KA YING RISING ON THE ASCENT

Sizzling win in G2 Premier Bowl augurs well for trainer Hayes' 'very special horse'

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HONG KONG - Clocking one of the fastest 1,200m times ever recorded at Sha Tin, Ka Ying Rising continued a relentless march towards the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) in December with an imperious victory in the Group 2 Premier Bowl Handicap (1,200m) on Oct 20.

Posting his seventh win from nine starts, Ka Ying Rising was unextended in running 1min 7.57sec to narrowly miss eclipsing Sacred Kingdom's long-standing course record of 1:07.50, while cruising to a 11/2-length margin over Helios Express in the HK$5.35 million (S$902,000) feature.

Three-time Group 1 winner California Spangle was third, a further 11/2 lengths away.

Last season's Hong Kong Champion Griffin and Most Improved Horse, Ka Ying Rising jumped cleanly and settled third behind California Spangle and Harmony N Blessed before unleashing a devastating sprint over the final 200m to give jockey Zac Purton his third Premier Bowl win and trainer David Hayes his first.

"Zac came in and said 'When do you want to break the track record?'" Hayes said. "He's a very special horse. He can quicken off a fast pace. Those two horses in front are fast horses. I'm very excited about him."