Ka Ying Rising will embark on his Australian campaign on Sunday night, 20 September, when the Hong Kong champion will travel to Sydney ahead of another appearance in the G1 The Everest over 1200m at Royal Randwick Racecourse on 17 October. The David Hayes-trained sprinter will make the journey after completing his final Sha Tin preparation on Friday morning, with the stable satisfied with his condition ahead of the international assignment.
Working before dawn on the turf course at Sha Tin, Ka Ying Rising will cover 1200m in 1m 21.07s and will complete his final 400m sectional in 22.6s. The gallop will mark his last major piece of work in Hong Kong before departure and will provide the stable with an important final assessment of the six-year-old before he begins the next stage of his preparation in Australia.
Ka Ying Rising will travel to Sydney after an outstanding run of form in Hong Kong. His latest appearance will come in the G3 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap over 1200m at Sha Tin on 6 September, where he will set a new track record of 1m 06.11s. The performance will extend his winning sequence to 21 starts and will underline the level of form he will carry into his Australian campaign.
Ka Ying Rising Will Follow Familiar Australian Preparation
Hayes will follow a preparation similar to the one used before last year’s successful appearance in The Everest. After arriving in Sydney, Ka Ying Rising will spend two weeks in quarantine at Canterbury Racecourse before undertaking a trial at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Tuesday, 6 October. The trial will give the stable an opportunity to assess his progress after the journey and quarantine period before the main assignment.
Retired stablemate Ka Ying Glory will accompany Ka Ying Rising to Australia. The companion will provide company during quarantine, although Hayes will not expect Ka Ying Rising to require another horse for his training work. The arrangement will allow the champion to continue his preparation independently while remaining alongside a familiar stablemate during his stay in Australia.
Hayes will be encouraged by the quality of Ka Ying Rising’s final Sha Tin gallop and his recovery afterwards. The sprinter will also continue to eat well, giving the stable further confidence before his departure. Hayes will indicate that the horse could arrive in Australia in even better condition than he did for last year’s campaign, adding another positive element to an already carefully structured preparation.
The Australian journey will also carry considerable significance for Hong Kong racing. Ka Ying Rising will remain the only foreign-trained horse to have won The Everest, and he will return to Royal Randwick as the representative of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s slot. His previous success will give the Hong Kong team valuable experience of the demands associated with the major 1200m feature.
Zac Purton will again partner Ka Ying Rising for the assignment. The jockey and sprinter will return to Royal Randwick after their success in last year’s The Everest, when Ka Ying Rising will have defeated Tempted and Jimmysstar. Their previous experience at the Sydney track will form an important part of the background to this year’s campaign.
Ka Ying Rising will also enter the Australian journey with a formidable recent record. His 21-race winning sequence will include his latest Sha Tin track-record performance, while his international standing will add further interest to his return. The six-year-old will now have the opportunity to extend his record on Australian soil when he lines up for another attempt at The Everest.
The schedule will now move from Hong Kong to Sydney, with his departure on 20 September followed by the quarantine period at Canterbury Racecourse. The next significant milestone will come at Royal Randwick on 6 October, when his scheduled trial will provide the stable with a final opportunity to assess his condition before the feature event.
Hong Kong racing will meanwhile continue at Happy Valley on Wednesday, 23 September, while Ka Ying Rising will be beginning the next phase of his Australian campaign. His departure will shift attention towards his progress in Sydney as the countdown to The Everest continues.
With his final Sha Tin preparation completed, Ka Ying Rising will now turn towards another major international assignment. His quarantine period, Randwick trial and final build-up will all lead towards 17 October, when he will return to Royal Randwick for The Everest and attempt to add another significant chapter to his record in the race.
Ka Ying Rising The Everest campaign will move to Australia on 20 September after his final Sha Tin gallop. He will spend two weeks in quarantine before a scheduled Royal Randwick trial on 6 October ahead of The Everest on 17 October.
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