Ka Ying Rising breezed through his latest trial - it is a crying shame we are robbed of access to similar workouts in Britain

Ka Ying Rising looked sharp when limbering up for his seasonal reappearance on Sunday. 

The world’s best sprinter powered away from ten horses in a trial over Sha Tin's five furlongs, with his regular rider Zac Purton not for a second required to alter his customary motionless position. 

The video instantly gained traction and sparked conversation on social media, with fans invigorated ahead of his reappearance in next week’s Chief Executive’s Cup. Is it possible he could be even better this season? 

We will soon find out and while the trial cannot provide a reliable answer, it nevertheless provided an opportunity for the public to see him in action and make their own assessments on his wellbeing.

On this occasion he strutted his stuff as expected, but that was not necessarily the case in a trial at Randwick before his Everest success. He failed to change his lead leg when desired and looked under increased pressure on the more testing surface.

It would prove no barrier to success for David Hayes's star, showing how reading too much into these exercises can be dangerous, but punters were still given the chance to see how he would handle a new set of conditions.

They are taken for granted in many jurisdictions, but trials – or jumpouts as they are referred to in Australia – can be hugely informative for punters while also drumming up enthusiasm ahead of the big days. 

They may not exist in America, but fans still have access to times and information from on-track workouts, and if a big-hitter is in the process of preparing for a big race then a camera will never be far away.

James McDonald is thrown off Via Sistina in a morning gallop at Moonee Valley in 2024Credit: Scott Barbour

It may have happened in a publicised course gallop rather than a trial, but a recent example of morning work adding intrigue and drama to proceedings came in 2024 when Via Sistina tripped and unshipped James McDonald at Moonee Valley. 

Pictures of McDonald sat on the deck in disbelief soon spread like wildfire and the fact Via Sistina was able to overcome the incident and win just days later was testament to her temperament (and the hard work of trainer Chris Waller and his staff) and made the result even more remarkable. 

Another star sprinter to be put through her paces last week in Australia was the multiple Group 1-placed filly My Gladiola, who scythed through the soft ground at Sandown (no, not that one) in eyecatching style.

The handy thing about trials is they often include horses of similar talent and while you cannot account for the varying levels of fitness on display, the ease with which she passed the triple Group 1 winner Giga Kick was notable. 

The grey will have another trial before turning up in the Moir Stakes next weekend, which provide another handy guide, and is earmarked for a trip to Royal Ascot next year. Given the recent exploits of Asfoora, it could be prudent to remember her name.

While the video from Sandown did not show any spectators, the same cannot be said for Ka Ying Rising at Sha Tin, who drew a crowd that would dwarf any midweek meeting in Britain. 

The best horses can still draw physical presence in the digital age, just as we saw when Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien were inundated with autograph requests when City Of Troy galloped at Southwell before his Breeders' Cup Classic bid in 2024.

It is a bugbear of mine that more is not made of regular workouts in Britain, especially when they happen on track, with the public often left in the dark or to take things as a matter of trust for no real reason.  

Trials are increasingly being used to prepare juveniles in the run-up to Royal Ascot yet only those in close proximity have any idea what happens, while the ordinary Joe is no longer permitted to attend the gallops morning ahead of the Derby. 

This lack of transparency is not only a needless shame but represents an missed opportunity for the sport to sell itself.

Recommended reading

I consider myself to have a decent eye for racing history, but I confess I had not heard of the horse Lexington until a few weeks ago. 

The legendary American racehorse was introduced to me via Geraldine Brooks’s excellent novel Horse, which was demolished in a matter of days while on holiday recently. 

While the book is a work of fiction, it borrows generously from the true story of Lexington, who flourished under the enslaved black workforce in the antebellum period. 

Brooks is a Pulitzer prize winner who brings to life the story of Lexington with a clever contemporary twist, and I would strongly recommend it to any racing enthusiast.

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