‘Doing Black Caviar things': David Hayes does a deep dive on what makes Ka Ying Rising a superstar sprinter

News.com.au

17-07-2025

Doing 'Black Caviar things'.
That's how Hall of Fame training legend David Hayes encapsulates his Hong Kong superstar and raging $1.80 The Everest favourite Ka Ying Rising.
Racenet this week asked Hayes to do a deep dive on what makes his star sprinter so freakish.
He gave a remarkable insight into the racing phenomenon.
'I used to watch Black Caviar gallop very closely, I would say he is the only horse I've ever had do Black Caviar things,' Hayes told Racenet.
'I read that Black Caviar had an incredible stride length compared to other horses when she was let go in a race.
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'It's the same with Ka Ying Rising.
'His action goes from being normal but when you push the button at the 300(m) or whenever Zac (Purton) decides to go, his stride gets much, much bigger.
'The thing to my eye that he does very differently to most good horses is that his trackwork is good enough, but when he gets into a racing situation he has got this incredible ability at high speed to lengthen his stride and put the race away.
'I haven't measured it and I haven't done any scientific testing of him, I can't see the point.
'But I have probably watched 30,000 horses and I'm sure I am right.
'I have had some incredible and exciting moments and some exciting horses, but I think he is the most consistently exciting horse I've had who just keeps putting up incredible performances and runs that are so dominant.
'If the best track worker I've ever had is a 10 out of 10, this horse would be a seven out of 10 worker.
'But he's a 10 out of 10 at the trials and a 10 out of 10 at the races.'
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
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Ka Ying Rising was last seen in April when he made it 12 consecutive wins, producing a devastating victory in the Group 1 Chairman's Sprint Prize at Sha Tin.
The world's top ranked sprinter will race in the $20m The Everest in October for new slot-holder the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Hayes can't wait to show him off to the Australian public, feeling he is the closest sprint sensation that racing fans have seen to Black Caviar who was famously undefeated in 25 races.
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Hayes feels Ka Ying Rising has already displayed similar brilliance to the likes of Black Caviar and Winx – he just needs to maintain the rage and sustain the winning momentum in the future to be rated alongside those former greats.
'If he goes for another 12 months, at the rate he is going, he will end up one of the all-time greats,' Hayes said.
'What makes a horse an all-time great is the length that they stay at the top.
'For instance, Black Caviar three years, Winx four years.
'In their first year of brilliance, I think my horse is every bit as good as those two.
'But he's just got to last, if he can hold this form for the length of time that they did, he will be one of all-time greats.
'If he gets the job done in The Everest it would be one of the highlights of anyone's career, to bring a horse down to the richest turf race in world and win.
'I would just love everyone to see him, he's worth seeing.'
In betting on The Everest, confirmed runners Private Harry ($6) and Briasa ($8) are so far considered the ones most likely to give Ka Ying Rising a serious challenge.