Ka Ying Rising got the final stamp of approval from trainer David Hayes ahead of his flight to Australia for The Everest (1,200m) after cruising through an early morning gallop at Sha Tin on Friday.
The reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year took to the turf under the cover of darkness at 3.30am and dazzled once again, barely breaking a sweat in his final hit-out ahead of a Sunday flight to Sydney.
Hayes kept a close eye on his superstar and was suitably impressed with what he saw from the five-year-old, who reappeared with a dominant win in the Class One HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1,200m) at Sha Tin this month.
“He worked the course proper on the rail and Zac will be pleased that he did change legs,” said Hayes. “It was a good piece of work, it looked like he finished off in about 11.5 [seconds] doing it very easily – when he came back he wouldn’t have blown a candle out.
“I’m pleased to report that we weighed him and he’s thriving, he was 1164lb this morning and he raced at 1150lb, so that’s a good sign and he’s got a bit of wiggle room to go to Australia. Usually they drop about 10lb when they travel, so he’ll be right on his racing weight when he gets there.
“I’m pleased we ran him in the Chief Executive’s Cup – he’s up 15lb or 20lb from last year but he won, so he’s got a new benchmark winning weight which we can work with. If we hadn’t run him, I would have been in the back of my mind, ‘is he too big and heavy?’.”
Hayes will be keeping a close eye on Saturday’s Group Two The Shorts (1,100m) at Randwick, with three of Ka Ying Rising’s main rivals – Private Harry, Briasa and Joliestar – tuning up for the A$20 million (HK$102 million) The Everest on October 18.
Ka Ying Rising will be travelling with quite the entourage on Sunday, with Hayes keen to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.
“It’s very exciting, he’s getting the rock star treatment. He’s travelling with his vet, his farrier, his riding boy, and my assistant trainer is going down to make sure everything goes smoothly when he walks into quarantine. We’re not leaving any stone unturned.”
Zac Purton was not on board for the early morning salvo, but the eight-time champion jockey was buoyed by a positive report from Hayes ahead of their date with destiny.
It is almost impossible to faze the 42-year-old, but the occasion is not lost on him, with the run having significant importance to Hong Kong racing.
“David was very happy, he liked the way that he stretched out and liked the way he pulled up,” said Purton. “He’s ready to get on the plane now and go.
“It’s been a big build-up, nearly 11 months in the making. It’s exciting to go down there and represent Hong Kong where I’ve been riding for nearly two decades.”
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