Ka Ying Rising Stars in Hong Kong Season Opener

The focus of opening day of the Hong Kong Jockey Club's 2026-27 season Sept. 6 at Sha Tin Racecourse rests firmly on Ka Ying Rising (NZ), rated the joint No. 1 horse in the world and winner of 20 straight races. The 6-year-old gelding targets a third win in the Chief Executive's Cup (G3) as a prelude to defense of his title in The Everest (G1) Oct. 17 in Australia and showed he's ready to resume action with an easy barrier trial win Aug. 30 under regular rider Zac Purton. "It was nice," Purton said. "He jumped out well, he cruised along. He just did enough to tick him over for his race next week. He's pulled up in pretty good shape. For where he is at the moment, we're happy with him." That assessment gave over to a brief scare a day later, as the Hong Kong Jockey Club's rigorous veterinary regimen diagnosed bruising in the gelding's left hind foot and ordered fitness monitoring. Only a day later, that cloud lifted and Ka Ying Rising was pronounced good to go. "I think he kicked his concrete feed bin and bruised his hind foot," trainer David Hayes told HKJC media staff. "He was definitely sore on Monday. But Tuesday, Wednesday and today he's been perfect. He's had Doppler scans, CT scans and an X-ray, so he's totally clear." Ka Ying Rising spots each of his five rivals 20 pounds, which is nothing new for him. And, while his connections certainly are keen to keep the win streak streaking, the 1,200-meter (about 6-furlong) race itself is a warmup for another assault on The Everest, Australia's marquee sprint and the world's most valuable grass race. Australia specializes in top-shelf turf sprinters, but Ka Ying Rising led home the lot of them in the 2025 Everest even though Hayes said his star wasn't nearly at his best. "Visually, it was his worst performance of the season, but he still won by a length and a half and didn't have the whip on him. I think this year, hopefully, Australians can see him at his best, and we're doing everything we possibly can to have him at his best," Hayes said. The gelding currently shares the top spot in the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings with Ombudsman (IRE), but Ombudsman's fourth-place finish, beaten 4 3/4 lengths, in the International Stakes (G1) at York Racecourse could shake up the rankings at the next update. The Hong Kong season extends to June. The big dates are Dec. 13 with the traditional four group 1 Hong Kong International Races on the Sha Tin program, and Champions day April 25, with three group 1 events. Five more group 1 races are slotted throughout the season. The Hong Kong Derby is scheduled for March 21.