Trainers David Hayes and Mark Newnham are confident their leading Hong Kong International Races hopes are in fine fettle as they put the finishing touches on the preparations of Ka Ying Rising and My Wish, respectively.
Ka Ying Rising will be bidding to record his 16th consecutive win when he lines up in Sunday’s Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint, while My Wish will look to collect his first top-level success in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile.
Hayes said Ka Ying Rising will just need to “stay out of trouble” to get to the race in tip-top shape.
“He’ll be working on his own [Tuesday] morning,” Hayes said. “It won’t be strong work and he just needs to stay out of trouble this week.”
Ka Ying Rising blew his rivals away in the Group 2 Jockey Club Sprint last month on his first run back in Hong Kong following his monumental victory in the Group 1 The Everest in Australia.
“I think he’s going as well as he’s ever gone,” Hayes added. “He’s a bigger and stronger unit than last year. It’s quite amazing to think that he’ll be in a Group 1 with very good horses and the second favorite could be 20-1 - you just don’t see that.”
“[Helios Express] is a very good sprinter in his own right, there’s Breeders’ Cup form and the Japan number one so it won’t be a walk in the park, but the market says it will be.”
While Ka Ying Rising will be looking to continue his reign as a Group 1 superstar, Newnham’s My Wish will attempt to get his hands on his first top-level success after he failed to cope with a red-hot tempo in last month’s Group 2 Jockey Club Mile.
The five-year-old, who jumped as the 1.4 favorite, finished a length back in fourth under Luke Ferraris.
“He’ll do a little bit of work on Tuesday but he’ll have his main gallop on Friday,” Newnham said. “He’s perfect. He had a gallop on the grass on Saturday and he worked fantastically, so he’s in good shape and we’re looking forward to it.”
