Hong Kong's rising star: Ka Ying Rising; the journey from a $500 mare to the world stage

14 min read
Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) was already the talk of the town after his stunning record breaking victory at Group 2 level at Sha Tin three weeks ago and he is now a deserved Group 1 winner having shone at Sunday's Hong Kong International Race meeting. The Thoroughbred Report had a chat with his trainer David Hayes, his jockey Zac Purton and his breeder Fraser Auret.

Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club

It has been a fun sight at racetracks over the last few decades watching David Hayes enjoy his racing. He has maintained a passion for the sport he was born to shine in, right from the Better Loosen Up (Loosen Up {USA}) days through to his current (second) stint in Hong Kong.

Racegoers have seen him cheer his winners home with joy and passion, something his sons at Lindsay Park are also known for, making them great ambassadors for our sport.

But on Sunday at Sha Tin there was a lack of that usual obvious enthusiasm with David Hayes admitting that the experience of saddling up Ka Ying Rising at such a short price in one of Hong Kong's biggest races was challenging.

“It got to me,” he admitted, “so there wasn't a lot of jumping about!”

“I've never had a horse go out at 10's-on in a Group 1 before, the expectations were so huge, it was a lot of pressure, I actually felt numb.”

“I've never had a horse go out at 10's-on in a Group 1 before, the expectations were so huge (for Ka Ying Rising to win the G1 Hong Kong Sprint), it was a lot of pressure, I actually felt numb.” - David Hayes

And the pressure was on during the race as well, Ka Ying Rising having his concentration disturbed by another horse rearing in the gates, leading him to be slightly slowly away. From there he made his way to sit outside the leader, last season's Hong Kong Champion Sprinter California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner).

And soon he had another horse, the longshot Victor The Winner (Toronado {Ire}) on his outside, leading to Ka Ying Rising wanting to over race which had Hayes concerned.

“The thing about this horse is how he relaxes,” Hayes said about the 4-year-old who at his previous outing in the G2 Hong Kong Jockey Club Sprint had smashed Sacred Kingdom's (Encosta De Lago) long-held record for the 1200 metres.

On that occasion he travelled sweetly throughout but “everything went a bit wrong” on Sunday.

Which adds considerable merit to the performance of the still relatively inexperienced horse who went into the race, against the big guns from around the world, at only his 11th start.

A much more explosive horse

“I think if he'd been able to relax you would've seen a much more explosive horse,” Hayes noted, adding that those in the know immediately approached him to discuss just how good a win it was.

“Douglas Whyte came up to me and said, 'Only a good horse can do that,'” Hayes chuckled as he said that rider Zac Purton was “angry and disappointed” in the aftermath of the win.

“He knows the horse is so much better than the visual of that win,” he said, no doubt taking heart that a win can only be a let-down if a horse is exceptionally well-regarded.

“He (Zac Purton) knows the horse (Ka Ying Rising) is so much better than the visual of that win (in the G1 Hong Kong Sprint).” - David Hayes

As is the case with Ka Ying Rising who first came to the attention of Lindsay Park on the back of good jump-out form in New Zealand.

“The agent Michael Morais rang me and said there was a nice horse I should have a look at.”

Purchased by a Lindsay Park investment group, the son of the G1 Newmarket H. winner Shamexpress (NZ) headed to the Euroa stables where the Hayes boys formed their early impressions.

“They told me he was good enough for Hong Kong,” he recalled, agreeing with their assessment after watching vision of his Lindsay Park jump-outs.

Shamexpress (NZ) | Standing at Windsor Park Stud

The Euroa team had a few nice young horses in work at the time, Ben Hayes telling RSN Racing that “we thought he was our third best 3-year-old,” laughing as he added “We were bloody wrong!”

David first laid eyes upon Ka Ying Rising when he arrived in Hong Kong and the horse did not create a particularly memorable first impression.

'Not good, not bad- a bit plain'

“He was just a normal horse, not good, not bad, a bit plain to look at.”

But it was not long until the bay started to stamp himself as something above the ordinary.

“Once he got into his serious work, we knew he was a bit special,” Hayes said, remembering ringing his sons to say, “He isn't good, he is really good!”

“Once he (Ka Ying Rising) got into his serious work, we knew he was a bit special.” - David Hayes

Hayes has trained his fair share of high-class sprinters, and he is justifiably proud of having trained the first Hong Kong-based winner of the International Sprint as a Group 1 race when All Thrills Too (St Covet) saluted in 2002 having run third to Falvelon (Alannon) the year before.

He speaks fondly of such outstanding speedsters as Special (Habituate), Redkirk Warrior (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}), Miss Finland (Redoute's Choice), Nicconi, Primacy (Prego {Ire}) and Planet Ruler (Kaoru Star).

“I've had some great sprinters, but none of them were as good as this bloke,” he said, adding that his temperament is “perfect.”

“I've had some great sprinters, but none of them were as good as this bloke (Ka Ying Rising).” - David Hayes

With Ka Ying Rising bred by a small breeder by a stallion who currently stands at NZ$8000 (plus GST), Hayes loves the fact that “a good horse can come from anywhere.”

“That's the romance of racing. The four best horses I've had anything to do with; Dulcify, Better Loosen Up, Mr Brightside and this fellow could've been bought by anyone.

“There seems to be a theme with our best horses, they have all been plain types, that's the magic of racing,” said Hayes.

Gallery: Some of the high-class horses trained by David Hayes

“We did have one big, expensive horse who proved to be a great horse,” he continued, citing Zabeel (NZ), “but as good as he was, he wasn't as good as those four horses.”

Enjoying a quiet night with friends after the Ka Ying Rising's win, one which he described as “a relief,” Hayes was delighted with the way in which the horse recovered.

Pulled up a treat

“He pulled up a treat, he is the only horse who raced yesterday to have eaten up,” he said, looking forward to Ka Ying Rising's next big assignment, the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize in February. From there a trip to Australia beckons; “The G1 Everest is the race we are most focused on,” Hayes said.

“The G1 Everest is the race we are most focused on (with Ka Ying Rising).” - David Hayes

Ka Ying Rising is raced by the Ka Ying Syndicate which consists of some of Hayes' biggest supporters, something that gives him a great deal of pleasure; “racing with terrific people.”

He is also enjoying sharing the journey with Zac Purton with whom he has forged a good relationship.

“He has ridden a lot for me, it is always a pleasure to have him on our horses,” he said, recalling Purton's success aboard Mr Brightside in last year's G1 Doncaster H.

“He would be a top rider wherever he rode,” Hayes said.

Purton returns the respect, noting that “he is in the Hall Of Fame for a reason!”

Purton has been aboard Ka Ying Rising at all but one of his nine wins from 11 starts and is keen to see what the future holds, especially in regards to an Australian campaign.

“It would mean a lot to ride him back in Australia, I am excited and looking forward to it.”

“It would mean a lot to ride him (Ka Ying Rising) back in Australia, I am excited and looking forward to it.” - Zac Purton

He admitted to not being as happy as he'd anticipated with Ka Ying Rising's latest performance, noting that “it is hard to be disappointed winning a Group 1, but we were hoping for a bit more.”

“Maybe he peaked the start before and it was hard to reproduce that again, and there were the little things that went against us.”

As for where Ka Ying Rising sits amongst the best Purton has ridden, he remains cautious; “time will tell, but he has done a great job so far.”

David Hayes and Zac Purton | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club

Whilst Hayes and Purton look forward to a trip to Australia, Hayes is also excited about a horse undertaking the opposite journey, Mr Brightside due to venture to Hong Kong for next year's G1 Champions Mile in late April.

“I can't wait!” he enthused, adding that “I think it is the right race for him.”

“He is a beauty, the winner of eight Group 1 races and second in another six. I think he is underrated, that sort of record puts him in rarified air.”

The December races are harder, he said, for Australian-trained horses to win. “They come at the end of long spring and then they have to miss the autumn.”

Mr Brightside (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Mr Brightside and Ka Ying Rising linked by genetics

This is a link between Mr Brightside and Ka Ying Rising, the pair sharing the same fourth dam (their third dams being full sisters), the wonderful matriarch Taiona (NZ) (Sovereign Edition {Ire}) who belied her race record (a Yarra Glen maiden victory from 16 starts) with a superlative record at stud.

The dam of four stakes winners amongst her nine winners, she hit the ground running with her first two foals being multiple Group 1 winners; Sovereign Red (NZ) and Gurner's Lane (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}).

Gallery: Some of Taiona's (NZ) Group 1-winning progeny, images courtesy of Sportpix

Trichelle (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) was also an elite-level winner for her, and she is ancestress of another 14 stakes winners including Foxwood (NZ) (Centaine), Purple (Commands) and Mercurial (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}); all big-race winners with Ka Ying Rising her eighth Group 1-winning descendant.

Ka Ying Rising is the first of sadly only two foals for Missy Moo (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) whose second by Turn Me Loose (NZ) called Ka Ying Glory (NZ) is also in the David Hayes stable, currently in work without a great deal asked of him as yet.

As Hayes said, a good horse can come from anywhere and Missy Moo whose dam and grandam did not produce black-type performers, was secured by the Griffin Family Trust for just $500 at the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Sale.

She proved an astute investment, winning five races with her trainer Fraser Auret noting that she “was a really talented racehorse who had an issue which prevented her from every racing at her top.”

That issue was arthritis in a hind leg, an ailment that worsened as she carried her second foal.

“She was getting more and more lame towards the end of her pregnancy and putting her down was just the humane thing to do,” Auret said, adding that “with our horses, their welfare always comes first.”

He looked back at the time after her second foal where he would “brag about having bred two very nice correct colts, but what I would give now to have had a filly out of her!”

“(I would) brag about having bred two very nice correct colts (from Missy Moo), but what I would give now to have had a filly out of her!” - Fraser Auret

“I tried to find another mare from the family but when I looked up her dam Royal Rhythm, I found out that she'd had eight other foals and they were all colts. So sadly, that line is gone.”

A lovely mare

“She was a lovely, big, scopey mare,” Auret said of Missy Moo. “She had a bit of stamina in her pedigree, but she was at her best at the 2000 metres. She had a nice, relaxed temperament and a very good brain.”

With Missy Moo's owner deciding not to breed, Auret took her on; his very first broodmare venture. His parents had bred successfully for decades but he never really thought that it was his thing.

Fraser Auret | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery

“I always thought I was too impatient,” he laughed, “I preferred going to the sales and picking out what I wanted.”

His oldest son Milton, however, is at the age of just 11 the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association's youngest member, and Auret's chief breeding advisor!

“He is absolutely obsessed with racing. Whilst most kids have their books, he takes the stallion register to bed with him at night!

“I told him we'd prefer a horse standing at Windsor Park Stud as we've done a bit of business with them before, and we had actually sold a nice Shamexpress to Hong Kong in the past. Milton liked him and it seemed a logical mating, one that would put a bit of speed into the mare.”

Auret was impressed by Ka Ying Rising from day one. “He was lovely all the way through,” he said, laughing as he added “though I would not call myself a judge of a foal, being my first he just looked like a cute little fluffy thing to me!”

“He (Ka Ying Rising) was lovely all the way through, though I would not call myself a judge of a foal, being my first he just looked like a cute little fluffy thing to me!” - Fraser Auret

But a horse who started out an adorable hobby grew and grew nicely.

“He had a couple of smaller preparations like our horses do,” Auret recalled, patient as he gets them to the jump-out stage.

Taking the young horse 45 minutes down the road to Levin racecourse, Auret watched on as he won his first jump-outs in stylish fashion. On course on one of those days was Michael Morais, leading to the offer from Lindsay Park.

Never tested

Auret had not done a great deal with Ka Ying Rising at that stage. “He was never tested but everything he did he did so easily.”

“I could not put my hand on my chest and say this horse is going to be the best sprinter in the world one day, but I did know that he was a horse with untapped talent, he always had something up his sleeve. And those sort of horses don't come along very often.”

"I couldn’t say he’d (Ka Ying Rising) be the world’s best sprinter, but I knew he had untapped talent and always kept something up his sleeve. And those sort of horses don't come along very often.” - fraser Auret

Auret knows what a good horse is, having trained the winners of three Group 1 races; Julinsky Prince (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) taking out the G1 Windsor Park Plate and the G1 Captain Cook S. in 2015 and the following edition of the latter with Aide Memoire (NZ) (Remind {USA}).

Auret also sold Missy Moo's second foal to Lindsay Park and he is “excited to follow him as well.”

“He is a different type, bigger and taller with a longer action than Ka Ying Rising but he also showed heaps of ability.”

Auret has thoroughly enjoyed Ka Ying Rising's progression, looking forward to getting to Hong Kong to see him in action at some stage. He had hoped to be there on Sunday but “we are coming up to our busiest time of the year (he has between 40 and 45 horses in work), but we still really enjoyed watching the race on TV.”

And should Ka Ying Rising make it to The Everest? “We will be there!”

In the meantime, he is having another dabble at the breeding game though joking that “maybe I should quit while I'm ahead! You really couldn't script it any better, the first horse we bred being a Group 1 winner.”

“If being able to do so out of a mare who cost $500 is not something that inspires others to think they can do it, I don't know what would!”

Ka Ying Rising
David Hayes
Zac Purton
Fraser Auret
Sha Tin
HKIR
Lindsay Park
Mr Brightside
Shamexpress