IMPRESSIVE LUCKY SWEYNESSE COMPLETES A CLEAN SWEEP OF HONG KONG, GROUP 1, SPRINT RACE WINS

By Darren Winningham | Sunday, December 10, 2023

LUCKY SWEYNESSE CONFIRMS HE THE WORLD’S BEST SPRINTER

Lucky Sweynesse was too good for a quality field in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (Group 1) at Sha Tin on Sunday.

On a day where many records were broken and history created, Lucky Sweynesse became the first speedster to win all four of Hong Kong’s Group One sprints in the same calendar year – The Hong Kong Sprint, The Centenary Sprint Cup (February), The Queen’s Silver Cup (March) and then the Chairman’s Sprint Prize in April.

The win ensures he remains the World’s Best Sprinter when the latest ratings are released.

After a torrid run in the 2022 edition of the race, where arguably he should have won the race but was taken out of calculations as he had no luck in the straight, connections and regular jockey Zac Purton were left lamenting what could have been ... but fast forward a year later it was very much a different story with connections now left celebrating a famous victory.

Lucky Swerynesse had been set for the race by trainer Manfred Man but the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, worth HK$26 million, was looking like a real challenge.

Lucky Sweynesse had been just good in his first runs throughout the preparation. In fact, he was defeated in his first two runs prior to winning the BOCHK Sprint (Group 2) in what was arguably just an average effort when considering his previous blistering wins at Sha Tin.

All week jockey Zac Purton was concerned about which Lucky Sweynesse we would see on Sunday in the Group 1 race.

Any questions about those concerns were erased when he got clear running in the straight and surged away to win under Purton to the joy the local punters who sent Lucky Sweynesse out as a raging short-priced favourite, as he was last year.

He eventually started at $1.30 – the locals just kept backing him.

Purton, who now holds the record with the most Group 1 wins on LONGINES HKIR race days with an impressive 11 wins, said Lucky Sweynesse deserved the win.

“He's been our best sprinter for the last year, and he was able to atone for last year,” said Purton. “I could feel in the morning his trackwork had improved, and his action was getting a little bit better.

“His all-around demeanour in the morning was getting back to where it was last season. I could see he was blossoming at the right time,” he said after the race.

Hong Kong sprinters finished first to fifth in the race. This must be noted as a huge accomplishment for Hong Kong racing and local Hong Kong trainers. It does demonstrate that there is good depth in the sprinting ranks moving forward.

Lucky With You trained by Danny Shum and ridden by James McDonald was a barnstorming second, whilst last year’s winner Wellington now trained by Jamie Richards was an honest third.

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