Ka Ying Rising Seeks Historic 19th Straight Win in Sprint Cup

Eighteen wins. Zero defeats. No horse trained in Hong Kong has ever done what Ka Ying Rising has done, and on Easter Monday at Sha Tin, the five-year-old gelding goes to the gate again.

The HK$5.35 million Group 2 Sprint Cup over 1,200 metres is today's stage, and David Hayes and Zac Purton have pointed their record-breaking sprinter squarely at it. Ka Ying Rising draws from gate five under 128lb, facing six rivals in what amounts to a carefully managed step between a historic streak and its next major examination.

The streak itself is the story. Ka Ying Rising surpassed Silent Witness' long-standing Hong Kong record of 17 consecutive victories when he landed a second Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup at Group 1 level on February 22, stretching to 18 straight. Eight of those wins have come at Group 1 level. Among them: The Everest in 2025 in Australia, billed as the world's richest turf sprint. In March, the LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings confirmed what Hong Kong racing had known for months, posting Ka Ying Rising at the top of the global sprinting list.

Purton, who has steered the gelding through every victory of the streak, was measured but direct in the build-up. "I can't see why he can't continue to keep doing what he is doing," he said. "I just take every race as it comes and for him it's all the same, right? Hopefully, he handles himself on race day, gets out of the gates clean and gets himself into the right spot. If those things happen, then he does the rest."

The preparation has been deliberate. A 23-second maintenance gallop on the Sha Tin dirt course on March 30 kept the horse sharp without overextending him. Hayes and Purton have both noted Ka Ying Rising's maturity as a factor in his consistency, with Purton describing the horse as calm and composed through his preparations.

The Sprint Cup shares Easter Monday's public holiday card at Sha Tin with the HK$5.35 million Group 2 Chairman's Trophy over 1,600 metres, giving connections the added benefit of running against a quality field without the full pressure of a Group 1 target. If Ka Ying Rising handles the day cleanly, the next landmark is the Group 1 Chairman's Sprint Prize on Champions Day, April 26. A return to The Everest in the spring is also on Hayes' radar for the 2026-27 season.

The Dubai option, considered earlier in the season, was ultimately set aside. Purton later acknowledged it might have been a missed opportunity, though the decision has done nothing to divert focus from what remains a historic campaign by any measure.

Helios Express, drawn from gate four under Hugh Bowman, and Raging Blizzard from gate seven are among the six rivals who will attempt to end a streak that has already rewritten the record books. Whether they can is the only question left to answer on the Sha Tin turf today.