Leading ratings expert Daniel O’Sullivan believes Ka Ying Rising has reached Black Caviar territory after assessing the Hong Kong superstar’s extraordinary return at Sha Tin at 119 on a weight-for-age basis.
The rating is one point higher than O’Sullivan’s peak figure of 118 for unbeaten Australian champion Black Caviar, although he stressed the two figures were calculated using slightly different methodologies and should not be treated as a definitive comparison.
“Ka Ying Rising is every bit as good as Black Caviar in terms of the performances he’s putting on the track,” O’Sullivan said on social media.
“There’s no point splitting hairs over numbers and arguing that one is definitively ahead of the other. What we can say is that, based on his performances, it’s reasonable to place Ka Ying Rising alongside her.”
Ka Ying Rising’s 119 represents another significant jump after O’Sullivan rated his previous two performances at 113.5 and 114.
The latest assessment was based on the overall race time and sectional data compared with the five other 1200m races conducted at Sha Tin on Sunday, as well as the established ability of the horses Ka Ying Rising defeated.
The David Hayes-trained six-year-old produced a stunning 1:06.11 when winning the HK$4.2 million Group 3 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup, lowering his own Sha Tin 1200m course record by almost a second.
Ka Ying Rising carried 135lb and conceded the majority of his rivals 20lb, yet still controlled the race from the front under Zac Purton before defeating Copartner Prance by seven and three-quarter lengths.
The victory extended his Hong Kong record winning streak to 21 races and took his overall career record to 22 victories from 24 starts.
“The clock leaves no doubt that this was clearly his best performance,” O’Sullivan said. “We’re witnessing one of the all-time great racehorses.”
The performance was made even more impressive by the injury concern which surrounded Ka Ying Rising earlier in the week after bruising was detected in his left hind foot, prompting extensive veterinary examinations under sedation.
Ka Ying Rising entered quarantine less than two hours after Sunday’s victory and will now prepare to travel to Sydney.
He is expected to trial at Randwick before attempting to defend his title in the $20 million Group 1 The Everest (1200m) on October 17.