\n\t\t\t\t\tBy Leo Schlink<\/b>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Listen<\/p>\n
Zac Purton has declared Ka Ying Rising\u2019s (Shamexpress) outstanding win in the HK$3.72 million (approx. AU$727,890) Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive\u2019s Cup Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday as the equal-best of the champion sprinter\u2019s stunning career.<\/p>\n
Extending his unbeaten streak to 13 wins, Ka Ying Rising brushed aside quality opposition under 135lb to triumph in 1m 07.63s \u2013 marginally outside his own track record of 1m 07.20s \u2013 despite being eased down by Purton as the gelding swept to his 14th win in 16 starts for David Hayes.<\/p>\n
The world\u2019s top-rated sprinter will enter quarantine tonight in preparation for a tilt at the AU$20 million The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 18 after easing to a two-and-a-quarter length victory over fellow four-time Group 1 winner Lucky Sweynesse (Sweynesse) and Divano (Brave Smash).<\/p>\n
\u201cTo carry that weight against those horses at that speed first-up and do what he did, it\u2019s probably the equal of any performance he\u2019s put up, I think,\u201d Purton said as the eight-time Hong Kong champion jockey advanced to a five-timer on the card.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s come back in really good order. I said to David before the race that he just looks a different horse. He\u2019s furnished really nicely and that\u2019s what we wanted before we get on the plane and go down to Sydney.<\/p>\n
After starting brilliantly from barrier four in steady rain, Hong Kong\u2019s reigning Horse of the Year settled second behind Bottomuptogether (Shamus Award), who surged from the 800 metres to the 400 metres in 21.33s to string out the field, ultimately playing into Purton\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt went fairly smoothly. If I could have had that run pre-race, I would have taken it,\u201d Purton said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got into a nice spot and Beauty Waves on my inside got fired up a little bit and got keen and Alexis [Badel, Beauty Waves]\u00a0 was looking to edge out, so I just felt my horse back on the bit and travelling, thinking about it.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then Bottomsuptogether went and it had my bloke having to chase him midrace, which was not what I wanted. I wanted to have him travelling within himself but what it did \u2013 because he\u2019d used a bit more energy midrace \u2013 he actually changed his leg for the first time in a long time when he came into the straight. Hopefully it\u2019s taught him something.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he did that, I thought \u2018Game over\u2019 and away he went.\u201d<\/p>\n
After equalling the weight-carrying record he set last season in the same race, Ka Ying Rising is the first horse to win the HKSAR Chief Executive\u2019s Cup twice.<\/p>\n
Hayes said: \u201cWe\u2019ve been saying privately that we think he\u2019s better than last year and I think that showed \u2013 the time he ran, the way he did it, the weight he carried. He\u2019s bigger and stronger and probably better.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s always physically been a backward-looking horse and now I think he looks like a complete sprinter. So, yeah, he\u2019s the best I\u2019ve had.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe worry with this \u2018prep\u2019 was running with 135 [pounds] at the start, but I didn\u2019t want to go six months between runs, first-up in an Everest. Now I know we\u2019ve got him there, we just maintain him and he holds form for a long time this horse. That\u2019s why he\u2019s a champion.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a pretty good traveller and I\u2019m very confident travelling him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sidelined since February with serious injuries after a race accident, Vincent Ho made a triumphant return on The Heir (Impending) in the Class 4 Mount Parker Handicap (1400m) for Caspar Fownes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels great after a long period of time, seven months and coming back is not easy,\u201d Ho said. \u201cCaspar always supports me and I\u2019m really grateful that he always sticks with me and he always has my back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Caspar knew I was coming back, he has supported me which is great. Everyone has helped me in these seven months \u2013 my family, the medical team, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the CEO [Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges] gave his patience and support, the physios, my coach, all the sports psychologists.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt tastes a lot sweeter to have a winner like this after the last seven months \u2013 all the hard work pays off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael Chang made a superb start to the new season, combining with Derek Leung to win the Class 5 Grassy Hill Handicap (1200m) with veteran You\u2019remyeverything (Holy Roman Emperor) before completing a race-to-race double with Purton aboard Perfect Peach (Sebring) in the Kowloon Peak Handicap (1600m).<\/p>\n
Purton\u2019s five-timer also included Manfred Man\u2019s Super Strong Kid (Brutal) in the Class 4 Lin Fa Shan Handicap (1000m), Jamie Richards-trained pair Groovy Feeling (Cable Bay) in the second section of the Class 4 Ma On Shan Handicap (1200m) and the progressive Bulb General (Embellish) in the Class 3 Lantau Peak Handicap (1200m).<\/p>\n
John Size and Brenton Avdulla teamed with Spicy Standard (Pierata) in the first section of the Class 4 Ma On Shan Handicap (1200m), Hong Kong International Sale graduate Markwin (I Am Invincible) returned in style with success in the Class 2 Tai Mo Shan Handicap (1400m) for Cody Mo and Harry Bentley, before Beauty Crescent (Acclamation) clinched the Class 3 Sunset Peak Handicap (1400m) for Tony Cruz and Angus Chung.<\/p>\n
Hong Kong racing continues on Wednesday with Happy Valley\u2019s season-opening meeting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Leo Schlink Listen Zac Purton has declared Ka Ying Rising\u2019s (Shamexpress) outstanding win in the HK$3.72 million…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":405657,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4107],"tags":[1071,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-405656","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-racing","8":"tag-racing","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115163950244626984","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=405656"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405656\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/405657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=405656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=405656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=405656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}