Jedi Spurs’ $1.10 defeat was the “biggest shock” of last season for David Hayes, but “even Ka Ying Rising got beat” when he was young says his trainer, and he is relishing the chance to show it was just a blip for his highly-regarded sprinter.

The Cosmic Force galloper was a remarkable debut winner down the Sha Tin straight in June, where he made his Griffin rivals look decidedly ordinary in a four-and-a-half-length romp.

His subsequent defeat at skinny odds was the last thing Hayes expected, but there were excuses to come out of that run, with mucus picked up in a post-race scope.

Hayes is used to Ka Ying Rising going off at such minuscule prices and the fact he brings up the world’s best sprinter when explaining Jedi Spurs’ defeat could be telling as he prepares to unleash him in just over two weeks’ time.

“He came out of his Conghua trial win really well and will be trialling at the Valley this week with a view to running him on October 1,” Hayes said.

“It was probably my biggest shock when he got beaten last season – hopefully I’m saying in 12 months’ time ‘how did he lose a Griffin race?’.

“I hold him in high regard – when they’re young, they get beat. Even Ka Ying Rising got beat and you wonder how he got beat.

“He had mucus after his last start and that’s enough to stop a young horse. He’s been scoped many times since and he’s all-clear – he’s just a young horse and might not have been feeling 100 per cent when he ran.”

Although Jedi Spurs is unlikely to grace Happy Valley on a race day, Hayes is keen to give his three-year-old a look at the city circuit and thinks the experience will be pivotal to his development.

“I really look forward to seeing him at Happy Valley. Not that I would probably be running him at the Valley, but it’s always good to give them a bit of an experience there – it broadens their horizons,” Hayes said.

“I did it with Ka Ying Rising too and I love taking my promising young horses to have a look at the Valley.”

Another horse Hayes holds in high esteem is My Mars, an Irish import who bucked the usual trend of European PPs by making a sparkling winning debut at Sha Tin in April.

Beaten a neck on softer ground on his next start, he was quickly back to winning ways when defeating subsequent winner Almighty Lightning by a cosy three-quarters of a length.

An injury ended his campaign subsequently, but he is being nursed back to health by Hayes and is another horse whom the top trainer is itching to see back on the track.

“He’s been given a big rest, he tweaked his high suspensory and we probably could have run him, but we just think so highly of him so we gave him a full rehab,” Hayes said.

“He’ll be seen out on the track probably in about 10 days’ time – he’s working on the treadmill at the moment.”