If we are being honest, to the majority of racegoers, Ka Ying Rising’s unofficial jump-out was hardly anything to get excited about.
asserted
out → get → racegoers
To the untrained eye there was little indication Ka Ying Rising would go on to become the fastest horse on the planet, a winner of $30 million in prizemoney, a Hong Kong hero – an international racing rock star – and the raging favourite for Saturday’s Everest at Royal Randwick.
asserted
Rising → be → Randwick
Just before Christmas in 2022, a young Ka Ying Rising, then two years of age, went for a spin against four rivals in rural New Zealand.
asserted
Rising → go → Zealand
The Levin track had seen better days, and the cows now living on the inside of the course almost outnumbered the locals.
asserted
cows → see → locals
Local jockey Madan Singh, spotted in the video wearing a black and an orange cap, gets the gelding’s mind on the job down the back straight, before they coast to victory.
asserted
they → spot → victory
The 600m heats were designed to help educate horses before they progressed to barrier trials.
asserted
they → design → trials
Ka Ying Rising had plenty to learn, and ran with a “daisy-cutter” action, where the front feet barely come off the ground.
asserted
feet → have → ground
Bloodstock agent Michael Marais saw something in the horse, so he sent a clip to David Hayes, the champion Australian trainer who now calls Hong Kong home.
asserted
who → see → Kong
Little did Haynes know that the WhatsApp message was about to change his life.
“I just loved what I saw, and the ease in which he won,” Hayes said.
asserted
Hayes → know → which
“Michael recommended I buy the horse and told me he was worth taking a chance on, so I did.
asserted
I → recommend → chance
“I never get sick of talking about him.
asserted
I → get → him
“I’m 64 in a couple of weeks.
asserted
I → ’m → weeks
I’m closer to the end than I am the start of my career.
asserted
I → ’m → career
But at this stage of my life, I can appreciate what a champion is.
asserted
champion → appreciate → life
“To get one of the all-time greats, it’s fantastic; to have a horse at this level, he’s the gift that keeps giving.”
asserted
that → get → level
Ka Ying Rising was bred by New Zealander Fraser Auret, who trained the horse’s mother, Missy Moo, a $500 purchase and winner of five races.
asserted
who → breed → races
Auret gets interviewed every time Ka Ying Rising prepares to race.
asserted
Rising → interview → ?
He will tune into Randwick this weekend from a pub called The Rathole in a town named Bulls.
asserted
He → tune → town
“You’ll think I’m making that up, but I’m not,” Auret said.
asserted
Auret → think → that
Ka Ying Rising is chasing a 22nd consecutive win on Saturday when he starts favourite in the $20m Everest.
asserted
he → chase → Everest
There are a few untold stories about Ka Ying Rising during those early days when he arrived in Australia to be trained by Hayes’ sons, Will, Ben and JD.
asserted
he → be → sons
Sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly confirmed a syndicate bought the horse for about $150,000.
asserted
syndicate → authorise → 150,000
Within days of winning his first and only trial, gun jockey Blake Shinn was so impressed by what he had witnessed that he phoned Hayes, asking him to ride Ka Ying Rising whenever he debuted.
asserted
he → win → Rising
“Jockeys know which horses stand out – Ka Ying Rising was a bit like watching Andrew Johns play against the under-14s,” Hayes said.
asserted
Hayes → know → under-14s
The horse joined David in Hong Kong, and after a few impressive wins, was sold to billionaire property tycoon Leung Shek-kong.
asserted
horse → join → kong
The deal, according to the same sources, was worth about $500,000, including clauses that made sure those who were along for the journey early did not go without.
uncertain
go → accord → journey
Hayes has been everywhere promoting the Everest, wearing Ka Ying Rising jackets and caps, and answering countless questions about the champ.
asserted
Hayes → promote → champ
The main query: can the horse handle the wet.
asserted
horse → handle → wet
Had the rain stayed away, and the track remained dry, Hayes was eyeing a Randwick record.
asserted
Hayes → stay → record
“Had it been a ‘good four’, I was confident he could have broken the track record – that’s the kind of form he is in,” Hayes said.
uncertain
Hayes → break → form
Hayes sat down with this masthead at the Inglis Hotel in western Sydney this week to discuss all things racing and his life.
asserted
Hayes → sit → things
Like how he used to be a handy wingman for Central Districts in the South Australian Football League, and played with 1987 Brownlow Medallist John Platten.
asserted
he → use → Platten
How he would have happily moved into professional coaching or sports administration had racing not worked out.
asserted
racing → move → coaching
How his late father, Hall of Fame trainer Colin Hayes, would be loving his son being in possession of such a fast horse, rather than jealous.
How his wife Prue was happy for their boys to pursue the horse caper, provided they completed their university studies first.
asserted
they → love → studies
And how the couple plan to retire to the luxurious home they bought, courtesy of Ka Ying Rising, in the exclusive Sai Kung area in Hong Kong.
asserted
they → plan → Kong
Hayes turns 64 in a few weeks, but feels younger.
asserted
Hayes → turn → weeks
Maybe it is because he is always smiling and has had little reason to frown of late.
asserted
he → smile → reason
He’s like a happy uncle.
asserted
He → ’ → uncle
He also felt no pressure to make sure Ka Ying Rising kept winning for the sake of appeasing the masses, including the thousands who had made the trek from Hong Kong to be trackside.
asserted
who → feel → Kong
Legendary trainer Chris Waller would often feel physically ill and need a cup of green tea and a good lie-down whenever he thought about Winx, his mighty mare that won 33 races in a row, losing.
asserted
that → feel → row
…and 25 more, not listed.
The Aporia
