David Hayes is hopeful Ka Ying Rising will pass his latest test and take another step towards Group One glory when he returns in Sunday’s Class One HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1,200m) at Sha Tin.

A brilliant winner of his past four starts including the Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m), the exciting sprinter has been lumped with top weight of 135 pounds in the highlight of the opening meeting of the season.

The HK$3.72 million Chief Executive’s Cup has been a launching pad to Group One glory, with the past two winners – Lucky Sweynesse and Victor The Winner – going on to elite-level success, and Hayes has similar plans for Ka Ying Rising.

The champion handler revealed Ka Ying Rising would be set for the Group One Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) in December after he bolted in by a length and a quarter in the Sha Tin Vase in June.

“He’s got a big task on possibly rain-affected ground with 135 first up, but every challenge we’ve asked him to do, he’s handled it very easily,” Hayes said.

“I didn’t think he’d be top weight, but he’s the highest-rated horse. He needs the run, he’s had a really good break in the off-season and I think he deserves to probably be favourite.”

Champion jockey Zac Purton, who guided Ka Ying Rising to four wins from his first six starts, reunites with the son of Shamexpress on Sunday after Karis Teetan was on board in his Sha Tin Vase triumph.

The four-year-old hit the line strongly under little pressure from Purton to run second to Magic Control in a 1,000m trial on the Sha Tin turf last Saturday.

“I thought his trial was pretty good. He’s only had one trial – that’s the problem with the start of the season, you don’t have much time to get many trials into them,” Hayes said.

Flying Ace, Lucky With You, Majestic Knight, Packing Treadmill, Beauty Charge, Superb Capitalist, Beauty Waves, the Hayes-trained Harmony N Blessed and Baby Crystal will also line up in the Chief Executive’s Cup.

“Harmony N Blessed is a fast horse that makes his own luck. If it was at the Valley, I would be more confident,” Hayes said.

Hayes rated Master Mastermind as the pick of his eight other runners on Sunday. The Deep Field gelding chases his first win in the second section of the Class Four Yi Tung Shun Handicap (1,200m) after two placings from his four starts.

“He’s got Zac on, so he’ll be well found in the market. He looks like a promising young horse,” Hayes said.

A two-time Hong Kong champion trainer, Hayes is upbeat about his prospects this term after finishing last campaign with 47 wins.

“Last year I averaged 48 horses and this year I’ve got 63,” he said. “With a few more horses to work with, hopefully I can keep creeping up the list a bit and I’m looking to have a good year.

“It’s always good to have a break and start nice and fresh and hopeful, like everyone. I think I’ve got some nice, young horses coming through the grades, so it should be good.”