Size assembles four-pronged assault on Ka Ying Rising: ‘it's hard to doubt him'

South China Morning Post

22-02-2025

Master handler hopes one of his Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup quartet can join Wunderbar in bringing down the superstar speedster
by Sam Agars on Saturday, February 22, 2025 2:00 PM Helios Express (right) runs second to ka Ying Rising in December's Hong Kong Sprint. Photos: Kenneth Chan
The John Size-trained Wunderbar is the only galloper to finish in front of superstar sprinter Ka Ying Rising but the master handler hopes one of his stablemates can emulate the feat in Sunday's Group One Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m).
Size saddles up half of the gallopers aiming to prevent Ka Ying Rising winning his 10th straight race and third Group One, with Helios Express out to turn the tables after four consecutive placings behind David Hayes' speed machine.
Howdeepisyourlove also has multiple placings behind Ka Ying Rising this term, while Beauty Eternal and Red Lion step down in trip for the season's only 1,400m Group One.
'Obviously we don't get many opportunities to show their 1,400m form – there's only one a year at Group One level and we don't get a lot of visitors for this race,' said Size of the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup, which he has won with Electronic Unicorn (2004), Contentment (2016) and Waikuku (2021). — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) December 8, 2024
'But's it's always an interesting contest and we've got 1,600m horses and 1,200m horses coming together, which mixes it up a little bit.'
While Ka Ying Rising will race over further than 1,200m for the first time, Beauty Eternal is a Group Three winner over 1,400m as well as a Group One victor at a mile and Helios Express snared the Classic Mile and Classic Cup (1,800m) last season.
'Helios Express looks normal. He's trained well and he's strong. The 1,400m might help him out a little bit,' said Size.
'We might get a change in the result, you never know, but the favourite has such a high rating that it's hard to doubt him. It should carry him through.
'Beauty Eternal is training well and I'm not worried about his form. He seems to be in excellent health and condition. The horse is happy.
'The day he won his Group One [in the last year's Champions Mile] it was a rain-affected track, which he might be missing this weekend, but in the past couple of weeks the grass has come on really well on the course proper and it should have bit of cushion in it.
'Howdeepisyourlove has been in very good shape. He's been racing consistently, he does everything right and he runs the same race every time.
'Red Lion is probably a bit over an overachiever. It would be fair to say he's done more than what we expected of him and his honesty will see him through. He's going to give a good account of himself, as usual.'
While Helios Express will be ridden by regular jockey Hugh Bowman, there's been plenty of shuffling among Size's other runners and the favourite.
Ka Ying Rising will be ridden by Karis Teetan in the absence of the injured Zac Purton and Andrea Atzeni takes the reins from the Australian aboard Beauty Eternal, while Red Lion will be partnered by Alexis Badel for the first time this season.
Also among the rotations is the booking of Ben Thompson to replace James McDonald aboard Howdeepisyourlove, with the New Zealander not making it back from Saudi Arabia in time after riding Romantic Warrior in the Group One Saudi Cup (1,800m).
McDonald is expected to get to Sha Tin in time to partner Voyage Bubble in the Group One Gold Cup (2,000m), however, with the Size-trained Ensued among the Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained galloper's nine opponents.