Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) Steps up to the Big Time

Ready to Run Sale graduate Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) announced his arrival among Hong Kong’s premier sprinters with a highly impressive come-from-behind victory in Sunday’s HK$5m Group Two BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin. 

Bought for $90,000 from the 2020 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, Lucky Sweynesse has now won seven of his 10 starts and earned HK$12.75m for his owners Cheng Ming Leung, Cheng Yu Tung, Cheng Mei Mei and Cheng Yu Wai. That’s the equivalent of NZ$2.65m, which is 30 times his purchase price.

Lucky Sweynesse won five of his seven starts during his first season in Hong Kong in 2021-22, earning himself the accolade of Champion Griffin at Hong Kong’s end-of-season awards. But that was only the beginning of his rapid rise. He has added another two wins from three starts so far in 2022-23, and after running second in his first start at stakes level in last month’s Group Two Premier Bowl (1200m), on Sunday he made his mark on the big stage.

Given a perfect ride by Zac Purton after jumping from a wide gate, the four-year-old gelding settled in midfield in seventh spot, one off the rail, and he was cruising around the Sha Tin track in a smooth rhythm.

Purton brought Lucky Sweynesse to the outside with 400 metres remaining and put the pedal to the floor, and his mount responded in style and soon started gaining ground on the leaders.

He charged to the lead inside the final 100 metres, then withstood the late charge of fellow Kiwi-bred Lucky Patch (NZ) (El Roca) to score by a neck. His time was a sizzling 1:07.55.

“He didn’t begin that great and I had no option but to take the spot I got, which worked out well with the way the race was run,” Purton said. “I thought it was a soft win. He’s done a good job and he’s a horse on the way up.”

Lucky Sweynesse is trained by Manfred Man, who declared on Sunday that he is the best horse he has ever had in his stable.

“I think the jockey rode the perfect race for my horse,” Man said. “The horse’s condition was very good, but unfortunately he got the outside draw. If we’d had a better draw, I would have been more confident.

“I think this horse is better than the ones I’ve had before, and I’m confident to say he can still improve.”

Lucky Sweynesse is by Novara Park stallion Sweynesse out of the well-performed racemare Madonna Mia (NZ) (Red Clubs), who won nine races including the Listed Wanganui Cup (2040m).