David Hayes is hoping his superstar sprinter Ka Ying Rising can continue to dominate in 2026 and secure a legacy comparable with that achieved by Australian great Black Caviar.
Ka Ying Rising was awarded Timeform’s Horse of the Year title after winning all eight starts in 2025 and earning a world-leading rating of 135.
Ka Ying Rising reached that lofty figure by giving his rivals plenty of weight and a beating in handicap company in the Chief Executive’s Cup, a race that served as a warm-up for The Everest at Randwick, where he demonstrated his class away from Hong Kong.
He rounded off a faultless campaign with victories in the Jockey Club Sprint and Hong Kong Sprint, with victory in the latter contest taking his winning sequence to 16 and putting him within touching distance of Silent Witness’ record of 17.
Speaking after Ka Ying Rising’s win in the Hong Kong Sprint, Hayes said: "It's been the perfect season really. He keeps stepping up and probably this win [in the Hong Kong Sprint] was his best, it was against the best and was his most dominant win. He just absorbs so much pressure so easily and then puts the race away - he's a freak.
"How fast he can go takes the horses mid-race - blows them out. He can extend and lengthen; he's got a massive stride when he goes forward. He absorbs pressure like no horse I've ever trained.”
The only sprinters this century rated higher by Timeform are Battaash and Black Caviar, who were both rated 136. However, as a mare in receipt of a sex allowance, Black Caviar was an even more formidable opponent than that figure would suggest. She won all 25 starts, including a memorable victory in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot where she was almost overhauled after she was prematurely eased.
On Ka Ying Rising, Hayes added: "He's the best I've trained. The best I've seen? I'm a huge Black Caviar fan, you didn't see the best of her in England but she's an out-and-out champion, probably the best I've seen. I think at the 18-run mark he's doing comparable things to her and if he can continue for another 12 months we might be able to compare him to her, and that's incredible to think you can have a horse at that level.”
Graffard hails 'incredible' Calandagan
In most years, Calandagan, the Middle-Distance Champion, would have been a standout contender for the Horse of The Year crown after winning four Group 1s, including the Champion Stakes, which in Timeform’s view was the race of the season. He further enhanced his reputation by becoming the first European-trained winner of the Japan Cup since 2005, capping a remarkable season for Francis-Henri Graffard who also won the Arc with Daryz.
Graffard said: "He's had an amazing season. It started in Dubai where he ran a very good second the first time Mickael Barzalona sat on him, so didn't know him very well. It was a strong performance.
“At Epsom, it was a difficult track for him and there were plenty of excuses, but since then it's been amazing. I think it was a good idea to stay at home for the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and the horse has really blossomed mentally and physically. The team between Barzalona and Calandagan is working very well now - he has a lot of confidence in the horse.
"It's been an incredible season because he's an incredible horse.
"The horse is very well balanced; everything is easy for him. He has a very long acceleration that he can maintain for a long distance. He's special.”
On Calandagan’s famous triumph in Japan, Graffard added: "It was an incredible performance to break the track record, and he beat a good horse. It was a long journey so the performance was incredible and was a very special moment.”
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