A - ZRunners Horse Racing Fixtures and Results

Horse of The Year: Ka Ying Rising

Hong Kong sprinter Ka Ying Rising has been named Timeform's Horse of The Year.

Ka Ying Rising was one of three locally-trained horses who successfully defended his title at the Longines Hong Kong International Races – Where The World’s Greatest Meet – at Sha Tin in December. His repeat win in the Sprint preceded those for Voyage Bubble in the Mile and Romantic Warrior who made history in the Cup, becoming the first horse to win one of the four HKIR contests four times. Did the meeting overall live up to that bold tag line? Probably not – the world’s record prize money earner Romantic Warrior beat a disappointing field in the Cup to add another two million pounds to his haul in the richest race on the card. But in Ka Ying Rising, the meeting could at least boast the world’s best horse in 2025 on Timeform ratings.

When successful twelve months earlier, New Zealand-bred gelding Ka Ying Rising was still little known outside Hong Kong. His first Hong Kong Sprint, which he won by half a length, was also his first Group 1 victory. But his profile – and his rating – had increased considerably during the course of 2025, and he retained his title in a style befitting his ‘best in the world’ status, cruising home by three and three quarter lengths with more in hand but still setting a new record time for the race over its current distance.