Ka Ying Rising Extends Winning Streak to 21 with Record Run in Hong Kong

Ka Ying Rising started the new racing season in Hong Kong on Sunday in much the same manner that he finished the last one, cruising to victory as his rivals trailed far behind.

The horse of the year powered his way to a record-extending 21st straight win in the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup, a Group Three race with a HK$4.2 million purse.

Despite carrying 135lb in the 1,200m handicap, the David Hayes-trained star lowered the track record by 0.99 seconds and won by 7¾ lengths, laying down a marker for any rivals eyeing his The Everest crown next month.

Afterwards, Jockey Zac Purton said he had been interested to see what time the pair managed “because the track was very fast in a barrier trial here last week”.

“I sort of let him get into his rhythm and I asked him for an effort, so I just wanted to see where we’re at and obviously we’re in a good place,” Purton added.

Fans who had started gathering at Sha Tin Racecourse hours earlier roared the world’s best sprinter all the way home, as the sport’s almost two-month summer break in Hong Kong ended with live music, laughter, plenty of food and a guest performance from superstar Aaron Kwok Fu-shing.