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How Ka Ying Rising could become the next Hayes “super-superstar” and why The Everest is on his agenda
Andrew Slevison • December 10th, 2024 3:32 pm
Ka Ying Rising is now considered one of the very best sprinters in the world after his exploits in Hong Kong on Sunday.
The David Hayes-trained four-year-old defeated a stacked field in the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin, landing the biggest victory of his career underneath Zac Purton.
Many expected Ka Ying Rising to demolish his rivals, and although he did end up winning by just under a length, it wasn’t as easy as some would have predicted.
After jumping slowly and then sitting outside leader California Spangle, Purton had to get busy on the New Zealand-bred sprinter who eventually bounded clear to beat the fast-finishing Helios Express and Satono Reve.
The Australian jockey said the shape of the race and the tussle throughout with California Spangle definitely took some energy away from his mount.
“People don’t understand when you’ve got another horse eyeballing you on your outside during the running of a race, it doesn’t allow your horse to relax, get into his rhythm and conserve his energy,” Purton said on SENTrack’s Hong Kong Corner.
“It keeps them thinking, it keeps them tight and wound up, and that’s the way he felt in the mid stages of that race. He just never got a chance to relax.
“I thought it added more merit to his performance.”
Purton further praised Ka Ying Rising who now owns a devastating record of nine wins and two seconds from 11 career starts.
“We had horses from Australia, Japan, America, the UK, all come to try and take him on in that race,” he added.
“We had a full field which I didn’t expect us to get. I thought after the way he won the start before that it might have scared a few people off, but it didn’t. It’s never easy when you get a full field, a lot of things can go wrong.
“With his racing style he generally puts himself in the right spot, as he did again. It was only his 11th start in a race and to be able to win at that level against those horses, it was a very good performance.
“If someone had have said three months you were going to win the International Sprint in December we certainly would have been taking it.”
The gun sprinter’s trainer, experienced Aussie David Hayes, has had plenty of good horses during his glittering career.
Better Loosen Up would be considered by most as the very best he has prepared, but Ka Ying Rising is fast heading that way.
Hayes spoke in the lead-up to Sunday’s triumph about how prolific this son of Shamexpress could become.
“Reflecting on what Better Loosen Up did, he was a superstar but only really raced at the top of his career for 18 months,” Hayes told SENTrack.
“He unfortunately bowed his tendon at the peak of his career. If he could have lasted another season or two he could have been rated as one of the all-time greats, but he was denied his chance by injury.
“He won eight Group 1s and was the world’s highest-rated horse. So I’ve had two - this sprinter and Better Loosen Up.
“A lot of water under the bridge, 94 Group 1 winners, but no super-superstar (since). I think this one has the potential - he’s still developing - but he could be one of those.”
There are a few options in front of Ka Ying Rising with Purton indicating that he’ll run in the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin on January 19.
Beyond that, however, he could be stretched out to 1600m or be kept at sprint trips in the lead-up to The Everest at Randwick in October next year.
“There’s not a lot of racing here in Hong Kong for him because his rating is so high,” Hayes added.
“He’ll stay here and run in the four-year-old Classic Mile and then everything will be headed towards The Everest.
“He’ll run in the International Sprint in March and then we’ll seriously start thinking about The Everest. If he’s in good form, or the form he’s in now, he’ll certainly be coming (to Australia).”
Listen to Purton on Ka Ying Rising below:
Image from HKJC.
