Ka Ying Rising's Easter return
The world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) will be out to land a record extending nineteenth consecutive win when he lines up in the Gr.2 Sprint Cup at Sha Tin on Easter Monday.
While the pressure will still be there for trainer David Hayes and jockey Zac Purton, it won’t be as onerous as what they’ve already been confronted with this season.
“I think David Hayes summed it up well when he was talking to me the other morning,” Purton told Racing.com.
“He felt like The Everest was a lot of pressure and it was, especially with how he trialled leading into the race and how he carried on at the barrier trial. It was a new experience for him, and we were against horses that we hadn’t really matched up against before.
“There was a bit of pressure involved there and then more recently when he was trying to break Silent Witness’ record; you were so close, you were there, you just needed to do it. We didn’t want anything to go wrong and fortunately, he did what he always does, he takes bad luck out of play and puts himself in the right spot.
“He got the job done and broke the track record in the process.
“There’s going to be pressure with every race, but I think the two main goals for the season have been ticked off. As David said, one day he will get beat, hopefully he doesn’t but one day he will and at least we’ve done what we wanted to do. We’re going to try to preserve and keep him going for as long as we can.
“Hopefully, we can keep winning.”
For Purton, the fear of defeat and potentially contributing to that result is always there but it’s not one that appears to occupy too much space in his mind.
“There’s that thought in every race, right, but especially when you’re riding a horse like him,” he said.
“As long as he keeps doing everything right; handling himself well on raceday, beginning well, putting him in the right spot, then it’s up to him to keep performing at the level that we need him to.”
Ka Ying Rising will face six rivals in Monday’s Gr.2 Sprint Cup, his lead-up run before he finishes his season in the Gr.1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize on April 26.
The race marks his first taste of competition since breaking Silent Witness’ record in the Gr.1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee in February.
“I’ve been on him a few times at trackwork, I rode him (Tuesday) morning and I’ve been on him in the barrier trial as well,” Purton said.
“I’ve been around him but just not on raceday. He’s a lovely horse to sit on, I always enjoy my time on him. He’s going well, it’s not a big field, there’s a bit of speed in it, barriers will be important.
“Obviously, we just want to get him out of the gates nice and cleanly, allow him to take his normal spot and let him do his thing, but I’ll be excited to have him back to the races.”
The Sprint Cup is one of two Group Two events on Monday’s Sha Tin card. Purton will also partner Fast Network (NZ) (Wrote), who is avoiding Ka Ying Rising and trying his luck over 1600m in the Gr.2 Chairman’s Trophy.
