Ka Ying Rising made an emphatic return to action at Sha Tin on Friday morning, stretching clear in a 1050-metre barrier trial as preparations gathered pace for the opening feature of the 2026/27 Hong Kong season.Ka Ying Rising is the focus of the latest Sha Tin trial ahead of the new season.
Ka Ying Rising Dominates Sha Tin Trial
Under Zac Purton, the champion sprinter dictated the seven-runner trial from the outset before powering nine and three-quarter lengths clear of Thunder Prince. The clock stopped at 1:01.16 on rain-affected dirt, giving the unbeaten star a strong first test after his break.
The trial was an important step towards a first-up appearance in the newly upgraded HK$4.2 million G3 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap over 1200 metres at Sha Tin on Sunday, September 6.
That race has already proved familiar territory for Ka Ying Rising. The six-year-old won the corresponding event in 2024 and 2025, when it was contested as a Class 1 race, and will now return to defend his position at the head of Hong Kong’s sprinting ranks.
Trainer David Hayes has plenty of reason to be encouraged. Ka Ying Rising has won his last 20 starts, a Hong Kong racing record, and shared the 2025/26 Hong Kong Horse of the Year title with Romantic Warrior.
Purton, meanwhile, enters the new season after another landmark campaign. The Australian rider secured his ninth Hong Kong jockeys’ championship with 143 victories in 2025/26, including four Group 1 successes aboard Ka Ying Rising at Sha Tin. He also became the first jockey in Hong Kong racing history to pass 2,000 career wins.
The immediate target is clear. Ka Ying Rising is expected to have just the one run in Hong Kong before travelling to Australia for The Everest at Royal Randwick on October 17, where the sprint star will attempt to repeat his 2025 success.
A further Sha Tin trial is expected on August 30.
The latest effort was not intended to bring the horse to peak fitness, but it provided Purton with a useful indication of where the preparation stands. Ka Ying Rising had reportedly gained weight during his break and looked comfortable as the trial unfolded, before lengthening his stride decisively in the straight.
Several other Hong Kong-trained runners also used Friday’s trials to prepare for international assignments.
Fast Network is scheduled to travel to Japan for the G2 Centaur Stakes over 1200 metres at Hanshin on September 6. That race will serve as a preparation for the G1 Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama on September 27.
The Dennis Yip-trained runner finished fourth in his trial, clocking 1:12.44. Settled towards the rear by Matthew Poon, Fast Network was held together early before making ground smartly through the straight.
Fast Network has already finished twice at Group 1 level behind Ka Ying Rising from 20 starts and has seven victories to his name, including the 2025 G3 National Day Cup Handicap over 1000 metres.
Self Improvement is also heading overseas, with a return to Seoul planned for September 6 as the runner prepares to defend the G3 Korea Sprint over 1200 metres on sand.
Ridden by Dylan Mo, Self Improvement finished second behind Cala Dei Mori in 1:11.38. The trial was designed to sharpen fitness rather than produce a full-pressure effort, and the preparation appears to be progressing smoothly.
Romantic Thor, trained by Danny Shum, finished fifth in the second batch under Jerry Chau in 1:13.68 as preparations continue for the G2 Korea Cup over 1800 metres on sand.
Stablemate Gorgeous Win, another Korea Sprint candidate, finished ninth in the third trial batch under Richard Kingscote in 1:13.42.
Beauty Waves is also scheduled to make the journey to Seoul.
Fast Network, Self Improvement, Romantic Thor, Gorgeous Win and Beauty Waves are all expected to leave Hong Kong next week, giving Friday’s Sha Tin session significance beyond the return of its headline performer.
For Ka Ying Rising, however, the focus remains firmly on September 6. Friday’s trial was his first serious public outing of the new campaign, and the nine-and-three-quarter-length margin suggested that the record-setting sprinter has lost little of the sharpness that carried him through an unbeaten 20-race sequence.
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