David Hayes hailed Ka Ying Rising as “a bit special” after the exciting sprinter lit up the Sha Tin turf with a historic victory in Sunday’s Class One HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1,200m).

No horse had ever won the HK$3.7 million feature carrying more than 130 pounds and Ka Ying Rising had never raced on a rain-softened surface, but that did not stop the Hayes-trained speedster stamping his authority on the opening day of the season.

The $2.3 favourite travelled with ominous authority in second and it was merely a question of when Zac Purton would elect to urge his mount forward.

The four-year-old cruised to the lead 300m out and stretched clear under Purton, giving 20 pounds and a length and a quarter beating to the well-fancied runner-up, Beauty Waves. Superb Capitalist trailed a further two lengths back in third.

“He’s a bit special, isn’t he?” Hayes beamed. “I was very nervous because common sense said a young horse carrying 135 [pounds] in testing conditions and giving a lot of good horses weight couldn’t win. But he did it brilliantly and I’m so proud of him.

“He defied logic. A lot of smart people said the horse he beat, Beauty Waves, would be hard to beat.”

After Ka Ying Rising collected his fifth win on the bounce and took his record to six victories from eight runs, Hayes outlined his route to December’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m).

“The Premier Bowl is next and that’s in about five or six weeks, then we’ll go to the Jockey Club Sprint in November and the Hong Kong Sprint,” Hayes said. “There are so few races you can run in really. If I waited to the Premier Bowl, it was going to be too long between runs.”

Ka Ying Rising showed a clean pair of heels in the final 200m to stop the clock in 1:08.03, around two and a half lengths quicker than standard time.

Hayes was delighted to pick up his first win of the season and applauded Ka Ying Rising’s tactical versatility and physical development.

“Physically he’s put on about 20 pounds and mentally he’s a lot better, according to Zac,” Hayes said. “I wanted to run him early in the season because he’s had a lot of time off.

“I think going forward, it’s the most important thing that you’re not a one-dimensional sprinter. What’s good about him is he can follow and join, he doesn’t just have to lead.”

Purton said the up-and-coming sprinter had the race won as soon as the gates flew open.

“He absolutely flew the start and it won him the race,” said the seven-time champion jockey, who finished a successful afternoon with a four-timer. “He got into the right spot without having to do too much work.

“He pulled himself into it on straightening, which I really liked because he had the big weight and you don’t want him to get outsprinted, so I allowed him to let down under his own steam, which was ideal because he did it in a nice fashion.”

Hayes celebrated a brace on the afternoon, with Lyle Hewitson steering $18 chance Amazing Run to success in the first section of the Class Four Ma On Shan Handicap (1,400m).