What injury scare? Ka Ying Rising breaks Sha Tin track record by a second in 21st consecutive victory

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Ka Ying Rising's midweek injury scare feels a distant memory after the world's leading sprinter shaved a second off the track record at Sha Tin in a truly dominant return to action.

The six-year-old was reported to have bruised his hind foot in the week after kicking a concrete feed bin, but his trainer David Hayes said on Thursday he was "totally clear" to make his eagerly anticipated comeback in the Group 3 HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup Handicap at Sha Tin's season-opening fixture on Sunday.

In a performance that will have sent shivers down the spines of any connections targeting next month's The Everest in Sydney, Ka Ying Rising dominated proceedings under Zac Purton to effortlessly pull seven and three-quarter lengths clear of Copartner Prance, completing the six furlongs in 1min 6.11sec.

He had previously set the six-furlong track record at Sha Tin in April with a time of 1min 7.12sec, but bettered that in his 21st consecutive victory.

Zac Purton and Ka Ying Rising after their latest winCredit: Wallace Yeung (Hong Kong Jockey Club)

Hayes said: "When the Class 5 ran a good time in race one, I thought the record's within reach. Zac basically eased him down last year in the same race. He let him run to the line today and he hasn't been let run to the line many times, and of course he smashed his own record. You don't see that very often, by a second. 

"It just adds more relevance to the win. There could be people out there saying he beat nothing, but they're well-rated horses. They just don't look it when they race him."

Ka Ying Rising has long been aimed at his defence of The Everest at Royal Randwick on October 17, and before his injury scare, Hayes had ominously warned "he's bigger and stronger than he's ever been" and "I still think we have another season of improving".

Purton said: “He’s got improvement, there’s no doubt about that, so that’s why I gave him a bit of a push to give him that blow.

“We’ve got to try to bring him on for The Everest, but he handled himself really well and changed his leg; that’s what I liked.”

Ka Ying Rising is expected to go into quarantine imminently to prepare for his trip to Australia and the A$20 million (£10.7m/€12.4m) race. He won it by a length and a quarter last year having been sent off the evens favourite.

David Hayes: trainer of Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying RisingCredit: Wallace Yeung (Hong Kong Jockey Club)

Hayes added: "Last year we nursed him and he won brilliantly. That was a better win today and he had more of a hit out. We just had him far too fresh arriving in Sydney.

"I don't like to change much when they win like that, so we'll just continue with a little more base work, and that's holding him in better stead for when he arrives mentally. It's more about mentality with him; that he's not too fresh."

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