Sha Tin, April 26 — Ka Ying Rising underlined his standing at the summit of global sprinting with a devastating, record-breaking display in the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize, stretching his unbeaten sequence to 20 and completing another clean sweep of Hong Kong’s premier speed series.
The world’s highest-rated horse stopped the clock at 1m 07.10s for the 1200 metres, shaving a fraction off his own course record set earlier in the campaign and reinforcing a remarkable grip on the Sha Tin sprint honours list. In doing so, he now holds six of the nine quickest times ever recorded over the straight six at the venue.
There was a moment early when the tempo appeared modest, the first 200 metres unfolding without urgency, but the race quickly turned once the field straightened. Positioned neatly in third by Zac Purton, Ka Ying Rising travelled with ease while stablemate Tomodachi Kokoroe led and Satono Reve loomed to his outer.
At the 300-metre mark, Purton asked the question. The response was emphatic. Ka Ying Rising lengthened with authority, clocking a searing 21.52 seconds for the final 400 metres—his sharpest sectional yet—before putting the race to bed well inside the closing stages.
He crossed the line four and a quarter lengths clear of Satono Reve, who once again found himself chasing shadows behind a horse operating on a different level. Notably, the winner was eased late, yet still managed to better the track benchmark.
The victory completes a second consecutive Hong Kong Speed Series for Ka Ying Rising, adding the Chairman’s Sprint Prize to earlier triumphs in the Centenary Sprint Cup and Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup. The achievement places him among a select group, becoming only the second horse to secure the series twice.
Purton, who has been central to the horse’s rise, spoke with admiration rather than surprise.
“It was pretty painless,” he said. “He travelled strongly, found his rhythm, and once I asked him to go, he did what he’s done all season. He just keeps delivering.”
Trainer David Hayes, meanwhile, admitted the weight of expectation had been hard to ignore given the dominance his stable star has shown.
“There’s always that pressure when a horse like him goes out,” Hayes said. “You don’t want to let people down, but he never does. The way he runs time and sustains it—he’s extraordinary.”
Hayes was unequivocal in his assessment of the gelding’s place in his own career, and perhaps beyond.
“I thought a long time ago he might be the best I’ve trained. A year ago I was sure of it. Now, I think he’s one of the best I’ve ever seen, full stop.”
Connections will now give the horse a break before setting their sights on an international assignment later in the year, with a return tilt at Australia’s premier turf sprint in October firmly on the agenda.
For now, Sha Tin remains his stage, and the numbers continue to tell a compelling story—of speed, precision, and a sprinter redefining the limits of his craft.
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