Ka Ying Rising posts 18th straight win, shatters Sha Tin 1400m record

Ka Ying Rising delivered a landmark performance in the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday, winning by 3 1/2 lengths in a course-record 1:19.36 to register his 18th consecutive victory and eclipse Silent Witness’ 17-win mark. The five-year-old bay, trained by David Hayes and ridden by Zac Purton, crossed the line with authority and left the previous 1:19.92 record, held jointly by Encouraging and Packing Hermod, 0.56 seconds in his wake.

The $13 million HK purse was on the line and Ka Ying Rising went to post at $5.30. He broke quickly from barrier three, jumped to sit second behind Copartner Prance, then accelerated decisively. Hong Kong Jockey Club sectionals republished by Canadian Thoroughbred showed a 1200m-to-800m split of 21.93 seconds and a blistering final 800m in 43.96 seconds, with successive 200m splits of 11.26, 11.07, 10.52 and 11.11.

This victory pushed Ka Ying Rising’s career tally to 19 wins from 21 starts after two narrow seconds as a three-year-old, according to HKJC material. He has been unbeaten since February 2024 and his 18-race streak includes eight Group 1 triumphs: the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint in 2024 and 2025, the Centenary Sprint Cup in 2025 and 2026, The Everest in 2025, the Chairman’s Sprint Prize in 2025 and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup in both 2025 and 2026.

The manner of the win drew superlatives. Bloodhorse described the race as almost an anticlimax because Ka Ying Rising “romped” and was “never really pushed by jockey Zac Purton.” Flashscore said that once Purton asked him to kick from the final bend, “no horse in a field stacked with group winners was able to live with his devastating turn of speed,” with Helios Express and fellow Group 1 winner Lucky Sweynesse among the beaten contenders.

Ratings and global standing remain a point of vigorous discussion. Racing Post awarded a career-best performance figure of 137 for the seven-furlong effort and declared Ka Ying Rising, by Racing Post Ratings, the best horse in the world. HKJC copy republished by Canadian Thoroughbred stated “He is rated the second-best horse in the world,” a difference worth noting when comparing ranking systems.

After the race David Hayes outlined a measured plan. “If we can place him conservatively, we hope to have him for another couple of seasons. That's really exciting,” Hayes said, adding that “He loves a month between runs, so we'll probably go for the Sprint Cup (G2) next (April 6) and then we don't have to train him too hard and babysit him into the Chairman's Sprint Prize (G1) on April 26. Hopefully we can get another clean sweep of the season again with The Everest in the middle.” Purton captured the sentiment of the stable: “He's just different. He's in a league of his own,” and added, “Let's hope he can stay in this form for another 12 or 18 months.”

The image at the course captured Zac Purton and David Hayes celebrating with owner Leung Shek Kong as the record bell tolled for an 18th straight victory, a sequence that has reset Hong Kong sprinting history and set a clear agenda for the spring campaign.