Perfection, regardless of the activity, is almost impossible to attain. In sport, this is especially the case, particularly with so many external variables, including weather, luck and tactics, impacting the ultimate outcome.
On Sunday (6 September) at Sha Tin, KA YING RISING produced a performance for the ages, with a sprinting display of such rare and extreme quality that none of these factors was relevant and, in 1m 06.11s, he shattered the 1200m course record for a fifth time and posted his 21st consecutive victory.
I have never seen a horse with similar brilliance, nor the effortless elegance with the way KA YING RISING moves and, if this is not perfection, I am not sure if I will ever see it on a racecourse.
In any event, even when conceding his rivals up to 20lb, this amazing equine athlete delivered a statement performance on Sunday ahead of his tilt at the G1 The Everest (1200m) in Sydney on 17 October and helped kick off the 2026/27 Hong Kong racing season in truly spectacular fashion.
As phenomenal as KA YING RISING was at the weekend, it is incredible to think that both David Hayes and Zac Purton believe the champion still has scope for improvement.
Having first eclipsed Sacred Kingdom’s longstanding Sha Tin 1200m record of 1m 07.50s in November 2024, KA YING RISING has now lowered it on five separate occasions by 1.39s overall which – over a distance where success or failure is typically decided by mere fractions – is simply extraordinary.
KA YING RISING is now rated 145, an all-time Hong Kong record, surpassing the domestic mark of 143 achieved by INDIGENOUS in 1998. This is an accurate reflection of his immense talent and achievements.
In performing consistently at this rarified level, KA YING RISING continues to showcase Hong Kong racing globally and I humbly submit he is the best horse in the world, and I wish his connections – the Ka Ying Syndicate, David and Zac – and his legion of fans all the best in Australia next month.
We were delighted with the 2026/27 season opener as we welcomed HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee to strike the ceremonial gong as racing fans flocked back to Sha Tin and Happy Valley with strong attendance of 43,920.
This figure included 12,218 Mainland and international visitors – a 74% increase over last season’s corresponding number of 7,008.
Attendees were treated to wonderful entertainment from Club Year of the Horse Ambassador Aaron Kwok, who delivered the first-ever live performance of our new annual theme song, “GO GO GO”. The vibe at Sha Tin was electric and Aaron’s performance – along with KA YING RISING’s awesome display in the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap – set the tone for the season ahead.
Writing in a social media post, Mr Lee praised the city’s horse racing as a key driver of the mega-event economy, and our sport as a unique cultural symbol of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong racing last season attracted more than 400,000 international visitors and this growth underscores the growing appeal of Hong Kong racing and its contribution to tourism, a role which was recognised in the 2024 Policy Address.
Collectively, the season-opening meeting showcased the very best of our racing, entertainment and customer experiences and it is exciting to contemplate what awaits our fans over the rest of the season as we continue Year of the Horse celebrations.
This week also marked another important occasion for the Club, with the Philanthropy for Better Cities (PBC) Forum, which took place in Hong Kong and concluded with a Grand Dinner at the Hong Kong Palace Museum on Tuesday night (8 September).
Celebrating the Forum’s 10th anniversary, this year’s theme was “Leaping for Impact”, and it provided another opportunity to demonstrate the Club’s commitment to acting for the betterment of society.
Convened by the Club’s Charities Trust in association with the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), the forum brought together 2,000 delegates and global leaders from diverse sectors to discuss a range of pressing social issues.
Featuring global leaders from philanthropy, sport, business, government, academia and the social sector, the Forum explored what philanthropy can learn from sport, including discipline, focus, resilience, teamwork, in driving sustained and meaningful change in society.
Among the important social issues discussed were health, the well-being of older adults, urban poverty alleviation, heritage conservation, youth positive trajectory development, climate resilience and inclusive employment.
One of the key lessons from the forum is that meaningful impact does not happen by accident. It requires vision, discipline and commitment. Above all it requires collaboration and no organisation, foundation, government or business can address today’s challenges alone.
Finding the right partners who bring complementary strengths, those share a common purpose and who are committed to achieving meaning outcomes together is key.
We celebrate Happy Valley’s first meeting of the season tonight with a quality eight-race card and fabulous entertainment in our iconic Beer Garden and the start of ‘Fashion Wednesdays’ series.
The Beer Garden is a destination of choice for locals and visitors and those attending tonight will be able to engage in a host of activations – including a spectacular LED Lion Dance performance to herald the start of the Happy Valley season.
Popular nine-piece band PENTHAUS will provide musical entertainment, while patrons have the chance to win prizes, including travel, shopping and dining vouchers by participating in the ‘Fashion Wednesdays Style Awards’.
At Happy Valley, the competitive highlight is the Class 3 Central Handicap, which is run over 1650m at 9.10pm for prizemoney of HK$2,050,000.
The race marks the start of this season’s DBS x MANULIFE Million Challenge, which runs from tonight until 17 February for Class 3 horses and above and offers HK$1.5 million in bonuses.
The speed will be good with ANOTHER ZONDA likely to lead from gate two from SAMARKAND. DO YOUR PART and GENERAL REDWOOD will also be prominent.
DO YOUR PART finished in the top three in his first 10 runs before his final start of the season on 27 June over 1400m at Sha Tin when he stayed on to finish fourth to SOVEREIGN FUND. Three of his placings were over this course and distance and he looked ready to return to racing with a comfortable trial win at Conghua two weeks ago. Brenton Avdulla takes the ride for the first time and DO YOUR PART is a win and place chance.
SOLID WIN won three races last term, including twice over this course and distance. SOLID WIN has raced well when resuming the last two seasons and is also a win and place chance for Jerry Chau.
ANOTHER ZONDA has won twice over this course and distance last season and from his inside draw, he is a place chance for Britney Wong, while CHINA WIN has shown abundant talent winning twice over 1800m last season. He has had a good break from racing since then and impressed in a trial at Sha Tin last week. Keith Yeung has a good record aboard CHINA WIN and he is a place chance.
DEFINITIVE (Richard Kingscote), VIOLET STAR (Karis Teetan), SAMARKAND (Zac Purton), FORTUNATE SON (Vincent Ho) and GENERAL REDWOOD (Angus Chung) all would be winning chances here on their best form.