Group 1 winners Regional (GB) (Territories {Ire}) and Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) head 12 European entries for the FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on April 28. A strong international challenge also includes 25 potential runners from Japan, eight from Australia and three from the UAE, while there are 41 locally-trained entries.
Regional, now six, gave his trainer Ed Bethell a first Group 1 success in last year's Haydock Sprint Cup and he has been entered for the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize, with prize-money totalling approximately £2.2 million. His fellow British-trained horses Annaf (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}), Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Frost At Dawn (Frosted) are also entered.
The William Haggas-trained Dubai Honour, a dual Group 1 winner in Australia, would be returning for a third run in Hong Kong. He was fourth in the 2021 G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup and third last year in the G1 FWD QEII Cup, which this time around is worth approximately £2.8 million. Haggas has also entered Maljoom (Ire) (Caravaggio) for the G1 FWD Champions Mile, which could also feature Middleham Park Racing's globetrotting Brave Emperor (Ire) (Sioux Nation), trained by Archie Watson, and Fort Payne (Fr) (Rio De La Plata) for French trainer Nicolas Caullery.
Three of the winners of last December's Hong Kong International Races – Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) – hold entries for the meeting, along with Japan's Fillies' Triple Crown winner Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) and Godolphin's Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}), winner of the G1 Jebel Hatta in January.
“We are excited by the spread and quality of international entries among the nominations for FWD Champions Day,” said Andrew Harding, executive director of racing for the Hong Kong Jockey Cub.
“The potential return of Golden Sixty in the FWD Champions Mile after his stunning Longines Hong Kong Mile performance in December, along with Romantic Warrior in the FWD QEII Cup and Lucky Sweynesse in the Chairman's Sprint Prize, lays the foundation for another wonderful staging of our spring flagship meeting.
“We are delighted at the support we have received from overseas owners and trainers in Japan, England, France, Ireland, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, with the number of entries across our three Group 1 features rising from 71 last season to 89 this year.”
Having endured a sub-optimal trip when only sixth to Victor the Winner (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) in defence of his crown in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup Jan. 26–not to mention some post-race veterinary issues–reigning champion sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) will look to atone for that effort in Sunday's G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup, a race he also took out 12 months ago.
The 5-year-old, victorious in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint in December, was found to be lame in his right fore the morning after the Centenary Sprint, but turned in a smooth runner-up effort in a Feb. 20 trial over the dirt track and should be a warm item Sunday. James McDonald, who was in the saddle last year, looks for another hit-and-run Group 1 in Hong Kong.
California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) made the running and Lucky Sweynesse did the chasing in last year's Queen's Silver Jubilee, but the pacesetter couldn't quite see it out and settled for a sound second. The 6-year-old was very good in carrying 135 pounds to victory in the G2 Sha Tin Trophy over a mile on seasonal debut back in October, but those weight-bearing efforts can exact a toll, as he is winless in his last four, including a fourth in the G1 Stewards' Cup over the metric mile Jan. 21. A trip to the desert for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint could be in the offing with a return to something approaching his best form.
“He's entered for Dubai and we'll decide whether we will go depending on how he performs on Sunday,” said Cruz. “We hope for a good result.”
Zac Purton opted for California Spangle over Lucky Sweynesse last year and gets a leg up on Beauty Joy (Aus) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) from Tony Cruz Sunday afternoon. After besting Beauty Joy (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) in November's G2 Jockey Club Mile, Beauty Eternal was an even sixth behind Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile and exits a solid second to the Dubai-bound Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) in the Stewards' Cup.
Cruz is a three-time winner of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, most notably with the legendary Silent Witness (Aus) back in 2005.
Perennial leading jockey Zac Purton fired in a six-timer Sunday at Sha Tin, his best day in 15 months, but he was unable to sweeten the deal in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup. Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}), the newly crowned world's best sprinter, was the $1.35 jolly to follow up on his victory in the G1 Longines Hong Sprint Dec. 10, but he was slow through the early stages and it ultimately spelled doom, as Derek Leung walked the dog astride Victor the Winner (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) en route to a $38 boilover.
Having defeated the champion sprinter in the traditional opening-day Class 1 feature over Sunday's course and distance back in September–a race run at a snail's pace in wet conditions–Victor the Winner was an on-pace fourth in December's Group 1 contest and was exiting a seventh to Whizz Kid (Aus) (Shalaa {Ire}) in Group 3 company up the 1000-metre straight Jan. 7.
Accordingly sent off at rough odds Sunday, Victor the Winner nearly beat the gate and was immediately in front and was able to run leisurely sections in the lead, going the first 400 metres in :24.30 (standard :23.50) with Whizz Kid doing the chasing and Lucky Sweynesse buried back in the latter third of the field. Still traveling supremely easily on the turn, Victor the Winner got the opening 800 metres in :47.25 (standard :45.80), meaning he had plenty left when the real running started and he was never in any sort of danger in the run to the line. Hong Kong Sprint runner-up Lucky With You (Aus) (Artie Schiller) earned another top-level placing in second, while former champion Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) acquitted himself well in third. Despite a final sectional clocking of a race-fastest :21.98, Lucky Sweynesse could do no better than sixth, beaten 4 1/4 lengths.
“It feels great. Thank you for the opportunity from the owner and the trainer,” said homegrown rider Derek Leung, annexing his first Group 1 since guiding Beauty Generation (NZ) in the 2017 Hong Kong Mile. “We drew an outside gate, but we flew out of the gate, so (we) took advantage and just went forward–he was quite relaxed after that and at the 500m, I knew he was going to kick very strong. Very lucky, it was a win.”
Winning trainer Danny Shum, who sent Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) to Australia to land the G1 Cox Plate last October, has a potential overseas target in mind for Victor the Winner, namely the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo Mar. 24.
“I entered him in Japan over 1200m, so I will see how he pulls up and then decide if I keep him in Hong Kong or send him to Japan in March,” Shum said. “I've considered Japan for a long time, because it's a left-hand turn. In the morning, his left-hand turn is better than his right-hand turn, so we have to give him a chance overseas.”
Of the beaten favourite, Purton told South China Morning Post: “He just couldn't get going early and that's his Achilles' heel. Some days he just can't show any gate speed, which was the case today. Once all the horses got their spot, they just slammed on the brakes and he was back in a bad spot. There is not much you can do about it.”
Victor the Winner is the 35th stakes winner and 13th group/graded winner for Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado, now the sire of five elite-level scorers worldwide.
Swettenham purchased the stakes-placed Noetic for A$100,000 from the Patinack Farm dispersal in September 2013 and the mare produced her first foal for Adam Sangster about a month later. A half-sister to the dual stakes-placed Starlight Lady (Aus) (Fantastic Light), Noetic is the dam of three winners from five to the races and her most recent produce is a yearling filly by Swettenham's I Am Immortal (Aus), who was purchased for A$5,500 in utero from the 2022 Inglis June Online Sale. The filly was s bought back on a bid of A$150,000 at the Inglis Great Southern Sale last June.
Victor the Winner's fourth dam, Big Dreams (Great Above), produced two-time American champion sprinter Housebuster (Mt. Livermore) and the family also includes Nutella Fella (Runhappy), winner in the US of the 2023 GI Hopeful S.
According to the Australian Stud Book, Noetic passed away Mar. 2, 2023.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong CENTENARY SPRINT CUP-G1, HK$13,000,000, Sha Tin, 1-28, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:09.43, gd.
1–VICTOR THE WINNER (AUS), 126, g, 5, by Toronado (Ire) 1st Dam: Noetic (Aus) (SP-Aus), by Cape Cross (Ire) 2nd Dam: Dancing Starlight, by Atticus 3rd Dam: Night and Dreams, by Fappiano 1ST STAKES WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN, 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (A$180,000 Ylg '20 INGMAR). O-Chu Yun Lau; B-Adam Sangster (Vic); T-Danny Shum; J-Derek Leung; HK$7,280,000. Lifetime Record: 14-7-2-0, HK$19,744,025. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lucky With You (Aus), 126, g, 6, Artie Schiller–Heredera (Aus), by Northern Meteor (Aus). (A$130,000 Ylg '19 INGMAR). O-Vincent Leung Man Him; B-Emirates Park Pty Ltd (NSW); T-Frankie Lor; J-Andrea Atzeni; HK$2,730,000.
3–Wellington (Aus), 126, g, 7, All Too Hard (Aus)–Mihiri (Aus), by More Than Ready. (A$70,000 Ylg '18 MMGCYS). O-Mr & Mrs Michael Cheng Wing On & Jeffrey Cheng Man Cheong; B-Kia Ora Stud Pty Ltd, David Paradise, Steve McCann (NSW); T-Jamie Richards; J-Hugh Bowman; HK$1,495,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 37-1, 19-1, 6-1.
Also Ran: Son Pak Fu (Aus), Flying Ace (NZ), Lucky Sweynesse (NZ), Taj Dragon (Ire), Whizz Kid (Aus), Packing Treadmill (Aus), Courier Wonder (NZ), Duke Wai (NZ), Sight Success (Aus), Super Wealthy (Aus). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing.
Having been officially recognized as the world's top-rated sprinter in London earlier this week, Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) figures difficult to beat in defence of his title in Sunday's G1 Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse.
The 5-year-old added last season's G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup in March and the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize the following month, but took a pair of defeats under big weights in his first two starts this season. More workmanlike than brilliant in besting Victor the Winner (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) in the G2 Jockey Club Sprint in November, Lucky Sweynesse was more dominant in defeating Lucky With You (Aus) (Artie Schiller) in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, making him the first to win each of the jurisdiction's Group 1 sprints in a calendar year. Still, champion jockey Zac Purton believes his mount can do even better.
“It's not easy to win any international race in Hong Kong, so you've got to put it towards the top of his list,” Purton told South China Morning Post. “But it wasn't one of his most devastating performances. I think he's feeling pretty good. I think he's taken another little step again so I'm looking forward to the race.”
Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) is winless since taking the 2022 Hong Kong Sprint, a race in which Lucky Sweynesse endured a checkered passage, and was second in this event last season. Now under the care of Jamie Richards, the 7-year-old was a sound third in the International Sprint last time out.
Courier Wonder (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) was runner-up to Lucky Sweynesse in the Chairman's Sprint Prize, but hasn't seen a winner's enclosure since running his record to a perfect five-from-five in Group 3 company in May 2021. He returns from a six-month absence and now resides in the barn of Mark Newnham.
“I'm very pleased with him,” the Aussie expat told the HKJC's Declan Schuster. “We've had him for about eight weeks now and so far the preparation has been without incident. I've been riding him a lot in work myself and I am happy with the way he is moving.”
Sha Tin, 28 Jan | 