Ka Ying Rising romps to 13th in a row

THE world’s top-rated sprinter, Ka Ying Rising brushed aside quality opposition under 9st 9lb to win in a time just outside his own track record at Sha Tin on Sunday.

The New Zealand-bred gelding swept to his 14th win in 16 starts for David Hayes and extended his unbeaten streak to 13 wins in the six-furlong HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap.

Jockey Zac Purton declared Ka Ying Rising’s win the equal-best of the champion sprinter’s career.

The world’s top sprinter will now enter quarantine in preparation for a tilt at the AU$20 million Group 1 The Everest over six furlongs at Randwick on October 18th, after he eased to a two-and-a-quarter-length victory over fellow Group 1 winner Lucky Sweynesse (9st) and Divano (8st 1lb).

“To carry that weight against those horses at that speed first-up and do what he did, it’s probably the equal of any performance he’s put up, I think,” Purton, who rode a five-timer on the card, reported afterwards.

“I said to David before the race that he just looks a different horse. He’s furnished really nicely and that’s what we wanted before we get on the plane and go down to Sydney.”

Hong Kong’s reigning Horse of the Year settled second behind Bottomuptogether who made a fast mid-race move to string out the field.

“It went fairly smoothly. If I could have had that run pre-race, I would have taken it,” Purton said.

Hayes said: “We’ve been saying privately that we think he’s better than last year and I think that showed - the time he ran, the way he did it, the weight he carried. He’s bigger and stronger and probably better.

“He’s always physically been a backward-looking horse and now I think he looks like a complete sprinter. So, yeah, he’s the best I’ve had.

“The worry with this ‘prep’ was running with 135 (lb) at the start, but I didn’t want to go six months between runs, first-up in an Everest. Now I know we’ve got him there. That’s why he’s a champion. He’s a pretty good traveller and I’m very confident travelling him.”