Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior, the world's top-rated horses, defended the Hong Kong ramparts with authority on Champions Day April 26 at Sha Tin Racecourse, brushing aside some of Japan's best in the Chairman's Sprint Prize (G1) and Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1).
My Wish made it a clean sweep for the local team by winning the Champions Mile (G1).
Ka Ying Rising, No. 1 in the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, shone brightest of the day's stars in winning the Chairman's Sprint Prize. The 5-year-old Shamexpress gelding switched on when asked by jockey Zac Purton and put away Japan's sprint star, Satono Reve, by 4 1/4 lengths. It was his 20th straight win, and he lowered the 1,200-meter (about 6 furlongs) course record for a fourth time—to 1:07.10.
"It was pretty painless," Purton said. 'The Japanese have sent their best sprinter over today, and he's handled him with a lot of authority.
"I think people can probably start giving him a little bit more credit than perhaps they have ... It's different. He's obviously a very special horse. You have good horses and you have great horses, and then you have the really special ones and he's in that category and I'm very fortunate to be on him."
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Joao Moreira, Purton's long-time rival in the Hong Kong jockey ranks, was back in town to ride Satono Reve and tipped his hat to the winner.
"He tries bloody hard," Moreira said of Satono Reve. "He's a warrior. Unfortunately, he bumped into the best horse, best sprinter, in the world. So I'm extremely happy with his performance."
Ka Ying Rising could be scaring off international raiders for a while yet.
"He's had a really good 18 months and, like we keep saying, he's still 5," Purton said. "Let's hope we've got him for another season or two."
Trainer David Hayes is already mapping out that program. After the summer break, his first target in the 2026-27 campaign will be a return to Australia to defend Ka Ying Rising's title in The Everest (G1), the world's richest turf race at AUS$20 million (about US$14.3 million).
"A long time ago," Hayes said, "I thought he might have been the best horse I trained. About a year ago I thought he was definitely the best horse I trained. And now I think he is one of the best horses I have ever seen."
Romantic Warrior, currently holding down the No. 2 spot in the world rankings, is another of the best horses anyone has ever seen, and he proved it again in the QE II Cup against a field acclaimed before the race as one of the strongest in decades.
With regular rider James McDonald in the irons, the 8-year-old Acclamation gelding idled along in fourth position down the riverside backstretch, picked things up a bit on the turn, and was in the clear and set to run when asked. He hit the front with momentum 250 meters out and coasted home first by a length with Masquerade Ball (JPN) second, followed by Sosie and then Royal Champion.
How good are the also-rans? Masquerade Ball just missed to Calandagan in his last start in the Japan Cup (G1T). Sosie won the Hong Kong Vase (G1) in his previous visit and was third in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) in the race before that. Royal Champion, a joint fourth in the international rankings, came off back-to-back wins in the Bahrain International Trophy (G2) and the Neom Turf Cup (G1T) in Saudi Arabia.
How good is Romantic Warrior? It was his fifth straight win, and he remains undefeated since returning from his 2025 trip to Saudi Arabia and Dubai. He has won 23 of 30 career starts, including top-level races around the world, including Dubai, Australia, and Japan. It was his fourth QE II win.
"He is just bulletproof, really," McDonald said. "Over this 10-furlong, he just starts well, puts himself in a good spot, rests when he has to rest, and then shows an incredible turn of foot.
"I thought the opposition today was very warranted. I had great respect for it and was actually quite worried about it with that Masquerade Ball. I thought he was incredible, and he is one of the best in Japan.
"His run in the Japan Cup was nothing short of incredible, McDonald said. "We had great respect for him today, and if he (Romantic Warrior) was ever going to get beaten, it was a horse like that."
Trainer Danny Shum said he sees no reason Romantic Warrior won't go next in the Champions & Chater Cup (G1) May 24. That 2,400-meter (about 1 1/2 miles) test would complete a Triple Crown sweep for the veteran and earn a HK$10 million (about US$1.3 million) bonus. Beyond that, Shum says he may have to fool the horse about his advancing age.
"I don't tell him he's eight years old. I always keep telling him he's five only," Shum said. "That is a joke. But he races very easily, and he's very good. He's a super, super champion."
My Wish might not be at the star level of Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior, but he certainly did his job in the Champions Mile. Racing from off the pace, he took the lead midway down the Sha Tin stretch and held off Cap Ferrat by a neck, reversing the order of finish from the 2025 Hong Kong Derby. This season's Hong Kong Derby winner, Invincible Ibis, reported fourth.
England's Docklands was the best of the international raiders, finishing third. Another Japanese powerhouse, top miler and race favorite Jantar Mantar, beat only one rival after missing the break.
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