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South China Morning Post
23-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hayes family dreams of international Group One double with Ka Ying Rising and Mr Brightside
One of Australian racing's greatest family dynasties is dreaming of a famous international Group One double with superstar sprinter Ka Ying Rising and nine-time Group One winner Mr Brightside at Sha Tin on Sunday. Three generations of the Hayes family have built an imposing legacy over 78 years, with the Lindsay Park name a constant force in Australia's biggest races. But on Hong Kong's second-biggest meeting of the year, Ben Hayes – who trains Mr Brightside in partnership with brothers Will and JD – said winning the Champions Mile and their father David claiming the Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m) with Ka Ying Rising would be an unmatched feat for the famous family. 'If we're able to get the dream and they both win, it will probably be the best day Lindsay Park and our dad have ever had together,' Ben Hayes said. 'It's very unique. We get to have a Group One runner on the same day as our dad.' The late Colin Hayes started the dynasty when he launched his training career in South Australia in 1947. In a 43-year career, he prepared 5,333 winners – including 524 Group and Listed winners – and was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. His son David took the reins of Lindsay Park in 1990 at the age of 28 and made an immediate impact, which led to the opportunity to train in Hong Kong in 1996. In his first stint in the city, David won two championships, and a Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) and Hong Kong Derby (2,000m), before returning to Australia in 2005. David became the first trainer in Hong Kong's professional era to return to train in the city in 2020, with Lindsay Park left in good hands with his nephew Tom Dabernig and eldest son, Ben. In 2023, Ben was joined in a training partnership by twin brothers Will and JD, and Mr Brightside quickly established himself as the trio's flag-bearer. Mr Brightside has often been considered for a trip to Hong Kong but finally makes his international debut on Sunday, bidding to add to his strong record, which includes 19 wins and a close second to Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior in the Group One Cox Plate (2,040m) at Moonee Valley. 'From a travelling point of view, couldn't be happier with the way he's settled in,' said Ben Hayes, who spent many of his formative years in Hong Kong along with his brothers during David's first stint in the city. 'We feel he's heading in the right direction heading into Sunday.' In one of the strongest editions of the Champions Mile in recent years, Mr Brightside takes on the likes of Hong Kong's star miler Voyage Bubble, fellow Australian galloper Royal Patronage, Classic Mile hero and Hong Kong Derby runner-up My Wish, and Japan's Gaia Force. 'It is a strong race, but he is a nine-time Group One winner. He deserves to be here and if you look at his record, he's always around the mark,' Ben Hayes said. 'Obviously the favourite [Voyage Bubble] is going to be very hard to beat. One thing in our advantage, I know this track drains very well but he will get a track with give. 'If he gets a track with give, he improves. If you look at his wet-track record, he's nearly undefeated, so that would give us more confidence. If we get a barrier where he can take a sit, that would give us confidence again. We're very happy with him.' Top Australian jockey Craig Williams will ride Mr Brightside, while Ka Ying Rising will be a raging favourite to notch a 12th consecutive victory in the Chairman's Sprint Prize. The Hayes family will be represented in all three Group Ones on Champions Day, with David's Classic Cup (1,800m) winner Rubylot set for the QE II Cup (2,000m).
South China Morning Post
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Size assembles four-pronged assault on Ka Ying Rising: ‘it's hard to doubt him'
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.
