Ka Ying Rising Named 2024/2025 Hong Kong Horse of the Year

[Wandering Eyes]

The world's highest-rated sprinter, Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) scooped a trio of titles including Horse of the Year at the Hong Kong Champion Awards at the Rosewood Hotel in Hong Kong on Friday night. The 4-year-old gelding also earned the title of Hong Kong Champion Sprinter and Hong Kong Champion 4-Year-Old at the ceremony.

Running in the colours of the Ka Ying Syndicate, Ka Ying Rising was undefeated during his 2024/2025 season with eight wins in eight trips to the post for David Hayes. His final seven starts of the campaign occurred exclusively in group company. After posting wins in G2 Premier Bowl and G2 Jockey Club Sprint in October and November, the 2023/2024 Hong Kong Champion Griffin won the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint a month later. He kicked off 2025 right were he left off, with victories in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup in January and the 1400-metre G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup in February, his only start not at his pet 1200-metre distance. After a win in the G2 Sprint Cup at the end of March, his season finale was a score in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize in April. In the last-named race, he increased his winning streak to 12 races, and also swept the Hong Kong Speed Series, good for an HK$5-million bonus.

Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) is the 2024/2025 Hong Kong Champion Miler and Champion Stayer and is only the second horse to sweep the Hong Kong Triple Crown. Trained by Ricky Yiu for the Sunshine and Moonlight Syndicate, the bay finished first or second in all seven starts this season with five wins, four at the highest level. A winner second up in the G2 Jockey Club Mile, he struck in the G1 Hong Kong Mile, the G1 Stewards' Cup, and the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup in succession before missing by just a short head in the G1 Champions Mile. He ended his season with a 3 1/2-length win in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup in May.

Horse of the Year in 2023/2024, Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) spent most of his season traveling, but still managed to take his two local starts, good for his fourth straight Hong Kong Champion Middle-Distance Horse title. Successful in the G2 Jockey Club Cup, the Danny Shum charge struck in the G1 Hong Kong Cup in December before a trio of overseas runs. In Dubai, the G1 Jebel Hatta went the way of the Peter Lau Pak Fai colourbearer over the winter, and he ran a pair of close seconds thereafter–in the G1 Saudi Cup in Riyadh, and in the G1 Dubai Turf back at Meydan.

The Mark Newnham-trained My Wish (Flying Artie) was named the Most Improved Horse. He started his campaign rated 54 and, after four wins, two seconds and two thirds in nine starts, rose to a mark of 105. He landed the Hong Kong Classic Mile in January, and was second in both the Hong Kong Classic Cup and Hong Kong Derby.

As expected, Zac Purton was crowned Hong Kong Champion Jockey for the eighth time. Over the racing season, he reached 1,800 wins Hong Kong, breaking Douglas Whyte's mark. In addition, he scored his 700th and 1,000th wins at Happy Valley and Sha Tin, respectively.

The remaining seasonal award–Most Popular Jockey, Most Popular Horse, Hong Kong Champion Trainer, Champion Griffin and Tony Cruz Award–will be announced in the coming days.

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