Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
So brilliant taking out Sunday's Sha Tin feature, the G2 Premier Bowl, Kai Ying Rising has a nice link to Mr Brightside; the third dam of each horse being full sisters; daughters of Sir Tristram (Ire) and the wonderful matriarch Taiona (NZ) (Sovereign Edition {Ire}).
Also winner of the G3 Sha Tin Vase in June, named the 2023/24 Champion Griffin, Kai Ying Rising is one of Taiona's 18 stakes winning descendants and come December he vies to become her eighth Group 1 winner.
Kai Ying Rising | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Sovereign Red (NZ), Grosvenor (NZ), Trichelle (NZ) (Sir Tristram), Foxwood (NZ) (Centaine), Mercurial (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) and Purple (Commands) being the others.
Big things ahead
Kai Ying Rising has big things ahead; Hayes hoping to win a second G1 Hong Kong International Sprint having taken out that rich contest in 2002 with All Thrills Too (St Covet).
Heading to that race via the G2 Jockey Club Sprint on November 17, Kai Ying Rising is building an impressive record. Yet to finish out of the quinella in eight starts, he has won six times with five of those wins coming when ridden by Zac Purton who noted that the 4-year-old “gets better every start.”
Zac Purton | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“He is handling the pre racing thing a lot better, standing in the gates better,” he told the HKJC. “He is a really intelligent horse and he always had that race under control, it all went pretty smoothly. Hopefully this is the start of a really exciting journey.
“He (Kai Ying Rising) is a really intelligent horse and he always had that race under control, it all went pretty smoothly. Hopefully this is the start of a really exciting journey.” - Zac Purton
“He is a very special horse,” David Hayes said.
“We put him away earlier this year with the plan right through being to get him to December. Physically he still has improvement in him, he is getting stronger.”
Noting that his trials had been good without being spectacular, Hayes said that “he races better than he trials, he trials at a different level. A lot of good horses do that.”
“He (Kai Ying Rising) races better than he trials, he trials at a different level. A lot of good horses do that.” - David Hayes
“He is bred to run a mile and he has the manners to run a mile,” he added, keen for Kai Ying Rising to tackle the Hong Kong four-year-old series next year, not ruling out a crack at the HKG1 Derby.
Close to track record
Not pushed out to win by 1.5l in 1.07.57 seconds, Kai Ying Rising went close to the track record of 1.07.50 held by Sacred Kingdom (Encosta De Lago).
One of the 13 stakes winners for his G1 Newmarket H.-winning, Windsor Park Stud-based sire, Kai Ying Rising was bred by Grandmoral Lodge Racing.
He is the first of sadly only two foals for the metropolitan-placed five-time winner Missy Moo (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) who died young in 2022, her only other foal a yet to be named Turn Me Loose (NZ) 3-year-old.
His win was one of three on the card for David Hayes who also cheered home Youth Power (Ity) (Blu Constellation {Ity}) to his first Hong Kong success at his 16th attempt. He is out of a half-sister to the Group 1-placed G3 Taranaki Cup winner Fortune Knight (GB) (Compton Place {GB}).
Hayes also teamed with Zac Purton to win with Master Mastermind (Deep Field) who has now won two in a row from seven starts.
Bred by Supreme Thoroughbreds, the $225,000 purchase for Lindsay Park Racing at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale is out of the multiple city winner Khalama (Starspangledbanner) who sadly died recently having foaled a Russian Camelot (Ire) colt.
Bred on a 3 X 3 cross of Encosta De Lago, he hails from the family of Saturday's Everest contender I Am Me (I Am Invincible) and the high-class stallions Royal Academy (USA) and Storm Cat (USA).
A treble for Purton
Purton added a third win to those two; later in the day successful aboard the Francis Lui-trained Packing Hermod (Rubick). An exciting type who has won his first three starts, the G1 Hong Classic Mile bound 4-year-old overcame a tricky gate to win in easy fashion.
Packing Hermod | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Bred in Victoria by Bird Rock Thoroughbreds, he was secured by Hong Kong Bloodstock and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) for $300,000 at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
He is out of the unraced Black Tulip (Lonhro) whose five named foals are all winners including the Listed Spirit Of Boom Classic winner Niedorp (Not A Single Doubt) and the stakes placed four-time Hong Kong winner Galaxy Witness (Star Witness).
Recently foaling a Home Affairs colt, she is a half-sister to the G2 Moonee Valley Vase winner Hanks (Encosta De Lago) out of a half-sister to the US Champion 2YO Colt and successful stallion Dehere (USA).
Andrew Williams was a fan of Packing Hermod from the start, telling us that “I called him a bit of a busy yearling, he was always up and about!”
“But he was a really good colour, good shape, had lovely depth of girth, a good action and bone. He was a very athletic individual. His only negative was that he was a busy horse but that was probably just a maturity thing and he is coming into himself now.”
Mark Newnham was in the winner's circle on two occasions, both times with horses breaking their Hong Kong maidens. He struck early in the second race with Win Speed (NZ) (Vespa {NZ}) and later in the day with Bravehearts (Arg) (Cityscape {GB}).
Win Speed was bred by J and I Bloodstock Ltd and is a son of the winning mare Leica Glory (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) who hails from the same branch of the the prolific 'Leica' family as the Macau star Luen Yat Forever (Honours List {Ire}) whilst Bravehearts was crowned the Champion Turf Male and Stayer in Argentina in 2022/23.
The double took Newnham to fourth position in the trainers premiership with 11 wins for the season.
“It's been a very good day,” he told the media, “I'm just trying to keep up with Hayesy!”
Further Australia success
Another Australian in John Size, who has called Hong Kong for over two decades, was represented by a winner; teaming with Brenton Avdulla for success with the lightly raced Majestic Express (I Am Invincible).
Another horse enjoying Hong Kong success for the first time, he raced in Australia as Souttar; having three starts (the first two as a colt) for the Brad Widdup stable, winning a Kembla Grange maiden in smart fashion before heading to Hong Kong in December last year.
Bred by Cunningham Thoroughbreds and Boutique Thoroughbreds, he is out of the Moonee Valley winner Unassailed (Fastnet Rock), also dam of the two-time Group 3-placed triple city winner Shalailed (Shalaa {Ire}).
She is a three-quarter sister to the Listed Heatherlie H. winner Great Esteem (Redoute's Choice) and the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas winner High Esteem (Redoute's Choice) from the family of the Group 1 gallopers Central Park (Ire) (In The Wings {GB}) and Moon Ballad (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}).
Majestic Express was purchased by BK Racing and Brad Widdup Racing for $450,000 at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Another two Australia bred horses were in winning form, the Gerry Harvey-bred, Cody Mo-trained Patch Of Time (Written Tycoon) and the Gooree Park Stud-bred, Ricky Yiu-trained Green N White (Smart Missile).
Purchased by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for $360,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Patch Of Time again went through the ring at last year's Hong Kong Jockey Club Hong Kong International Sale; purchased by Yeung Kit Ming Angela for HK$5,600,000 (AU$1.07 million).
He is out of the two-time Canterbury winner Lady Gracious (Redoute's Choice). She is a a half-sister to the dual Group 1-winning sprinter Turffontein and her Listed Gibson Carmichael S.-winning daughter Affable (Husson {Chi}) is dam of the Listed Murray Bridge Gold Cup winner Agreeable (Sebring).
Ridden by Hugh Bowman, Green N White was purchased for $220,000 by A List Stud at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and by Ricky Yui with Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) for $325,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs In Training Sale.
Bred on a 4 X 3 cross of Royal Academy (USA), he is a full brother to the recent G3 Northwood Plume S. winner Aviatress out of the Newcastle maiden winner Twin Star Rocket (Bel Esprit) from the same prolific Dancing Show (USA) (Nijinsky {Can}) as Saturday's G3 Caulfield Classic winner Kingofwallstreet (Dundeel {NZ}).
The winner of four of his 11 starts in Hong Kong, Green N White is remembered by Gooree's Andrew Baddock as being “a big, strong colt and a great type who sold accordingly.”
“It does not surprise that he looks well above average!”
Also in winning form was the Caspar Fownes-trained Karma (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) who is doing a good job, successful at three of his last four starts since April.
Bred by DD and LM Kerr and LM Moore, he was passed in on a reserve of $75,000 at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
He is out of Lovingthelimelight (USA) (Lemon Drop Kid {USA}), also dam of the Group 2-placed Hong Kong winner Enrichment (Teofilo {Ire}) from the family of the US Champion 2YO Chief's Crown (USA).
