There are certain names in Hong Kong racing’s intensely competitive sphere that demand reverence. Silent Witness has long been supreme – the only horse to have a statue in place at Sha Tin racecourse – and close to him in veneration is Sacred Kingdom. Hong Kong’s racing fans love their sprinters.
There has been debate down the years about which was ‘the best’ of the two: who would win if they met in their prime. It’s an impossible argument to win, but it’s a natural line of debate in any sport. They were the two kings of Hong Kong’s sprinting realm.
But now there are three, Ka Ying Rising is on the same high plane as the two greats and even those who knew them best are hailing the new king.
Ka Ying Rising has already beaten Sacred Kingdom’s speedy track record for 1200m at Sha Tin, and then beaten his own mark since; and he’s only two wins shy of Silent Witness’s local record of 17 consecutive wins.
Tony Cruz, great jockey turned great trainer that he is, has seen plenty through six decades in the sport. He trained Silent Witness, then watched and tried to beat Sacred Kingdom, and is now doing the same with Ka Ying Rising.
“At 1200 metres, Ka Ying Rising is the one,” Cruz told Idol Horse as he leaned on his bicycle handlebars beside the Sha Tin sand yard.
Close by, Felix Coetzee stopped cycling and did the same. The man who rode the great Silent Witness in all his 29 races beamed excitedly as conversation turned to what Ka Ying Rising can do.
“He’s brilliant,” he said, “You can see the power when he runs, he’s incredible.”
Ricky Yiu has been in the game for as long as Cruz and he has long held the opinion – and made no secret of it – that Sacred Kingdom, the world champion he trained, would have beaten Silent Witness. But what about Ka Ying Rising?
“All these years since Sacred Kingdom, they try to compare, try to match Sacred Kingdom, and I always said ‘no chance,’” Yiu told Idol Horse.
“Some new young sprinter would come up through the grades – from Class 3, then Class 2 and then get to Class 1 and over 100 ratings points – the question comes up, could they match Sacred Kingdom? No chance, none.
“People just don’t know how good Sacred Kingdom was. After all these years none has compared, until now, and Ka Ying Rising comes up,” he paused. “Ka Ying Rising is a better horse than Sacred Kingdom. None of the horses until Ka Ying Rising came along could compare to him, then he broke his record. He keeps breaking his own record. He wins in the easiest style, hands down.”
Cruz takes a similar view but does not agree wholly. And it’s a distance thing.
“Silent Witness was untouchable at 1000 metres,” he said. “He was a really speedy type, very strong, muscular horse. Even bigger than Ka Ying Rising in weight, you can see.
“He had a very high cruising speed. There were horses that tried to take him on but they all ran out of steam, so I think the 1000 metres, he’d be unbeatable. But at 1200 metres, I think Ka Ying Rising is the one: he’s the best around at 1200 metres.”
Zac Purton is the jockey who has the privilege of riding Ka Ying Rising, the latest champion he has been associated with, following on from the great miler Beauty Generation.
“I wasn’t here to see Silent Witness, so it’s hard for me to get a proper understanding of what he was like,” the champion jockey said. “But Sacred Kingdom, he was awesome on his day. He needed a few things to go his way, he’d settle at the back of the field, needed the pace on, he needed luck in running.
“He was an incredible horse. The way he used to pick them up was like he was just bounding across the air on really light feet. He picked them up in a flash, he was very impressive to watch.”
But Ka Ying Rising has a different way about him, and Purton is pragmatic enough to emphasise the differences.
“Ka Ying Rising, he’s just explosive,” he continued. “He’s all power, all speed; puts himself in the right spot, makes his own luck; seems to do it with ease. It’s hard to line them up though, they’re different eras, different competition. They all deserve to be recognised in their own way.”
David Hayes is in the process of guiding Ka Ying Rising through a career that he hopes has more great days ahead. There have been plenty already: four Group 1 wins in Hong Kong so far, including the Hong Kong Sprint 12 months ago, and of course his G1 The Everest win in Sydney back in October.
“I’ve admired those two horses, Silent Witness and Sacred Kingdom, like Black Caviar, as opponents and they’re incredibly unbeatable through their own period, like my horse is now,” Hayes said.
“It’s incredibly difficult to compare. I’m just pleased my horse can be compared to them. It’s not how good my horse is, it’s how long he lasts that will be his legacy. If he can go for another season or two, he’ll be rated right up with the greats, like Black Caviar and Silent Witness.
“He’s getting close to Silent Witness’s record, he’s two wins away and I’d probably agree with Tony that at 1000 metres, I don’t think anything can beat Silent Witness, he was a powerhouse. But 1200, my horse is the same.”
A second Hong Kong Sprint is the next marker pole to that all-time greatness. Then on through a domestic campaign towards Sydney again.
“He’ll go back for The Everest next year and if he can keep winning he’ll be rated up with the all-time greats, I’m sure,” Hayes added. “He’s my all-time great anyway.”
Yiu went further: “He’s the best sprinter ever.” ∎
