Hong Kong horses sit atop World’s Best Racehorse Rankings
Hong Kong-trained horses dominate the March edition of the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, which were released on Thursday, March 12, occupying the top two spots.
David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising maintained his position as the top-rated horse in training with an international rating of 128, while Danny Shum’s Romantic Warrior was ranked second with a rating of 124.
Japan’s dirt giant Forever Young, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, was third with a rating of 123, while the Karl Burke-trained eight-year-old Royal Champion was fourth, rated 122. From the United States of America, Bob Baffert charge Nysos rounded out the top five of the March list, rated 121.
Ka Ying Rising, raced by the Ka Ying Syndicate, broke the record for consecutive wins by a Hong Kong-trained horse when he added an 18th straight triumph to his already glittering CV with victory in the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) on February 22. It was the five-year-old’s eighth Group 1 success and sixth win this season.
Romantic Warrior was at his peerless best when the eight-year-old, owned by Peter Lau, blitzed the field to claim a record-extending 13th Group 1 victory in the Group 1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) on March 1.
Both horses are focused on domestic glory for the remainder of this season: Ka Ying Rising is aiming to retain his Hong Kong Speed Series honours with victory in April’s Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), while the world’s highest-earning horse Romantic Warrior is looking to complete the Triple Crown with a win in the Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) on May 24.
Ka Ying Rising next races in Easter Monday’s (6 April) Group 2 Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin when he goes for a 19th win in succession.
Hong Kong racing boasts four entries in the top 20 of the March edition of the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. Manfred Man’s Lucky Sweynesse is ranked joint-11th with an international rating of 118, while John Size-trained Helios Express is joint-15th with a rating of 117.
The first Australian horse named in the Best Racehorse Rankings was the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Tentyris, which has Group 1 spoils the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes and Coolmore Stud Stakes to his name. Autumn Glow, another star in Australian racing, was at no.13.
