Local fans filled Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday not just to place bets but to witness Ka Ying Rising match a record that had stood for more than 20 years.

After several days of cold weather, the temperature in Hong Kong rose above 20 degrees Celsius in late January. Attention under the sun was focused on the day’s Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m), where Ka Ying Rising caught up with the long-standing 17-win streak record set by Silent Witness.

Fans gathered at the rails after 3pm for the sixth race of the day, holding up home-made banners and paintings of Rising, and waving flags in support.

“That’s a big win,” shouted Daniel Tsui, a Ka Ying Rising loyal fan, after the horse crossed the finish line far ahead.

Tsui was not celebrating a betting win, but was expressing his pride and happiness for his idol.

The victory allowed Rising to equal Silent Witness’ record set in April 2005, but achieving it in just 23 months – four months faster than the previous record holder.

“I didn’t win any money – actually I lost,” said the 66-year-old fan. “But I’m still happy.”

Tsui explained that the horse and jockey Zac Purton would get a big prize, so that was reward enough for him.

He said that, as the hot favourite, Rising’s odds were around 1.0, so no one was betting to win money. Instead, most people came only to watch the race, cheer for their favourite and witness this important moment for the city.

After the race, a win bet of HK$10 on Ka Ying Rising paid out just HK$10.50. Ka Ying Rising’s connections earned HK$7,280,000 (US$933,000) in prize money, bringing the star’s career total to HK$129,855,900.

“Whenever he [Ka Ying Rising] runs, I’ll be here. So I come for him, not for the betting,” said the now-retired Tsui. “This is a once-in-20-years chance to see history; it’s very hard to witness something like this in Hong Kong.”

With a Ka Ying Rising plushie hanging from his bag, another local fan, Jerald Fan, was also in the crowd for this milestone race. “I’m very confident he can do it; he can definitely break the record,” he said before the race.

The 28-year-old said he had arrived four hours before the race and placed several bets just for emotional support.

“He’s strong both at home and internationally, so everyone wants to come and see,” he said. “[Matching the record] also shows that the city, China, and even Asian racing has a place on the world stage.”

Cheng Tze-Hao, who is a fan of both Silent Witness and Ka Ying Rising, said “matching the record is something really rare” and Rising now had the best shot at breaking it.

“I’ll come again next time to see if he can break Silent Witness’ record,” said the 29-year-old warehouse worker.

That next time will come on February 22, when Ka Ying Rising steps up to 1,400m for the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup.

Another highlight on Sunday was Romantic Warrior defeating last season’s triple crown winner Voyage Bubble to take the Stewards’ Cup (1,600m) for his third Group 1 win.

Romantic Warrior is expected to run next in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2,000m) on March 1, aiming for the triple crown.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said “we were blessed to see two of the greatest horses in Hong Kong racing history”.

“It is absolutely sensational,” he said.