Hong Kong sensation Ka Ying Rising was recognized as the world’s equal top sprinter in the 2024 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.
The David Hayes-trained speedster shared the top sprinter title with America’s Cogburn and Australia’s I Wish I Win, each of them given a rating of 121.
Hong Kong’s newest equine superstar lowered his own track record at Sha Tin on Sunday with a dominant victory in the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200 meters).
Ka Ying Rising stopped the clock at 1:07.2 seconds, more than two-tenths of a second faster than his own track record set in November last year.
Meanwhile, nine-time Group 1 winner Romantic Warrior has also been acclaimed as one of the world’s elite horses, ranking joint-fifth in the overall rankings.
Romantic Warrior, the world’s highest-earning racehorse in history, achieved a career-high international mark of 125 to rank equal fifth with Calandagan, Do Deuce, Fierceness and Sierra Leone.
Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising were among 12 Hong Kong horses to achieve a mark of 115 or higher.
Voyage Bubble (120), California Spangle (119), Straight Arron (118), Beauty Eternal (117), Lucky Sweynesse (117), Beauty Joy (116), Galaxy Patch (116), Victor The Winner (116), Helios Express (115) and Invincible Sage (115) were also named among the world’s best.
Hong Kong Jockey Club chief executive officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges hailed the success of Hong Kong racing, saying that it has “again performed incredibly.”
“The achievements of Romantic Warrior, in particular, fill Hong Kong with pride and his efforts to win Group 1s in three separate racing jurisdictions is simply outstanding,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
“Starting out as an unraced import, Ka Ying Rising has surged through Hong Kong’s always competitive sprint ranks to stand as our premier sprinter with his incredible performances,” he added.
Meanwhile, eight of Hong Kong’s elite races have been included in the 2024 LONGINES World’s Top 100 Group 1 races.
Hong Kong’s tally places the SAR sixth overall behind Australia, Great Britain, Japan, the United States and France but ahead of Germany, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.
“With eight of our 12 Group 1 races in the World’s Top 100 G1 races, the enduring quality of Hong Kong’s racing has again demonstrated,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
The club’s executive director in racing Andrew Harding also said the 2024 Longines Hong Kong International Races held on December 8 was an international success.
“International racing continues to showcase the very best of Hong Kong,” said Harding. “The 2024 LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings and World’s Top 100 Group 1 races amply reflect the outstanding quality of Hong Kong racing.”
Romantic Warrior (File Photo)
Ka Ying Rising (File Photo)
