky to have a horse of Ka Ying Rising’s class and that he would now be spelled before defending his title in the world’s richest race on turf, the G1 The Everest (1200m) in Sydney in October.
“You tend to worry that you are going to let everyone down,” Hayes said. “He doesn’t, does he? In the Year of the Horse, he is now one of the all-time greats, I think. The way he is running times and rating so incredibly well.
“A long time ago I thought he might have been the best horse I trained, and about a year ago I thought he was definitely the best horse I trained, and now I think he is one of the best horses I have ever seen.”
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, trained by the sons of David Hayes at Lindsay Park.
Both Mr Brightside and Ka Ying Rising have Taiona as their fourth dam!
The Danny Shum trained Romantic Warrior won the 2023 Group I MVRC Cox Plate and has been a globe-trotting G1 star ever since and was shooting for his fourth win in the Group I Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) having won it in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
With regular rider James McDonald aboard, the eight year-old gelding by Acclamation was too good for Japanese rising star Masquerade Ball with last start G1 winners Sosie and Royal Champion finishing third and fourth.
“It’s just an honour to be riding a horse like him,” James McDonald said. “It makes a jockey’s life so easy. He makes things happen which other horses don’t and that’s why he has got the record that he has got.
“He is just bullet proof, really. Over this 10-furlong (race), he just starts well, puts himself in a good spot, rests when he has to rest and then shows an incredible turn of foot.
“I thought the opposition today was very warranted, and had great respect for it and was actually quite worried about it with that Masquerade Ball. I thought he was incredible, and he is one of the best in Japan.
“His run in the Japan Cup (G1, 2400m) was nothing short of incredible. We had great respect for him today, and if he was ever going to get beaten, it was a horse like that.
“He (Romantic Warrior) feels enormous. I take my hat off to Danny and his team and they are just simply incredible.
“It’s probably the best he has ever looked. He just looked so unbelievably well, and he is so relaxed. In Dubai and Saudi, he was really worked up, and even in his work, he was worked up.
“It’s a dream come true and he is a dream come true and I pinch myself every time I hop on him.”
Shum confirmed the HK$13 million G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) at Sha Tin on 24 May was Romantic Warrior’s next objective, where victory would complete the Triple Crown – following victories in the G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) and G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) – and earn a HK$10 million bonus.
“I have to speak to Peter (Peter Lau, his owner, about the Triple Crown), but why not? There’s a $10 million bonus and (Voyage) Bubble did it, so hopefully Romantic Warrior can hopefully do it too,” Shum said.
“I’m thankful I have Romantic Warrior, and Romantic Warrior is also thankful for me. My team has done a lot of hard work with him. He’s been in good form this season – it (2000m) is his best distance in Hong Kong. I was quite confident he could win this.
“I don’t tell him he’s eight years old, I always keep telling him he’s five only – that is a joke, but he races very easily and he’s very good. He’s a super, super champion.”
Romantic Warrior was purchased by Mick Kinane on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club for 300,000gns at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
Bred in Ireland by Tim Rooney and David Egan of Corduff Stud, Romantic Warrior was sold at the Hong Kong International Sale to Peter Lau for HK$4.8 million ($814,000).
He is a half-brother to stakes-placed End of Romance and is the best of five winners from Street Cry mare Folk Melody, a daughter of Group I winner Folk Opera.
