Ka Ying Rising to The Everest
Michael Lee
The FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on April 27 delivered in spades on its slogan of a day to "celebrate champions", but probably more so in the HK$22 million (S$3.7 million) Group 1 Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m) with another smashing display by the World's Best Sprinter, Ka Ying Rising.
Without taking anything away from the winners of the two other Group 1s, Japan's Tastiera (Damian Lane) in the HK$28 million FWD QEII Cup (2,000m) and surprise local winner (won in the stewards' room) Red Lion (Hugh Bowman) in the HK$24 million FWD Champions Mile (1,600m), a 12th consecutive win carved with such arrogance at the highest level by the horse David Hayes has already called the "best horse he has ever trained" was the real showstopper.
Besides picking up a HK$12 million cheque for the win, the Shamexpress four-year-old also made a clean sweep of the Hong Kong Speed Series to collect a HK$5 million bonus with previous wins in the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) and Group 1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m).
Four horses pulled off the Triple Crown before - Mr Vitality (1995/96), Grand Delight (2002/03), Silent Witness (2003/04 and 2004/05) and Lucky Sweynesse (2022/23), the previous World's Best Sprinter, who was at his racing comeback in the Chairman's Sprint Prize, finishing a gallant sixth.
The coronation of a new sprint king could not have been more emblematic from the way the $5.30 favourite was cuddled to the line by Zac Purton before being eased down to win by 2¼ lengths from Japan's Satono Reve (Joao Moreira) and Helios Express (Bowman).
Hong Kong's superstar has taken all before him on home soil, but the biggest test - and payday - awaits next at his first overseas raid in the world's richest turf race, the A$20 million (S$16.8 million) Group 1 The Everest (1,200m) at Randwick in Sydney on Oct 18.
"What more can you say? Every time you come out here, he produces something special," said Purton to the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
"He did that again today and he didn't even change his leg. He puts them away very quickly.
"He can have a break now and the next one is the big one."
Hayes said that Ka Ying Rising would now go straight to Conghua, Hong Kong Jockey Club's training centre in mainland China, for a well-deserved rest.
"He loves it up there, and he'll have a month to himself going out in the beautiful day paddocks," said the Australian trainer.
"Then we'll start targeting to hopefully have him ready to race at the start of next season with The Everest in mind."
Two races later, the Champions Mile was decided in the stewards' room, but the Bauhinia flag would fly high again, either way.
Two local horses fought out the finish. The John Size-trained Red Lion outbobbed favourite Voyage Bubble (James McDonald) by a short head for a shock $454 upset, but had to wait for stewards to dismiss McDonald's objection for interference in the last strides.
The flop of the race was Australia's top horse Mr Brightside (Craig Williams), who faded to last place.
The third showpiece was, however, an all-overseas affair, with Japan filling the first two spots with Tastiera ($18) and Prognosis (McDonald) with Bahrain's Calif (Adrie de Vries) third.
manyan@sph.com.sg
