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posted on 21 November, 2022

Lucky Sweynesse scoops G2 Jockey Club Sprint at Sha Tin

Nothing Lucky about Sweynesse success as Manfred Man declares him the best horse he’s trained

Handler says Group Two BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1,200m) winner can improve again in next month’s Group One Longines Hong Kong Sprint

Manfred Man Ka-leung declared Lucky Sweynesse the best horse of his 21-year training career after last season’s Champion Griffin won Sunday’s Group Two BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1,200m) and almost broke Sha Tin’s 17-year-old track record.

Lucky Sweynesse stopped the Sha Tin clock just .05 seconds slower than Sacred Kingdom’s winning time in the Jockey Club Sprint’s 2007 edition, back when the event was known as the International Sprint Trial.

The third leg of Zac Purton’s four-timer, Lucky Sweynesse’s Jockey Club Sprint win completed the champion jockey’s full set of Hong Kong’s Group races – the city’s only silverware missing from the Australian rider’s trophy cabinet is a Classic Mile prize.

Man showered both Purton and Lucky Sweynesse with compliments following his galloper’s neck defeat of 2021 Jockey Club Sprint victor Lucky Patch, who bounced back to his form of early last term.

“I think the jockey rode the perfect race for my horse. My horse’s condition was very good, but unfortunately he got the outside draw. He’s still thinking about how to race, but the jockey said he would get the good position. If we’d got a better draw, I’d have been more confident,” Man said.

“He’s done it tough from awkward gates this time in, but behind the gates I saw six jockeys trotting their horses up and they’ve all got speed, so I knew it was going to be a bit messy,” Purton said.

Asked to rank Lucky Sweynesse in the all-time list of gallopers he has trained since he received his Jockey Club licence in 2001, Man did not hesitate to put him on top, above two-time Centenary Sprint Cup champion Eagle Regiment and Chairman’s Sprint Prize runner-up Big Time Baby, with more to come.

“I think this one is better than the other two before. I’m confident to say he can still improve,” said Man, who hopes Longines Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) contender Lucky Sweynesse can end his two-decade wait to saddle an elite-level winner.

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St James Timeform

Says of King of Comedy :

King Of Comedy put in an outstanding effort to finish second beaten a neck by Champion 3YO Miler in France Circus Maximus and half a length ahead of Champion 3YO Colt in Europe Too Darn Hot.

RaceNet - www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/press-statement

Says of Press Statement :

Given that it has won at Group One level and has amassed $1,832,275 in career earnings, Press Statement is regarded as an elite class of racehorse.

Kerrin Mcevoy - Jockey

Says of Sweynesse :

"He’s been pleasing us at home but we were worried about the ground and also he was meeting a good field first-up, I had to ride him a bit steady from the gate but he was electric when I asked him to go."
"He’s a nice, big colt with a lovely relaxed attitude and a very good turn of foot."

James Mcdonald - Jockey

Says of Sweynesse :

"He was awesome. We got back in a slowly run race so his (sectional) splits
would have been amazing."

Hideaki Fujiwara - Champion Trainer Japan

Says of Staphanos :

“Staphanos had outstanding ability showing speed and stamina. He was mentally and physically tough. I expect his progeny to be the same!”

Michael Cox - Former South China Morning Post and now The Age racing writer saw Staphanos in the flesh on the track and in his impressive morning workouts

Says of Staphanos :

"Staphanos is a horse of substance, mixing toughness and a no-nonsense temperament in a career in which he raced and beat some of the best Japan had to offer. What a coup by Luigi Muollo and Novara Park to secure this stallion and what an incredible opportunity for New Zealand breeders to send mares to such a highly credentialed son of Deep Impact. He has the looks, pedigree and racetrack performances to be a hit at stud. He could be a real game changer and just the type of stallion New Zealand needs."