Ka Ying Rising completes perfect season with scintillating Chairman's Sprint Prize success
Ka Ying Rising put the cherry on a perfect season with another blockbuster display at Sha Tin on Sunday, completing a clean sweep of the Hong Kong Speed Series with victory in the Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m).
By landing his eighth success from as many starts this season, the world's best sprinter matched Hong Kong's single-season win record held by Beauty Generation and Lucky Sweynesse.
'What more can you say? Every time you come out here, he produces something special and he did that again today and he didn't even change his leg. He puts them away very quickly,' said jockey Zac Purton.
'The track has got a little bit of give in it today, so he's not going to run any faster if people are looking at the clock but he's run a lot quicker than the other horses today.
HE DOES IT AGAIN! 🚀
Ka Ying Rising makes it 12 straight wins, four Group 1s and a HK$5 million Speed Series bonus with victory in the 2025 Chairman's Sprint Prize... @zpurton #FWDChampionsDay | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/IvPSPH9pcn — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 27, 2025
'Once again, he was brilliant. He's getting better and better. He's had a long season, he's been exceptional all the way through and it's a good way to finish it.'
Nicely away from gate four, Purton opted to take a sit aboard Ka Ying Rising in a race with plenty of early speed.
Unleashed down the outside, Ka Ying Rising rattled home with a final 400m of 21.78 seconds to beat Japanese raider Satono Reve by two and a quarter lengths and clock 1:07.88 eased down.
The John Size-trained Helios Express ran third, placing behind Ka Ying Rising for the seventh time this season.
'It was a great ride by Zac. He took the sit and didn't want to get pocketed and went a bit early, but when you're on a [$1.05 chance] I think you take the luck out of it,' said trainer David Hayes after Ka Ying Rising bagged his 12th straight win and fourth Group One victory.
'He had a perfect prep and a perfect season. It's just nice nothing went wrong.
'He probably got to the front a bit early and stargazed today but he got the job done and he won by a decent margin.
'It's a good effort to do the [Speed Series] and he's only four, so I think we've got a lot to look forward to in the coming seasons.
'What he's starting to show is that he's not one dimensional. He can take it up or take a sit. He did pull slightly mid-race but I love the fact that he can take a sit.'
Ka Ying Rising sent his career prize money past HK$60 million with victory in the HK$22 million Chairman's Sprint Prize, while he pocketed the HK$5 million Speed Series bonus by adding to his earlier victories in the Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) and Group One Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m).
While he was red-hot favourite and never looked in any real danger, Hayes admitted he still felt the pinch.
'It is a different feeling saddling up a [$1.05] chance. It normally doesn't get to me but I get a bit stirred up. I'll be just pleased now to chill,' said Hayes before heaping praise on his stable staff.
'The team has been outstanding. [Assistant trainer] Jimmy [Wong Chi-hung] heads it but he's got a lot of people under him that just play their role and you wouldn't be here without them.'
Ka Ying Rising will now have a breather before connections turn their attention to October's mega-rich The Everest in Sydney.
Treble for @zpurton and Masterofmyuniverse marks 100 wins this season for the superstar jockey! 💯#FWDChampionsDay | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/E13fqdoqQb — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 27, 2025
'He's going to go straight up to Conghua, he loves it up there, and he'll have a month to himself going out in the beautiful day paddocks,' said Hayes.
'Then we'll start targeting to hopefully have him ready to race at the start of next season with The Everest in mind.'
Ka Ying Rising's win was the middle leg of a treble for Purton, with the star Australian also saluting aboard Patch Of Stars and Masterofmyuniverse to move to 100 winners for the ninth straight season.
'It's a very good number to get to – most years it wins you a premiership. This year, we're about to go well beyond that but it means I've had a lot of support and a lot of luck,' he said.
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