Latest news with #G2SprintCup
South China Morning Post
03-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Jockey Club may consider buying The Everest slot, while Team Romantic Warrior nears final hurdle
The Hong Kong Jockey Club would consider buying a slot in The Everest should the terms be favourable, chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has confirmed. Speaking after The Everest favourite Ka Ying Rising's Group Two Sprint Cup (1,200m) demolition job at Sha Tin last Sunday, Engelbrecht-Bresges did not rule out the possibility of the world's best sprinter representing the Jockey Club in the world's richest turf race. 'I think one has to see what the financial incentive is if we work with [the Australian Turf Club]. I think it's something we can consider,' said Engelbrecht-Bresges. 'But, it cannot be only a slot in The Everest. It has to be something which benefits us. Having a slot in The Everest would benefit the owner but not necessarily us.' UNSTOPPABLE! 🤯 11 straight wins for world's best sprinter Ka Ying Rising as David Hayes' star is an emphatic G2 Sprint Cup winner at Sha Tin... @zpurton #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 30, 2025 There is likely to be a spot available for this October's A$20 million (HK$98.5 million) The Everest, with reports on Wednesday suggesting Star Entertainment will relinquish its A$700,000 slot. Ka Ying Rising's trainer, David Hayes, said in February that 'going forward I think Hong Kong sprinters will target The Everest because it's a logical race for them'. For Engelbrecht-Bresges, increased Australian participation in Hong Kong's flagship meetings – the Hong Kong International Races in December and April's Champions Day – would be a key pillar of any negotiations. 'In general, we discuss with multiple partners how we can create more international events,' said Engelbrecht-Bresges. 'If you could create links between a certain event in Australia and events here, then I think we could develop an ecosystem. 'I am optimistic that probably in the next six or seven weeks we will have a clear path around how we can globally work more strongly together, especially with Australia because Australian sprinters are a must [in Hong Kong's big races].' Hayes has long said he'll wait until after Ka Ying Rising's final run of the season before he gets serious about slot negotiations, with the world's best sprinter set to conclude his 2024-25 campaign in the Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m) on April 27. Team Romantic Warrior nears final hurdle Romantic Warrior has hardly put a foot wrong during one of the most audacious overseas raids ever launched by Hong Kong connections, and with him every step of the way have been a group of Danny Shum Chap-shing's staff who wouldn't have missed it for the world. While many people have chipped in during the journey, which began in December, mafoo Chan Chung-yin and work riders Gary Lau Ka-tai and Andy Luk Wai-hin have been the mainstays. Some of Shum's staff have been on the road for nearly four months and they have ridden every bump of a journey that saw a blistering victory in January's Group One Jebel Hatta (1,800m) and a heartbreaking second in February's Group One Saudi Cup (1,800m) on the dirt. Victory in Saturday's Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) would provide the ultimate end to Romantic Warrior's Middle Eastern mission. 'They're all happy. They're looking forward to Saturday, then after two weeks quarantine they're looking forward to going back to Hong Kong,' said Shum. 'They've done a great job. As you can imagine, four months away from home is a big challenge for them. But it's a great experience.' The enormity of the efforts of the travelling brigade is not lost on jockey James McDonald, who has jetted in and out from Australia to partner Romantic Warrior. 'We can't thank them enough for the work they've put into this horse and they've left no stone unturned,' said the Kiwi. 'This is the last race of this little journey and hopefully all goes well.'
South China Morning Post
30-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
‘Foolproof' Ka Ying Rising makes it 11 straight with Sprint Cup rout
Ka Ying Rising is one win away from a perfect season after coasting to victory in Sunday's Group Two Sprint Cup (1,200m) at Sha Tin. Sent off the shortest price of his career at $1.05, Ka Ying Rising tracked leader California Spangle in the run before powering to his 11th win on the bounce and seventh success of the campaign. 'He runs those times with ease,' said trainer David Hayes after Ka Ying Rising stopped the clock at 1:08.18 – about a length inside standard but well short of his own track record of 1:07.2. 'He's just got this group of horses covered and I knew he was in peak form. 'The way he looks and the way he's behaving, he is improving his manners – clearly his ability has been there the whole time. UNSTOPPABLE! 🤯 11 straight wins for world's best sprinter Ka Ying Rising as David Hayes' star is an emphatic G2 Sprint Cup winner at Sha Tin... @zpurton #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 30, 2025 'He's developing into a more foolproof horse. Today he took the sit. He doesn't have to lead – he's all right with a sit and he's all right leading, so he's a beauty.' Back in the saddle for the first time since fracturing his toe in a race fall on February 9, jockey Zac Purton let Ka Ying Rising go upon straightening before easing him to a three-length victory over Helios Express, who ran second to the sprint sensation for the fourth time running. 'It's nice to come back and ride a horse like him. He's a pleasure to do anything with, he's really relaxed going to the gates and behind the gates now. He just does everything you want him to do,' said Purton, who finished the afternoon with a treble after also saluting aboard La Forza for Jamie Richards and Another World for Benno Yung Tin-pang. 'The leader today didn't go as fast as I was hoping he would go. I travelled a bit stronger than I would have liked and with the extra weight on his back, I didn't want to sit around and wait for the others, so I sent him for home early and he just let him do what he does. 'He was always cruising and he didn't give us a moment of worry and that's the good thing about him.' Ka Ying Rising will chase a fourth Group One win in the Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m) on April 27, while he can also complete a sweep of the Hong Kong Speed Series after victories in the Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) and Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m). 'Even Zac's starting to acknowledge the horse's ability now. He took a while but he's really starting to say that he's quite special, which he really is,' said Hayes. 'This was a stepping-stone race, where he had to give five pounds, and the next one is set weights and it's his grand final. 'There's a HK$5 million bonus for the [Speed Series] and, of course, it's an international sprint. 'It's what he's been set for the whole year and if he achieves it, it's the perfect season. Eight wins – not many horses have done that. 'He'll have an easy trial 10 days out from the race. Whether we have it at Conghua or Sha Tin will be decided, but he will certainly go up to Conghua and enjoy the facilities. He just recovers between runs so well.' Ka Ying Rising would draw level with Lucky Sweynesse and Beauty Generation on a record eight wins in a season should he snare the Chairman's Sprint Prize, where he is likely to face a rematch with Japanese speedster Satono Reve after that galloper, who finished third in December's Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m), took out Sunday's Group One Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m) under Joao Moreira at Chukyo.
