Hong Kong's reigning Horse of the Year Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) won a barrier trial at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning.
The gelding clocked a trial-best :57.62 for the 1000-metre trial over the Sha Tin lawn, a neck to the good of Beauty Waves (Starspangledbanner).
The eight-time Group 1 winner, who currently holds the successive wins record at 18 for a Hong Kong-trained horse, is pointing toward the April 6 G2 Sprint Cup back at 1200 metres.
Said pilot Zac Purton, “He's going really well. It's good to be back on him. It was a nice little hit-out for him – he'll run again in a few weeks, getting ready for (FWD) Champions Day.”
The G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize will be Ka Ying Rising's next goal after the Sprint Cup, on April 26, FWD Champions Day.
Said trainer David Hayes, “He was nice and relaxed. There were a couple of horses who put a bit of pressure on, but he stretched and got to them very easily – he won as you'd expect.
“I wanted to trial him down the straight because you never know; he might go down the straight somewhere. It's a good experience for him, and he's going back from 1400 to 1200 (metres), so he didn't need a hard trial, hence why I put him over 1000.”
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