Ka Ying Rising Claims Top Spot in First World's Best Racehorse Rankings of 2026

Hong Kong's David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising has been confirmed as the world's top-rated racehorse after the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities released the first Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings of 2026 on March 12, covering performances from January 1 through March 8.

The New Zealand-bred son of Shamexpress earned a rating of 128, four points clear of stablemate city rival Romantic Warrior, after a blistering start to the season that included back-to-back Group One victories at Sha Tin Racecourse. Ka Ying Rising opened his campaign with a 1 1/4-length win over Helios Express in the Centenary Sprint Cup, then demolished that same rival by 3 1/2 lengths in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup on February 22, a performance that also shattered the track record by six-tenths of a second, clocking 1:19.36. It was his eighth Group One success and sixth win of the current season.

That February 22 victory was his 18th consecutive win, breaking a 21-year Hong Kong record previously held by Silent Witness, who set the benchmark in 2005. With the rating of 128, he stands as Hong Kong's highest-rated racehorse in history. Jockey Zac Purton was aboard for the record-breaking run in front of a packed Sha Tin crowd.

Romantic Warrior, trained by Danny Shum Chap-shing, holds second place with a rating of 124 after two dominant performances of his own. The Irish-bred gelding opened 2026 with a 1 3/4-length victory over Lucky Sweynesse in the Stewards' Cup, then returned to win the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup by four lengths over Ensued. His placement means Hong Kong-trained horses occupy both the top two positions in the global rankings, the first time the city has achieved that distinction.

Japan's Forever Young, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, sits third at 123. The rankings committee designated him the highest-rated dirt horse in the world following his February 14 Saudi Cup victory, where he defeated Nysos by a length to claim the race for the second consecutive time in what was his seasonal debut.

Royal Champion, trained in Great Britain, takes fourth at 122 after winning the Neom Turf Cup on the same Saudi Arabian card, beating Facteur Cheval by 4 3/4 lengths. Rounding out the top five is American-trained Nysos at 121, whose Saudi Cup runner-up effort was enough to lead all U.S.-based horses in the standings.

The rankings are compiled by the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee and take into account the quality of opposition and prize money from elite races within the specified performance window. The next edition will incorporate results through the spring, a stretch that will test whether Ka Ying Rising's streak and rating can withstand the competition on the global circuit.