Ka Ying Rising looms large over the feature sprint on Champions Day at Sha Tin on Sunday let alone being the pin-up horse of Hong Kong racing, but while most would consider the David Hayes-trained machine to be virtually unbeatable, Joao Moreira has quietly been going about preparations with Japanese visitor Satono Reve.
Both sprinters meet again in the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) after Ka Ying Rising’s win in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) last December where Satono Reve finished third with Moreira aboard for the first time.
Satono Reve (pronounced ‘rave’) has drew barrier six while Ka Ying Rising start from barrier four in Sha Tin’s April short course feature.
“I am happy because he is a big horse and he needs space,” Moreira said of Satono Reve.
“It seems like the real pace will come from the inside and two wider so it is a good draw, I guess.”
The lightly raced six-year-old who would have a stud career before him upon retirement notched his first win at the highest level narrowly last start in the Group 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) at Chukyo a month ago.
The son of Japanese sprint star Lord Kanaloa who was no stranger to success in Hong Kong achieved a Racing and Sports rating of 123 for that win in Japan – the figure two below his mark when placing at Sha Tin in December.
“He’s a bloody good horse and he could be one to cause an upset here,” Moreira added.
“However, Ka Ying Rising deserves all the respect we give him and is one of the best the world has but I’m happy take the reins of Satono Reve and hopefully things work out.
“He has the experience of having been here before and I’m hoping he can go a little better.
“He finished less than a length away from Ka Ying Rising in December so he doesn’t need to improve that much to finish the race side-by-side.”
Globetrotting Moreira will be shooting for his 48th group one win on Sunday.
In the other features, Moreira also ridea local hopes Changcheng Glory in the Champions Mile (1600m) and Moments In Time in the QE II Cup (2000m).
