Ka Ying Rising captures The Everest, cementing his status as the world’s top sprinter

The Hong Kong superstar, trained by David Hayes, powered to an authoritative victory at Randwick, Australia, extending his winning streak to 14 consecutive triumphs

Ka Ying Rising is a true running machine / WHR

RANDWICK, Australia (Special for Turf Diario).—The global turf scene has a new king among sprinters: Ka Ying Rising. The phenomenal Shamexpress colt confirmed all the expectations—and more—by capturing The Everest (G1) with authority, the world’s richest turf race, held this Saturday at Randwick, Sydney. With a purse of A$20 million (over US$12 million), the race gathered the best sprinters from this part of the world, and it was there that David Hayes’ charge once again proved himself a true superstar.

With Zac Purton aboard, the 5-year-old notched his 14th consecutive victory and 15th in 17 starts, marking his first run outside Hong Kong. None of that seemed to faze him: Ka Ying Rising ran with composure, authority, and crossed the finish line with the dominance of a genuine champion.

“It’s without a doubt the greatest thrill of my life,” said a moved Hayes. “These have been the longest 10 days I can remember. The last world champion I trained was Better Loosen Up (Loosen Up), and now I have another. There have been many good horses in between, but these two are absolute stars.”

The Australian trainer, a figure who made history in both his homeland and Hong Kong, admitted he had some pre-race concerns: “I worried about saddling him; if he got nervous, it could affect his performance. But when I saw he was calm, I knew he’d run huge. If he hadn’t won, it would have been a big disappointment because everything was set for him to shine.”

Purton, the regular rider and partner in 13 of the horse’s 15 victories, also praised the magnitude of the achievement: “Having a champion like Beauty Generation (Road to Rock) was already incredible. But now I have another… and probably better. He had a perfect race. Overpass (Vancouver) set the early pace, but my horse didn’t let him go. He beat me in a trial, and I told David that wouldn’t happen in the race. We delivered.”

The final time of 1:08.13 was brilliant, confirming that Ka Ying Rising not only dominates at Sha Tin but can do so on any track worldwide. His campaign and international rating of 126 place him, without question, as the best sprinter on the planet today.

Randwick also featured other notable moments. In the King Charles III Stakes (G1), the British runner Lake Forest (No Nay Never), from William Haggas’ stable, disappointed, finishing last of twelve, while stablemate Sam Hawkens (Galileo), favorite for the St Leger (G3), managed only seventh.

Meanwhile, at Caulfield, history was made: Jamie Melham became the first woman to win the Caulfield Cup (G1), guiding Half Yours (St Jean) to victory under the training of Tony and Calvin McEvoy, father and son, who shared one of the most thrilling days of their careers.