After cementing his position as the world’s best sprinter when winning last month’s A$20 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick, Ka Ying Rising has returned to Hong Kong where he will resume at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Trainer David Hayes has been pleased with the way the New Zealand-bred gelding has returned to Hong Kong and said he has improved since his historic The Everest triumph. 

“I think he has improved since The Everest,” Hayes said. “He hasn’t missed a bit, he’s trialled brilliantly and his final piece of fast work this week (Wednesday) was really good. I think the trip to Australia hasn’t worried him, if anything, it’s helped him.

“I’m a believer that travel, if a horse handles it, it only brings them on. There are so many cases of horses travelling and not running well and coming back and running brilliantly. This horse went to Australia and won and has come back and looks to have improved.”

Defending his crown in next month’s Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) now looms as Ka Ying Rising’s next test, and he will ready for that assignment when he heads to Sha Tin on Sunday to contest the Gr.2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m).

The son of Shamexpress will jump from barrier 10, the same gate he used to win last year’s edition of the race, and he will once again be partnered by champion Hong Kong hoop Zac Purton.

“It’s a pretty even group and I would say if you ignore John Size’s horse’s (Helios Express) trial, he’s the most consistent horse in town,” Hayes said. “His trial was poor but it was on very wet ground, so I would forgive that and just trust him to run his usual very good race.”

Bred by Marton trainer Fraser Auret, and his wife Erin, under their Grandmoral Lodge banner, Ka Ying Rising was initially trained by the well-respected horseman for whom he won a jumpout at Levin.

Following that performance, he was purchased by Linday Park and won a trial in Australia before joining David Hayes’ Hong Kong barn where he has won 15 of his 17 starts, including five at elite-level, and earned nearly $24 million in prizemoney.