Hong Kong’s Ka Ying Rising cemented his place as racing’s best sprinter with a dominant victory in the world’s richest turf race, The Everest, in Sydney on Saturday, a moment trainer David Hayes called “the biggest thrill in my life”.
The 5-year-old star became the first overseas horse to claim the title, earning A$7 million (HK$35 million) in little more than the minute it took to cover the 1,200 metres at Royal Randwick.
His 14th consecutive victory, but a first outside Hong Kong, took Ka Ying Rising’s career prize money past HK$100 million, and jockey Zac Purton described the Group One triumph as his “single biggest moment”.
Afterwards, owner Leung Shek-kong suggested his horse, who is expected to fly back to Hong Kong early next week, would defend The Everest crown in 12 months’ time.
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO, called it an “absolutely phenomenal” win, which confirmed the horse’s status “as a global champion”.
“Ka Ying Rising’s triumph in Australia has solidified his status as a world-class sprinter and reaffirmed Hong Kong’s leading position on the international racing stage,” Engelbrecht-Bresges added, while also pointing to the dominance of Romantic Warrior.
