Ka Ying Rising was the main attraction at Sha Tin on Sunday and did not disappoint (HKJC)
Brett Crawford made an excellent debut in Hong Kong on Sunday, claiming a second place finish with his first runner.
In the first race of the new season, a Class 5 event over 1200m at Sha Tin, Crawford’s six-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding Speedy Smartie was handy from a wide draw and looked set to convert favouritism after hitting the front at the 150m mark under Crawford’s former SA stable jockey Karis Teetan.
However, the horse who was handicapped to beat Speedy Smartie on their last meeting, You’remyeverything, duly mowed him down late to win going away by half-a-length under Derek Leung.
Champion jockey Zac Purton dominated the meeting with five winners.
The three South African ex-pat jockeys Luke Ferraris, Lyle Hewitson and Keagan de Melo all returned blanks.
The world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising made his reappearance and in a preparation run before tackling the world’s most expensive turf race, the Aus $20 million Everest, he romped home in a time just outside of his 1200m course record.
