Ka Ying Rising Romps In Chairman's Sprint Prize

Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) further cemented his status as the world's best sprinter with a 2 1/4-length victory in the 1200-metre G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize at Sha Tin on Sunday. Sent off the heavy 1-20 crowd's pick, the bay gelding duly made it a dozen wins in a row with the closing Satono Reve (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) a neck ahead of third-place finisher Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}), who also rallied from the rear of the field.

In touch with the leaders in a tracking fifth through the early stages as Magic Control (Aus) (Sioux Nation) forged the way, Ka Ying Rising was a touch keen with 650 metres to travel. Asked for his best just inside the final 400 metres, he put the race to bed in a matter of strides while on his wrong lead and won geared down, leaving his rivals toiling. He covered his final 400 metres in a sharp :21.78, and is the third horse to win eight races in Hong Kong in a season.

Regular rider Zac Purton said, “What more can you say? Every time you come out here, he produces something special and he did that again today and he didn't even change his leg.

“I applaud the Japanese. They're willing to travel and willing to take anyone around the world on, so you've got to give them credit for doing that, but they were only second fiddle against him today. He's had a long season, he's been exceptional all the way through and it's a good way to finish it.”

Satono Reve's jockey Joao Moreira, a former Hong Kong Champion Jockey, said, “That was a brilliant run, we just bumped into probably the best sprinter in the world. He was able to hold on for second place and I just couldn't be any happier with how he performed.”

Sunday's win was his fourth at the highest level and gave the Ka Ying Syndicate-owned runner a clean sweep of the Hong Kong Speed Series, earning him an HK$5-million bonus. He is the fourth horse to complete that milestone, with Sunday's sixth-place runner Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {NZ}) the most recent winner of the series in 2022/23. Ka Ying Rising's 2024/25 season has been flawless, with  January's Centenary Sprint Cup, the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup in February, and the G2 Sprint Cup last month his latest tallies. Trained by David Hayes, Ka Ying Rising will be rested before taking his chance in the world's richest turf race, Australia's G1 The Everest over 1200 metres at Royal Randwick on October 18.

Hayes said “He loves it up there [Conghua], and he'll have a month to himself going out in the beautiful day paddocks. Then we'll start targeting to hopefully have him ready to race at the start of next season with The Everest in mind.”

Pedigree Notes

One of 14 stakes winners for his Windsor Park Stud-based sire Shamexpress, Ka Ying Rising is by some margin his sire's best runner. His Coventina Bay (NZ) is a dual Group 1 winner in New Zealand.

His dam, the Per Incanto mare Missy Moo (NZ), won five times, with Ka Ying Rising her first produce. Her second, the  gelding Ka Ying Glory (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}), has started once in Hong Kong so far. Kin to Ka Ying Rising are Sir Tristram (Ire)'s Group 1 scorers Gurner's Lane (NZ), Sovereign Red (NZ), Trichelle (NZ) and Centaine (Aus)'s Foxwood (NZ), who won the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas in 1997.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
CHAIRMAN'S SPRINT PRIZE-G1, HK$22,000,000, Sha Tin, 4-27, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:07.88, gd.
1–KA YING RISING (NZ), 126, g, 4, by Shamexpress (NZ)
            1st Dam: Missy Moo (NZ), by Per Incanto
            2nd Dam: Royal Rhythm (NZ), by Rhythm
            3rd Dam: Her Dynasty (NZ), by Sir Tristram (Ire)
O-Ka Ying Syndicate; B-Grandmoral Lodge Racing; T-David
Hayes; J-Zac Purton; HK$12,320,000. Lifetime Record: 15-13-2-
0, HK$60,953,200. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Satono Reve (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)–Ciliege
(Jpn), by Sakura Bakushin O (Jpn). (¥54,000,000 Wlg '19
JHRAJUL). O-Hajime Satomi; B-Shirai Stud Farm; T-Noriyuki
Hori; J-Joao Moreira; HK$4,620,000.
3–Helios Express (Aus), 126, g, 5, Toronado (Ire)–Paris Texas
(Aus), by Hinchinbrook (Aus). O-Andy Yung Ming Tai; B-Mr C
Wells (WA); T-John Size; J-Hugh Bowman; HK$2,530,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, NK, 2. Odds: 1-20, 14-1, 37-1.
Also Ran: Invincible Sage (Aus), Lugal (Jpn), Lucky Sweynesse (NZ), Magic Control (Aus), Copartner Prance (Aus), Victor the Winner (Aus), Beauty Waves (Ire), Lucky With You (Aus), A Shin Fencer (Jpn), Danon McKinley (Jpn). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing. VIDEO.