In a dominant display of sheer speed, star sprinter Ka Ying Rising smashed his own track record with an electrifying victory in Sunday’s Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) at Sha Tin.

Living up to his standing as the world’s best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising left his rivals in his wake when leading all the way under champion jockey Zac Purton.

Sent to the front from barrier eight, the raging $1.15 favourite set scintillating sectionals throughout before exploding clear late to romp home by three and a quarter lengths.

Purton eased him down in the final 100m as he stopped the clock at 1:07.20 – 0.23 seconds quicker than his Group Two Jockey Club Sprint (1,200m) success in November, when he broke Sacred Kingdom’s 17-year-old track record.

It was Ka Ying Rising’s second straight Group One triumph, with Purton and Hayes intent on dictating terms after he was pestered on the speed and hung on late to beat Helios Express in his Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) victory last month.

“They went too slow in December and it allowed the horses to be too close, so today I made sure the man was going to take care of the boys,” Purton said.

“He can run sectionals comfortably and kick off it. It’s unique to have a horse that can do that, but he can.

“But when you go too slow, it allows the other horses a bit of an opportunity. Today, we made a statement again.”

Purton, who won his third Centenary Sprint Cup after booting home Aerovelocity (2016) and Lucky Sweynesse (2023), also won on David Hall’s Mr Energia on Sunday to close to within one win of equalling Douglas Whyte’s all-time Hong Kong record of 1,813.

Helios Express once again had to settle for second, running on from the tail of the field to finish half a length in front of his John Size-trained stablemate, Howdeepisyourlove.

After notching his 99th career Group One victory, Hayes declared Ka Ying Rising “certainly the best sprinter I’ve had anything to do with and probably the best horse”.

“He’s quite freakish,” the Australian Hall of Fame handler said.

“The last 100m today Zac switched the engine off, so in the two track records he’s broken, he’s actually eased him down the last 100m or 80m.

“He just doesn’t lose and I know he lost twice when he was immature, but now he’s mature, he’s just got that ability to win. He’s got amazing cruising speed and he’ll quicken off it, which is very hard to compete against.”

Hayes said the son of Shamexpress possessed similar traits to champion Australian sprinter Black Caviar, who was unbeaten from 25 starts.

“I’ve competed against Black Caviar and she would do that,” Hayes said.

“I think he’s got her traits – I’m not saying he’s Black Caviar, but he does to the opposition similar things to what she did.”

A winner at 10 of 12 starts, Ka Ying Rising secured the first leg of Hong Kong’s Speed Series and will progress to the final two legs – the Group One Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m) on February 23 and Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m) on April 27.

Hayes said the four-year-old could also line up in the Group Two Sprint Cup (1,200m) on March 30, while the A$20 million The Everest (1,200m) at Randwick in October remains his long-range goal.

“It’s the richest turf race in the world and it’s at his distance, so it’s getting more realistic every month we go on,” Hayes said.

“We’ll really start thinking about a pathway towards it after the international race here in April and then after that, he’ll probably just be set for the big sprint.”