Hong Kong’s former champion sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) returned to winning form in style in Monday’s HK$5.35m Group Two Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) at Sha Tin.
Offered by Woburn Farm at the 2020 NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, Lucky Sweynesse was bought by Joe Barnes’ J & I Bloodstock for $90,000. He has earned more than 200 times that amount in a decorated Hong Kong career.
From a total of 33 starts dating back to February of 2022, Lucky Sweynesse has recorded 17 wins and eight placings and has earned just under HK$85m – the equivalent of NZ$18.95m.
Lucky Sweynesse achieved a record-equalling eight wins in a single Hong Kong season back in 2022-23, an extraordinary campaign that catapulted him to the top of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for sprinters. Those eight victories came from just 10 starts and included his last six in succession, three of them at Group One level – the Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m).
He added the Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) the following season, but it had been a lean run since then as far as wins are concerned for the Manfred Man-trained gelding – his last victory was in April of 2024. However, there had been promising signs leading into Monday with placings behind superstars Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) and Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) in his two most recent starts.
Lucky Sweynesse was right back at his magnificent best in the Chairman’s Trophy on Monday, and with these heroics over 1600 metres, he stretched out beyond his traditional sprint distances and added a new string to his bow.
Jockey Derek Leung had him handily positioned and tucked in behind the front-runner Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit), then moved him out three wide to loom on the outside of the leaders at the home turn.
Leung asked Lucky Sweynesse for his full effort in the straight and he pulled ahead to lead by more than two lengths, then fought bravely to hold out the late challenge of the favourite My Wish (Flying Artie) by a short head.
“He makes me feel surprised,” Man said. “When he was young, he was a sprinter, but now as a seven-year-old, he can go to one mile. This horse is very fit, and we are lucky in this race that we had two horses go to the front. He stayed behind the leaders and he ran very comfortably – the horse did very well.
“He (Leung) has ridden him a few times and knows the horse. The horse was 100% fit today. In my lifetime, this horse is the perfect one, and we’ll keep his training normal – his age is seven, so I don’t want to push him too hard.”
The 2026 edition of the NZB Ready to Run Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre on Wednesday 18 & Thursday 19 November, with Breeze Ups to be held at Te Rapa Racecourse on Monday 12 & Tuesday 13 October.
Lucky Sweynesse was part of a huge day at Sha Tin on Monday for New Zealand-sourced talent, with champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) extending his unprecedented winning sequence to 19 in the Group Two Sprint Cup (1200m). He won by four and a quarter lengths and broke his own track record with a time of 1:07.12.
| Vendor | Woburn Farm |
|---|---|
| Purchaser | J & I Bloodstock (Waikato) |
| Breeding | Sweynesse – Madonna Mia |
| Sale | Lot 284, 2020 Ready to Run Sale, $90,000 |
| Breeder | P L Dombroski, Explosive Breeding Ltd & S A Sharrock |
| Owner | Cheng Ming Leung, Cheng Yu Tung, Cheng Mei Mei & Cheng Yu Wai |
