Zac Purton believes Ka Ying Rising is stronger and more mature as the world’s highest-rated sprinter bids for a 13th consecutive win when he resumes in the HK$3.72 million Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (7 September).

Attempting to become the first horse to win the opening-day feature twice, Ka Ying Rising will use the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup as a launch pad to the AU$20 million (approx. HK$100.34 million) G1 The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on 18 October.

Hong Kong’s reigning Horse Of The Year will carry 135lb – the same impost he shouldered last season when he burst to a weight-carrying record in the race – against Lucky Sweynesse (126lb), Lucky With You (116lb) and Beauty Waves, Victor The Winner, Copartner Prance, Raging Blizzard, Magic Control, Bottomuptogether, Divano, Gorgeous Win and Harmony N Blessed, who have all been assigned 115lb.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how he comes back because I believe he’s a bit stronger, he’s a bit bigger, he’s a bit more mature and I’m just hoping he can take another step – he doesn’t need to, but if he does, that puts him in a pretty elite category,” eight-time Hong Kong champion jockey Purton said.

“Obviously, it’s not ideal that he has to carry the grandstand against good horses – and they are good horses – and give 20 pounds of weight to most of them and unfortunately there are seven established leaders in the race, so there’s going to be a lot of pressure.”

Sha Tin’s 1200m record-holder with a gallop of 1m 07.20s to win the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup in January, Ka Ying Rising has drawn barrier four on Sunday.

“I’m thankful that we have a good gate and I have horses inside me that like to lead, so we’ll wait to see how we begin and how they begin and assess it from there. It’s not ideal to carry a big weight first up, but we have to start somewhere and have a race before The Everest,” Purton said.

“I want a clean-run race and I want a race that’s not stop-start and he can just get into a rhythm. With seven leaders in the race, I don’t think it’s going to be a slowly-run race and I don’t think it’s going to be a stop-start race.

“If horses on the outside want to go forward, that will put more speed into the race and that means the first half of the race will take care of itself and he’s then just got to breeze around the last half. He’s been showing off speed in his trials this season, so they’re going to have to go pretty quick if they’re going to beat him into that first corner.”

Lucky Sweynesse (2022) and Victor The Winner (2023) have both won the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup and Derek Leung hopes Lucky Sweynesse will acquit himself well this weekend ahead of a possible tilt at the G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) at Nakayama Racecourse, Japan, on 28 September.

“He’s (Lucky Sweynesse) a big horse, so he needs a run to keep his fitness,” Leung said. “Last time in his first trial, he was a bit fat but after I put him under some pressure, he had a good blow and he recovered well.

“Hopefully, being a bit fresh in his first start will be good for him and the main aim is Japan. In his first race he doesn’t have to carry the top weight, so it’s a good starting point for him and the timing is good to head to Japan and give it a try.”

Sunday’s (7 September) season-opening meeting at Sha Tin starts with the Class 5 Grassy Hill Handicap (1200m) at 1pm.