Stepping out of the shadow of greatness: Dennis Yip finds a softer target for Fast Network

In Hong Kong racing – particularly in the sprint division – there is no escaping greatness.

Ka Ying Rising’s dominance has left a group of quality horses racking up minor placings as the sprint king’s winning streak extends into uncharted territory.

The recent G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup over 1400 meters was Ka Ying Rising’s 18th consecutive win, passing the all-time record for consecutive wins set by Silent Witness 21-years ago.

Fast Network has been stuck in the wake of Ka Ying Rising at his last three starts and, rather than run for minor money again, trainer Dennis Yip Chor-hung opted against the Group 1 for an easier assignment.

“He is just too good,” trainer Dennis Yip Chor-hung said at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. “My horse is very good but you just can’t beat Ka Ying Rising.”

Horses that have filled the placings behind Ka Ying Rising in Hong Kong rarely get the luxury of avoiding him. In the four Group races since his return from conquering The Everest, three Hong Kong horses have filled the placings behind Ka Ying Rising – Fast Network, Helios Express and Raging Blizzard – and now Fast Network becomes the first of them to step out of that shadow, with a decision on a possible Al Quoz Sprint run looming in the coming week.

This Sunday, Fast Network gets one of those rare opportunities – and a bonus booking of Ka Ying Rising’s regular jockey Zac Purton – in the Class 1 Essex Handicap over 1,200m for horses rated 85 and above.

“He would have been entered in this race even if we were going or not, so we have him ready for this,” Yip said. 

The race shapes as a useful test of the Ka Ying Rising form line. In Hong Kong, that form is rarely put under the spotlight because high ratings and the local race pattern leave limited opportunities for his best rivals to get away from him.

Realistically, it often takes either a Class 1 or Class 2 with an extended ratings band and top weight – as Beauty Waves proved when he followed his seventh in the Sprint Cup by winning a Class 2 for horses rated 80–105 at his next start. The other option is the late-season Group 3 Sha Tin Vase under handicap conditions, where Helios Express was rewarded last year after seven straight placings to Ka Ying Rising.

In Australia, the Everest form was quick to stack up. Runner-up Tempted, the Ciaron Maher-trained three-year-old filly, returned from a spell to win the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes at Randwick before landing her first Group 1 in the Surround Stakes. Third-place getter Jimmysstar has done the same, taking the Russell Balding Stakes before the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes.

To read The Standard Racing Guide PDF version click here.