There is little mystery about the challenge awaiting Helios Express at Sha Tin on Sunday, where the durable sprinter once more meets the outstanding Ka Ying Rising in the HK$24 million Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize over 1200 metres. For Hugh Bowman, realism and hope travel side by side.
Bowman knows better than most what stands in front of him. Helios Express has crossed paths with Ka Ying Rising 12 times and has repeatedly found only one horse too strong. His record in those meetings tells its own story: eight seconds, three thirds and a fifth, the mark of a high-class performer competing in an exceptional era.
The narrowest margin came in the Hong Kong Sprint in December 2024, when Helios Express was beaten only half a length by the brilliant speedster, who holds Sha Tin records over both 1200 metres and 1400 metres.
“He is a champion, Ka Ying Rising, and Helios Express is an exceptional horse in his own right,” Bowman said. “He is just in a position where he is taking on Ka Ying Rising all the time. You can’t really avoid him because of the programming here in Hong Kong.
“It is what it is and is there for everyone to see and it’s unlikely that it’s going to change on the weekend, but he is going well and there are no set rules in horse racing so you never know what’s going to happen.”
That last point is why connections keep returning with confidence. Helios Express, trained by John Size, has built a reputation on consistency and resilience, winning eight of his 24 starts while adding nine seconds and four thirds. Even in elite company, he rarely runs a poor race.
The return of Japanese raider Satono Reve gives the sprint another layer of intrigue. Bowman noted the pair have traded honours previously, with each holding one win over the other when Ka Ying Rising was not involved.
“Without Ka Ying Rising, we have beaten Satono Reve home once and he has beaten us home once and it will be interesting to see and hopefully we will come out on top,” Bowman said.
While the Chairman’s Sprint Prize is one of Bowman’s headline rides, his afternoon is filled with major opportunities. In the Champions Mile, he partners My Wish for Mark Newnham, a year after guiding outsider Red Lion to a memorable success in the same race.
“I know Red Lion was extraordinary odds last year but it was no surprise to me that he won the race,” Bowman said. “I’m not saying I expected him to win, but I was not surprised and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran well again if he gets the race run to suit him.”
Bowman spoke warmly of My Wish, saying the horse has a natural sense of timing and remains his preferred option in the race despite the presence of Derby winner Invincible Ibis, whose last-start victory came with Bowman aboard.
“I am not certain I have made the right call,” he said. “I can only ride one and I thought he really produced by far and away a peak performance in the Derby over 2000m and he is coming back in distance and going up in class, whereas My Wish has been racing at this level for 12 months now and has been racing consistently well without winning.”
His Group 1 book concludes aboard Rubylot in the QEII Cup for David Hayes. The gelding has had two runs since returning from injury and Bowman expects to settle him early before asking for a late finish.
“We will just switch him off early and get him in a good rhythm and see if he can finish strongly,” he said.
Sunday’s spotlight, however, returns to the sprint division and a rivalry that has become one of Hong Kong racing’s defining stories. Helios Express deserves admiration for repeatedly turning up at the highest level. Whether admiration becomes victory depends on overcoming the champion who has so often denied him.
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