KA YING IS STILL RISING

Ka Ying Rising delivered a record-breaking performance on Sunday, continuing a rise that is shaping a legacy we will remember for years to come.

In this edition, we track that progression through his WFA Performance Ratings, apply the Autumn Report Card to key weekend performances, and break down the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes through TopRate.

🚀 Tropicus 104.5 - Produced a clear career peak of 104.5 to win the G1 Oakleigh Plate, a sharp improvement on his previous best 99.5 over the same track and distance. He carried the same weight and ran a notably faster overall time rating off only a marginally stronger early tempo, which underpins the merit of his figure. He beat Hedge (101.7 rating) by 1.3 lengths, with a further two-plus lengths to the rest. The runners behind rated below their usual level, and with the clock and margins both aligning, there is strong cross-reference support for the 104.5. All three of Tropicus’ career peaks have now come at 1100m at Caulfield, clearly his sweet spot. History suggests caution when it comes to expecting sharp spikes to be consistently repeated, but there was genuine quality in this performance. Even if he does not run near 104.5 regularly, the gap back to his prior 99.5 peak suggests scope to settle at a higher baseline than we have previously seen.

🎯 Pericles 101.6 - Scored his first G1 win with victory in the Futurity Stakes. He settled handy to just a steady tempo set by Treasurethe Moment before sustaining a strong surge from the 800m when the pace lifted. He held solid sectionals all the way to the line to win comfortably by 0.8 lengths. The figure aligns with his established level. He ran 101 first-up to win the Tramway Stakes last spring, then produced 101.3 and 101.8 in his next three runs. He is well proven with some consistency in the 101 to 102 range. The question now is whether he can lift beyond that range and post a new peak as his campaign unfolds.

🥷 Ninja 100 - Rebounded from his controversial 3YO Magic Millions Guineas defeat to win the G2 Hobartville Stakes with a 100 rating, matching the figure he produced when he bolted in the Vo Rogue Plate at Eagle Farm two starts earlier. After settling well back at his previous two runs, he used barrier two to advantage, jumping cleanly to lead before taking a sit once Shangri La Boy crossed. The tempo was just below average early, and still steady from the 800m to 600m, leaving Ninja with plenty in reserve for the sprint home. He never looked in danger up the straight and had too much in hand for Napoleonic and Autumn Boy, who conceded too much ground given the tempo. That said, their task was not impossible, and the best horse on the day undoubtedly won.

🌟 Sheza Alibi 99.0 - Made a very impressive return with her win in the G2 Angus Armanasco Stakes, settling back off a strong tempo before producing a sustained run along the inside. Her 99 rating sits just under her 100.5 peak win in the Sandown Guineas over 1600m last preparation, which came third-up. The most impressive part of her win was the late dominance. Her final 200m was more than two lengths faster than the next best in the race, and the strongest part of her final 800m relative to standards. Running this figure first-up in a solidly run race, finishing in above standard overall time with a fast last 200m all suggest upside potential. She looks like a good chance to produce a new peak beyond 100.5 this campaign.

🙌 Kerguelen 97.2 - Was heavily backed first-up, firming from $7 to $5, and justified that support with a last-stride win over Tonkin. He looked an unlikely winner at the 200m, still more than four lengths off the lead, but charged late to claim victory on the line. His 97.2 rating was a new peak, improving on the 96 he produced twice last preparation. The race shape was key. A genuine early tempo followed by a further surge from the 800m, with the 800m to 400m the fastest section of the race, took its toll on those closer to the speed. Tonkin was stopping late, which set the race up for a backmarker to capitalise. Even with the setup in his favour, Kerguelen still had to produce a career best to win.

*Ratings are normalised to weight-for-age for each horse.

Each week in The Autumn Report Card, we assess and grade the performances of key runners as they build through their autumn campaigns. The grades go beyond the raw result, weighing each run against expectations for this stage of preparation, the suitability of the race setup and how the performance shapes their prospects to reach or improve on their past peak performances.

Ka Ying Rising made it 18 straight wins on Sunday, breaking the long-standing Hong Kong record of Silent Witness. He obliterated the Sha Tin 1400m track record and returned a 📊 111 WFA Performance Rating, just below his 112 peak from two starts earlier over 1200m.

That 111 sits within a four-start sequence that also includes ratings of 110 and 112 since returning home, after running 106.5 here to win The Everest. While he won that day, the ratings show we did not see the ceiling of his ability in Australia.

What stands out is that he is still trending upward. When his career is viewed in blocks of starts, each phase has produced a higher peak than the one before it.

We’ve known for some time that he’s world-class, but he’s now building a generational legacy that will be remembered long after this current era of racing.

Streisand ran a 📊 96.5 WFA Performance Rating to win the 💎 G1 Blue Diamond.

In this TopRate breakdown, I go beyond the headline figure and look at:

📊 How this edition rated against recent Blue Diamonds
⏱️ Overall time and sectional comparisons to recent winners
📚 Where it sits relative to the 10-year historical profile
📈 Why a moderate rating edition doesn’t mean good talent won’t emerge

If you’re interested in understanding how the race rated, what drove that rating, and how it stacks up in context, this video walks through it.

Check out the video HERE

*Answers at the bottom

➡ Southside Cranbourne | Listed Lawn Rules Abell Stakes 1200M

➡ Royal Randwick | Group 2 CATANACH'S JEWELLERS SKYLINE STAKES 1200M
➡ Royal Randwick | Group 3 HKJC WORLD POOL LIVERPOOL CITY CUP 1300M
➡ Royal Randwick | Group 2 PROVEN THOROUGHBREDS GUY WALTER STAKES 1400M
➡ Royal Randwick | Group 2 SINTORO SWEET EMBRACE STAKES 1200M
➡ Royal Randwick | Group 1 TAB VERRY ELLEEGANT STAKES 1600M
➡ Royal Randwick | Group 1 THE CHASE SURROUND STAKES 1400M
➡ Flemington | Group 1 Australian Guineas 1600M
➡ Flemington | Group 2 TAB Blamey Stakes 1600M
➡ Flemington | Listed TAB We're On 1000M
➡ Ascot | Listed LEX PIPER STAKES 1600M
➡ Ascot | Listed SCHWEPPES - ASCOT 1000 GUINEAS 1800M