The spotlight on the Hong Kong race 22 February grows brighter with each passing day, as David Hayes prepares Ka Ying Rising for a date with destiny in the HK$13 million Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin. The Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainer has already seen his brilliant sprinter equal the revered mark of 17 straight wins set by Silent Witness — and now stands on the brink of history.
Hayes does not disguise his admiration for the benchmark. He calls Silent Witness “the first great sprinter” and “the best he ever saw.” To match that extraordinary sequence, achieved between December 2002 and April 2005, was special. To surpass it in the Hong Kong race 22 February would, he admits, be something else entirely.
“It’s a real magic number,” Hayes reflected this week. “To equal it was magic. To beat it would be even better — especially at 1400 metres, where he’s stretching out and showing his versatility.”
Silent Witness and the Spirit of Hong Kong
The legend of Silent Witness remains deeply woven into the fabric of the sport. Owned by Archie da Silva and trained by Tony Cruz, the chestnut swept through Hong Kong’s sprint division with an authority rarely seen.
His streak featured two Hong Kong Sprint victories (2003 and 2004), back-to-back Centenary Sprint Cups and Chairman’s Sprint Prizes, and the 2003 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup. He signed off in fitting fashion by claiming Japan’s 2005 Group 1 Sprinters Stakes — his 17th and final consecutive triumph.
Those victories carried resonance beyond the track. As Cruz recalls, Hong Kong was grappling with the SARS epidemic and economic hardship. Silent Witness became a beacon of resilience, earning the affectionate title “Spirit of Hong Kong.”
“He showed people that great challenges could be overcome,” Cruz said. “That’s why he meant so much.”
Many have flirted with that once-unthinkable number of 17. None sustained the brilliance long enough — until Ka Ying Rising.
All Eyes on Hong Kong race 22 February
The build-up to the Hong Kong race 22 February has inevitably drawn comparisons between past and present. Hayes’ five-year-old has dismantled fields with a blend of speed and composure that suggests rare quality. Recently crowned the world’s top-rated sprinter, he appears to have the racing world at his feet.
“The expectation is for him to win,” Hayes admitted. “You just want him to — not let everyone down. But he hasn’t so far. The way he trialled recently, I don’t think he’s going to.”
Cruz is generous in his praise of the new star.
“There’s no doubt about Ka Ying Rising’s natural talent. There’s no horse in Hong Kong that can compete with him right now. He’s outstanding,” he said.
Yet for Cruz and former champion jockey Felix Coetzee, the memory of Silent Witness remains singular. Coetzee partnered the great horse in all 29 of his starts and, despite a glittering international career, regards that association as incomparable.
“He was unique. Anyone could have won on him — I was just lucky to be there,” Coetzee said. “He had such presence.”
Now 25 and retired at Living Legends in Victoria, Silent Witness is still widely considered the finest racehorse Hong Kong has produced. Whether that perception shifts after the Hong Kong race 22 February may depend on what unfolds over seven furlongs at Sha Tin.
Hayes, 63, speaks with the perspective of a man who has seen greatness before. Early in his career he trained Better Loosen Up, and across decades he has prepared 107 Group 1 winners. Yet he concedes there is something different about this horse.
“It’s nice to be the trainer of the most consecutive winning horse in Hong Kong,” he said. “I keep pinching myself. At my age, I really appreciate a horse like this.”
An 18th consecutive victory would echo far beyond the Hayes stable. It would redefine a modern benchmark and add a fresh chapter to Hong Kong racing folklore — one that could begin in earnest in the Hong Kong race 22 February.
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