'He's in his golden era' - Ka Ying Rising could provide cheer amid tragic backdrop at Sha Tin

Many of the biggest names in global racing have again descended on Hong Kong for its lucrative international meeting at Sha Tin. Beneath the surface of this celebration of some of the year's standout thoroughbreds, there is a sad undertone, with the city still recovering from a major tragedy.

Last month, a deadly fire broke out and engulfed seven of the eight high-rise buildings in an apartment complex in the Tai Po district, killing more than 150 people. It prompted three days of mourning and has led to the Hong Kong Jockey Club scaling back plans for the biggest day in its calendar.

Measured against such a devastating event, the action on the track is trivial, but sport has long been a source of comfort and catharsis. That was the case in 2003, when the breathtaking performances of local champion Silent Witness provided some distraction amid the Sars outbreak.

There is a parallel on Sunday when thousands of racegoers can cheer home another sensational sprinter in Ka Ying Rising, the world's fastest racehorse, bidding for back-to-back victories in the Hong Kong Sprint, one of four Group 1s at the meeting.

The five-year-old has dominated the division domestically and scaled new heights in the Everest at Randwick in October, his first start outside of Hong Kong. He is a long odds-on shot to win again from stall one, and the talk this week has not been about whether he will win, but just how emphatically.

His jockey, Zac Purton, described him as a Rolls-Royce who breaks his rivals' hearts by taking them out of their comfort zone. He also drew praise from Ryan Moore, who partners his main challenger in Japan's Satono Reve. "Ka Ying Rising is exceptional," he said. "He's going to be very hard to beat because he does everything right. He won the Everest when he probably wasn't at his best and we all saw what he did back here a few weeks ago."

Zac Purton celebrates after winning the Everest on Ka Ying RisingCredit: Jeremy Ng (Getty Images)

Trainer David Hayes – who left the door ever so slightly ajar to the possibility of Ka Ying Rising travelling to Royal Ascot towards the end of his career – is preparing Ka Ying Rising like a prize fighter with a "strict daily routine" and believes he could, ominously for the competition, be getting even better.

"I think he's in his golden era," he said. "Last year he was a bit immature but this year he's a bigger, more powerful horse. We felt going into his last race that he was at a level he's never been and visually it looked that way. He nearly smashed the course record while being eased down. Unless he makes a total blooper coming out of the gates, the draw has to be a huge advantage. The shortest way home is the rail and he's the fastest horse in the world."

There are about 1,300 horses in training in Hong Kong, which makes the fact two genuine world-beaters are around at the same time even more remarkable. However, such is the anticipation surrounding Ka Ying Rising and the potential for fireworks that the world's highest-earning racehorse, Romantic Warrior, has not received quite so much attention ahead of his bid to become the first to win four races at this meeting in the Hong Kong Cup.

The seven-year-old has flown the flag abroad for Hong Kong, earning more than £22 million in prize-money and striking at the top level in Australia, Japan and the UAE, while also narrowly missing out to Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young in a thrilling Saudi Cup before finishing second in the Dubai Turf. He arrives in winning form following a Group 2 success last month, his first appearance for 232 days following surgery to an injured fetlock.

Romantic Warrior: a winner on his comeback at Sha Tin last monthCredit: HKJC

Romantic Warrior faces six rivals, including Prix Jean Romanet winner Quisisana for Francis Graffard, bidding for his first winner at the meeting after breakthroughs in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and at the Breeders' Cup this year. The trainer is also represented in the Hong Kong Vase by 2024 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Goliath, one of several European contenders headed by last year's winner Giavellotto for Marco Botti.

The six-year-old will be partnered by Andrea Atzeni, who was on board when he finished fourth in the Arc last time. "In his early days, I remember hitting the front on him at York and he hung left – he was very immature," said the Hong Kong-based jockey. "In Europe, he never won by very far, so I was actually surprised to see him pull that far clear here last year. He's just a different horse now. He's matured mentally and he's got quicker with age."

Given the market suggests last year's winner Voyage Bubble is the one to beat in the Hong Kong Mile, taking on the likes of The Lion In Winter for Aidan O'Brien and Royal Ascot winner Docklands, there is a possibility the results could be a repeat of last December. With the challenge issued to the rest of the world, Hong Kong has the opportunity to flex its muscles with not one but two of its greatest champions in Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior.

Read more:

'You're always looking for the next one' - Francis Graffard bids to end sensational year on a high in Hong Kong 

'It's definitely going to be a learning curve' - Dylan Browne McMonagle on kick-starting 2026 with Hong Kong stint 

'I never feel like he's going to lose - he gives you that much confidence' - James McDonald relishing Romantic Warrior's bid for Hong Kong history 

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