Centenary Sprint Cup (Group 1)

Stewards’ Cup (Group 1)

HONG Kong featured two Group 1 races last weekend and the top sprinter Ka Ying Rising gained a “probably the best horse” he has trained praise from David Hayes after the four-year-old’s record-breaking win in the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (six furlongs) at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Ka Ying Rising lowered the track record for the second time this season, to secure his 10th win from 12 starts.

Against seven rivals, Zac Purton drove Ka Ying Rising from the stalls and crossed the field to lead Magic Control and Victor The Winner.

Rounding the home turn, Purton sent Ka Ying Rising into overdrive and the gelding responded with a blistering 10.59secs furlong before easing down to finish three and a quarter-lengths ahead of Helios Express, with Howdeepisyourlove a neck further back.

“He’s certainly the best sprinter I’ve had anything to do with and probably the best horse,” Hayes said.

“He’s quite freakish what he does. The last 100m today, Zac switched the engine off, so in the two track records he’s broken, he’s actually eased him down the last 100m or 80m.

Zac Purton said: “He’s right up there. He’s doing things that other sprinters haven’t done, winning with the ease he’s winning with, running the times, he’s running. He’s starting to become a really special horse.”

Ka Ying Rising had been a bit under whelming in winning the Grade 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint in December by half a length in his slowest time of the season.

“They went too slow in December and it allowed the horses to be too close, so today I made sure the man was going to take care of the boys,” Purton was quoted.

The Centenary Sprint Cup is the first leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series, and Ka Ying Rising will chase a HK$5 million bonus for the HK$13 million Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup on February 23rd and the HK$22 million Chairman’s Sprint Prize on April 27th.

Hayes is also ontemplating a tilt at Group 1 The Everest – worth a staggering AU$20 million - at Randwick, Australia in October.

Voyage defends Cup

James McDonald took riding honours with a treble on the day and the New Zealander claimed the HK$13 million Group 1 Stewards’ Cup over a mile on Ricky Yiu’s Voyage Bubble.

Hong Kong’s top miler claimed a second HK$13 million Stewards’ Cup.

With a smooth passage throughout, six-year-old Voyage Bubble settled behind leaders California Spangle and Beauty Eternal. Turning for home, Voyage Bubble quickly made ground to hit the lead two out.

“I reckon this is the best he’s felt since I’ve ridden him,” McDonald said. “He’s superb. He’s just bomb proof, jumps fast, puts himself in a good position and quickens.”

It was Voyage Bubble’s third Group 1 after wins in this race last year and last month’s HK$36 million Longines Hong Kong Mile.

The Deep Field gelding now boasts earnings of HK$77.87 million including a success in the 2023 BMW Hong Kong Derby.

The Stewards’ Cup is the first leg of the Triple Crown which carries a HK$10 million bonus on offer to any horse who can also win the HK$13 million Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup on February 23rd and HK$13 million Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup on May 25th.

“We’re going to give the Triple Crown a crack. Besides his Derby win, he was second to a very good horse (Romantic Warrior) in the Gold Cup last year. That’s a very good indication that he can go up to that distance no problem,” Yiu said.