07 April 2026
Ka Ying Rising posts 19th straight win
Zac Purton and David Hayes were left to scramble for adequate superlatives after Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) continued an imperious reign with a phenomenal display of speed and power to win the HK$5.35 million Gr.2 Sprint Cup (1200m), notching a fourth Sha Tin track record with a record-extending 19th successive victory on Monday.
Breaking the Sha Tin 1200m mark for the third time with a searing gallop of 1m 07.12s – despite running the first 300m of the race into the teeth of blustery southerly wind and being eased down late – Ka Ying Rising (128lb) conceded 5lb to six rivals before sweeping to a four-and-a-quarter length margin over Helios Express (123lb) and Raging Blizzard (123lb).
Continuing an amazing season, Ka Ying Rising followed his record-breaking gallop of 1m 19.36s in the Gr.1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) on 22 February with an equally extraordinary effort today, prompting Purton to describe the display as “right up there” with the finest of the five-year-old’s towering performances, as he lauded Ka Ying Rising’s devastating acceleration as his “best” yet.
Settling second behind Stellar Express (123lb), Ka Ying Rising clocked 21.47s between the 800m and 400m with successive splits of 10.75s and 10.72s before Purton asked the world’s highest-rated horse in 2026 to lengthen stride.
Responding with a scorching 10.45s burst to the 300m, Ka Ying Rising spreadeagled the field to lead by almost 10 lengths before Purton allowed the gelding to cruise to the line over the final 100m, improving his overall record to 20 wins from 22 starts.
“It (the win) is right up there, for sure,” Purton said. “The way the track is today with the strong headwind down the back straight and every horse that’s been uncovered around the circle – he was on the fence, but he had nothing outside him – has just fallen in a hole. That wind has really gassed them,” Purton said.
“So, he had to absorb that, and I suppose a few other horses had to as well, but things were there to try and unsettle him a little bit with the extra weight to carry, as well, coming back in distance but he’s just different.”
Asked if Ka Ying Rising, who first shattered Sacred Kingdom’s longstanding 1200m track record of 1m 07.50s with a gallop of 1m 07.43s and then bettered it again two starts later with a time of 1m 07.20s, could have gone even faster, Purton said: “I wasn’t out there to run time today.
“Of course, Stellar Express ran along and that set it up and I just got my horse into a lovely rhythm, and he let down so beautifully. It’s the best he’s accelerated at the top of the straight, so it was there for him to do it (run even faster), but I wasn’t looking for him to do it.”
Hayes believes Ka Ying Rising’s maturity is a key in his continuing development.
“Just behind the gates and everything he does, he's taking it in so well, and to saddle him up he's a quieter horse. He's just really maturing and it's been a golden year this year, but I think that he'll have another one next year,” Hayes said, addressing a defence of the world’s richest sprint The Everest (Gr.1, 1200m) at Royal Randwick in Sydney, Australia after his 2025 victory.
“I think he'll be a better horse when he goes down for The Everest,” Hayes said.
“We’ll just keep on doing what we're doing because it's working so well. It's not stressing our horse and we're hoping to have him for another couple of seasons, especially one more at the top, and he's nearly two and a half years undefeated.
“Zac’s words, he said, ‘I think he's getting better’. He just said ‘he loves taking a sit, if they go fast, he's a better horse. The faster they go, the better he is’, those were his words.”
Unbeaten since February, 2024, Ka Ying Rising will attempt to claim a second Hong Kong Speed Series sweep – and bonus of HK$5 million – with victory in the HK$24 million Gr.1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin on 26 April. - Hong Kong Jockey Club
Further Australian targets for James and Wellwood
New Zealand Derby winner Road To Paris (NZ) (Circus Maximus) has come through his exertions in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) well, in which he finished seventh behind runaway winner Green Spaces.
The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained son of Circus Maximus returned to New Zealand on Tuesday and will now enjoy a well-deserved break.
“He has come through the run extremely well,” James said. “The weather on raceday was probably a lot worse than what you might have recognised on television.
“They had 18mls of rain after scratching time and then about race three we had a huge downpour again. They were still running time on the track, but Zac (Purton, jockey) came back and said he was all at sea in the ground so that was a shame really.”
Although beaten on this occasion, the Kingsclere trainers will be back in Sydney soon enough with last-start Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) heroine She’s A Dealer (Ace High), to target some Australian black-type.
“All going well, she is going to go across for a run on the 18th in a Group Three race at Randwick, the Japan Racing Association Plate which is a 2000m quality handicap,” James said.
“She is looking for a 2000m now and there is an option for her at Te Rapa a week later (Gr.2 Travis Stakes) but the advantage of being able to get some Australian black type is pretty important for her now.”
Lightly tried five-year-old Sweynesday (NZ) (Sweynesse) is also being readied for Australian targets.
The winner of 6 of his ten starts to date, Sweynesday was a last-start winner of the King’s Plate (1200m) on Champions Day at Ellerslie, having previously been placed in the Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1200m) behind Jigsaw.
“He will go through Sydney, probably have a run in the Takeover Target (Listed, 1200m) at Gosford on the way as a lead-up run to the Stradbroke Handicap (Gr.1, 1400m).
“I think the Stradbroke is an ideal race for him. Talking to the handicapper he is going to get in with around 51 kilos, so 1400m and that sort of weight, it just looks a good race for him. It’s never easy to win a Stradbroke but he is probably going to strike it at just the right time.”
Meanwhile, James was pleased to see promising three-year-old filly Solid Gold (NZ) (Savabeel) shed her maiden tag at start number five when successful over a mile at Ellerslie on Saturday. A return to that venue on April 18 will determine whether Queensland is on the radar for the daughter of Savabeel, who is a full sister to Gr.1 Australian Derby winner Major Beel.
“Solid Gold is a filly that we have held in high regard for a long time. She’s a big girl but she put it together nicely on Saturday.
“She will go to the Trelawney Stud Championship Stakes (Gr.3, 2100m) at Ellerslie and if she is able to acquit herself well, we will probably consider a Queensland program for her
“She is a sister to a Derby winner, and she has always looked a staying filly in the making.”
On a wet day at the Ellerslie trials on Tuesday, James was pleased to see stakes-placed Per Incanto two-year-old Spellbound (NZ) (Per Incanto) salute over 1100m in comfortable fashion.
“I think he is a Guineas type of horse,” James said.
“He showed plenty in the spring when he was very uneven in his growing and we put him aside.
“He has grown quite a lot, but he has still got a lot of growth ahead of him and he will be a gorgeous horse in the spring going a mile.” - NZ Racing Desk
Lucky Sweynesse returns to prominence with Chairman’s Trophy triumph
Rejuvenated miler Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) triumphed for the first time in 729 days on Monday by defying a brave My Wish (Flying Artie) in the HK$5.35 million Gr.2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) at Sha Tin for jockey Derek Leung and trainer Manfred Man.
Lucky Sweynesse broke from barrier 10 as Chancheng Glory led with Storm Rider. Positioned behind the pacesetters, Lucky Sweynesse peeled three-wide turning for home, hitting the front at the 250m as My Wish surged late. Triple Crown hero Voyage Bubble was third, while Galaxy Patch found fourth place.
The former Hong Kong Champion Sprinter (2022/23) Lucky Sweynesse – making only his second start over 1600m – was sidelined for more than a year due to a left fore fetlock injury found following his 2024 HK$5.35 million Gr.2 Sprint Cup (1200m) win.
Man said: “He makes me feel surprised. When he was young, he was a sprinter, but now as a seven-year-old, he can go to one mile. This horse is very fit, and we are lucky in this race that we had two horses go to the front. He stayed behind the leaders and he ran very comfortably – the horse did very well.”
Lucky Sweynesse’s initial attempt over a mile came in January’s HK$13 million Gr.1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) when he was second to 13-time Group 1 winner Romantic Warrior. Leung has partnered the horse in his past seven races, including his most recent second to Ka Ying Rising in the HK$13 million G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m).
Leung said: “I’m very happy. I need to thank the owners – Mr Cheng and his family for their support, and also the trainer. The team looks after the horse very well.”
Lucky Sweynesse was initially purchased out of Woburn Farm’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale by J & I Bloodstock for $90,000.
He had two trials for New Zealand trainer Shelley Hale, winning over 900m at Ellerslie before his subsequent sale and export to Hong Kong.
Four-time Group One winner Lucky Sweynesse – who clocked 1m 33.65s this afternoon a short head in front of race favourite My Wish – next targets the HK$24 million Gr.1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m), where he could face internationals Jantar Mantar and Docklands.
“He’s (Derek Leung) ridden him a few times – he knows the horse. This time the horse was a 100 per cent fit. In my lifetime, this horse is the perfect one, and we’ll keep his training normal – his age is seven – so I don't want to push him too hard,” Man said. - Hong Kong Jockey Club
Dennis Ryan
NZ Racing Desk
New Zealand Bloodstock
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