Top honours for Ka Ying Rising

Six-time Group 1-winning sprinter Ka Ying Rising has been crowned Timeform’s Horse of the Year (2025). Trained by David Hayes, last season’s Hong Kong Horse of the Year (2024/25) also earned the accolade as Timeform’s Champion Sprinter (2025).

A record-breaking phenom, Ka Ying Rising has earned HK$122.57 million and has won 17 of 19 career starts, including 16 in succession – equal to Golden Sixty’s record and one shy of Silent Witness’ all-time record in the city (17).

According to Timeform, New Zealand-bred Ka Ying Rising had five individual performances where he rated 130 upwards last year when he collected five Group 1 wins and two in Group 2 – all part of his 16-race unbeaten streak, which he puts on the line in next week’s (Sunday, 25 January) HK$13 million G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin.

“He’s the best horse I’ve trained and he’ll be the best horse I’ve seen if he keeps going the way he is,” Hayes said. “His best attributes are his high-cruising speed and his ability to lengthen at the business end of his races.”

Ahead of his second consecutive HK$28 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) success last December, the five-year-old’s HK$3.72 million Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) win at Sha Tin under Zac Purton earned him the unmatched Timeform rating of 135 to claim top spot for the year.

Conceding nine pounds to second-placed Group 1 winner Lucky Sweynesse, Ka Ying Rising lumped 135lb to first-up victory on 7 September over 11 rivals – many of whom carried 115lb – before then travelling overseas, where he claimed the world’s richest race on turf at Royal Randwick in Sydney, Australia – the AU$20 million (approx. HK$101 million) G1 The Everest (1200m) – as the first foreign horse to achieve the feat.

Earlier in his career as a four-year-old in 2024, Ka Ying Rising won the HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m), remarkably lowering Sacred Kingdom’s 17-year 1200m turf track record at Sha Tin from 1m 07.50s to 1m 07.43s.

Over a month later in his first 2025 triumph, Ka Ying Rising then powered home in an extraordinary 1m 07.20s to land the Centenary Sprint Cup – leg one of the Hong Kong Speed Series – in what was the first of eight wins throughout the year.

Ka Ying Rising then claimed the Hong Kong Speed Series and the HK$5 million bonus with success in the HK$13 million G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) to round out his 2024/25 season in Hong Kong.

Mr Vitality (1995/96), Grand Delight (2002/03), Silent Witness (2003/04 & 2004/05) and Lucky Sweynesse (2022/23) have previously claimed the Hong Kong Speed Series. 

The remaining awards for 2025 saw Calandagan named Timeform’s Champion Middle-Distance performer on 133; Field Of Gold was Timeform’s Champion Miler on 127; Minnie Hauk was acclaimed Timeform’s Champion Filly/Mare on 127, while Trawlerman was Timeform’s Champion Stayer, also rated 127.

Founded in 1948 by Phil Bull, Timeform is a leading sports data and content provider based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.