![Zac Purton celebrates winning The Everest on Ka Ying Rising [Bradley Photos]](https://betsy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2185574.jpg)
Two of Hong Kong’s most celebrated champions, Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising return to home soil on Sunday, headlining a blockbuster meeting at Sha Tin as they resume in the G2 Jockey Club Cup and G2 Jockey Club Sprint respectively.
What Hong Kong punters had long suspected came to fruition the moment Ka Ying Rising lunged clear at Randwick to win The Everest, confirmation that Hong Kong does indeed possess the world’s premier sprinter.
A legend is created! 🙌
Ka Ying Rising wins racing’s ultimate climb – the TAB Everest, and cements himself as the absolute best, giving a sold-out Randwick crowd absolute chills! 🏔️@zpurton @aus_turf_club @tabcomau @HKJC_Racing @WorldPool @WHR pic.twitter.com/TBBC7o2lyP
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 18, 2025
After a brief freshen, the David Hayes-trained gelding returns to Sha Tin for the G2 Jockey Club Sprint, a race that traditionally sets the table for December’s Hong Kong Sprint.
Although Sunday’s assignment is no exhibition. It’s a genuine contest, with former Hong Kong Champion Sprinter Lucky Sweynesse and triple Group 1 runner-up Helios Express taking their place.
Nonetheless, it would be a major shock if Ka Ying Rising were not to make it fifteen straight.
It’s been almost one year since Hong Kong’s middle-distance king stepped out at Sha Tin, as he readies himself to take on Voyage Bubble in the G2 Jockey Club Cup.
His overseas campaign last season epitomised his standing as one of the world’s best racehorses. He won the G1 Jebel Hatta commandingly, followed by narrow defeats in the Saudi Cup, beaten only by subsequent Breeders’ Cup champion Forever Young on dirt, and then a close second in the Dubai Turf.
At home, he has made the Jockey Club Cup his own, with two wins from the last three renewals. The race has traditionally been his stepping stone to the Hong Kong Cup, a race he has claimed for the past three years in succession.
Sunday’s Jockey Club features have always served as the final dress rehearsal before the international meeting. This year, they carry the added magnetism of their two star racehorses, returning from victorious stints abroad.
