Ka Ying Rising tops bill as Hong Kong gets rolling

The Hong Kong horse racing scene kicked off its new season with a bang at Sha Tin on Sunday, 6th September. The star of the show was Ka Ying Rising, a world-class racehorse trained by David Hayes. He was aiming to break his record with a 21st consecutive victory in the Chief Executive’s Cup, a 1200m Group 3 race. The six-year-old gelding had just returned from a brief off-season and was expected to face little opposition.

He had recently won two trials, one by a length and another by a staggering 10 lengths, which left many spectators surprised at his dominance. However, jockey Zac Purton expressed concern that Ka Ying Rising was favoring one leg at the end of his warm-up. Hayes, however, remained confident, stating that the horse was acting confidently and ready for the race.

Ka Ying Rising is considered the best racehorse globally, tied with UK-trained Ombudsman according to the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. He has already secured victories in Australia’s The Everest and Hong Kong’s own race, the Hong Kong Sprint. Following a similar campaign plan as last season, Ka Ying Rising is favored to win again, starting with The Everest at Randwick in October.