Ka Ying Rising, Lucky Sweynesse 1-2 in Hong Kong Opener

Champions did what champions do in the feature event as the Hong Kong Jockey Club opened its 2025-26 season at Sha Tin Racecourse Sept. 7. Reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Ka Ying Rising (NZ) and reigning jockey champion Zac Purton made short work of the HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup Handicap, seizing command midway down the lane en route to a 2 1/4-length victory over Lucky Sweynesse (NZ), both of whom are ticketed for overseas assignments. Ka Ying Rising notched his 13th straight win. Purton won five races on the program to jump-start his quest for a ninth jockey championship. And, speaking of reigning, Mother Nature got in on that theme. The race was contested in a windy downpour but that didn't prevent Ka King Rising from finishing the 1,200 meters (about six furlongs) in 1:07.63, just shy of his own course record of 1:07.20. Given the conditions, his 135-pound impost, and the fact that Purton had him eased for the last little bit, the performance was a fitting bon voyage for trainer David Hayes' superstar. Ka Ying Rising will go directly to quarantine to prepare for a trip to Australia and a shot at The Everest (G1) Oct. 18 at Royal Randwick. That 1,600-meter sprint offers a purse of AU$20 million (about US$13.2 million) and is billed as the richest turf race on the planet. Lucky Sweynesse, a four-time group 1 winner in 2023, seemingly showed enough to further plans to send him to Japan for the Sprinters Cup (G1) at Nakayama Racecourse Sept. 28. He had been sidelined with an injury since April of 2024. The Opening Day feature confirmed his connections' observations that Ka Ying Rising had not only maintained, but actually improved, over the seasonal break. "To carry that weight against those horses at that speed first-up and do what he did, it's probably the equal of any performance he's put up, I think," Purton said. "That's what we wanted before we get on the plane and go down to Sydney." Purton said Ka Ying Rising even corrected his one major flaw—switching leads at random during a race. With unexpected pressure halfway through, he had to put forth a little extra burst of energy, "which was not what I wanted." "I wanted to have him traveling within himself, but what it did—because he'd used a bit more energy midrace—he actually changed his leg for the first time in a long time when he came into the straight. Hopefully it's taught him something. "When he did that, I thought 'Game over!' and away he went." Hayes said he had been saying privately he, too, thought Ka Ying Rising had improved during the break, but he wanted to see it on the racecourse. "The worry with this prep was running with 135 (pounds) at the start. But I didn't want to go six months between runs, first-up in an Everest. Now I know we've got him there, we just maintain him and he holds form for a long time this horse. "He's a pretty good traveler and I'm very confident traveling him," Hayes said. Despite the despicable weather, the opening program drew a crowd of 43,259, including John KC Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said the opener "was a celebration of an outstanding talent. It is amazing what Ka Ying Rising does. Having this as the first race meeting, I thought it was the perfect start of the season."