Ka Ying Rising cruised through a barrier trial at Sha Tin on Tuesday in preparation for the Group 2 Sprint Cup (6f/1200m) on April 6, where he’ll attempt to secure a record-extending 19th consecutive win.
Trained by David Hayes, Ka Ying Rising clocked a trial-best 57.62s (1000m) in the eight-runner heat down Sha Tin’s turf straight – a neck in front of Beauty Waves – under championship-leading rider Zac Purton, who confirmed the sprinter’s wellbeing.
The jockey said: “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.”
Beauty Waves found the early lead before Ka Ying Rising swept effortlessly past him from fourth position. Successful in his past 18 races in Hong Kong and Australia, Ka Ying Rising is currently the world’s top-rated horse according to Timeform.
'You never know...'
After the Sprint Cup, Ka Ying Rising will go for a second G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (6f/1200m) win on FWD Champions Day (April 26), which serves as the final leg of the HK$5 million Hong Kong Speed Series, comprising the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) and G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m).
Hayes said: “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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