Crowning a perfect week for veteran trainer Manfred Man, rising star Lucky Sweynesse’s (NZ) (Sweynesse) redemptive victory in the HK$12 million Gr.1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday also provided Novara Park stallion Sweynesse with his first Group 1 winner.
Devastated for Man after Lucky Sweynesse failed to obtain clear running before finishing an untested sixth in the Gr.1 Hong Kong Sprint on 11 December, the usually emotionless Purton jubilated in the four-year-old’s first Group 1 success – two days after Man, 65, had been given an extension to continue training next season.
Referring to Lucky Sweynesse’s unfortunate Hong Kong Sprint experience, Purton revealed the most important part of today’s triumph was the validation of Man at the elite level after the five-time Hong Kong champion jockey took luck out of the equation by sitting outside leader Sight Success before accelerating strongly inside the last 200m to prevail in decisive fashion.
“There was nothing I could do in the International Sprint (Hong Kong Sprint). We drew the wrong gate (barrier three) and we just got locked away. I was just disappointed for Manfred. It was his big chance and it doesn’t sit well with me at not being able to deliver for him, but hopefully today has gone some way to repaying him,” Purton said.
“It was pretty painless today. As soon as he begun as well as he did and I was able to get outside the leader, I was fairly confident from there. He still had to turn up and do it and Sight Success gave him a good race – he gave a good kick, so I had to work to get past him and hold them off. He did a terrific job.”
Purton seized a familiar initiative today after Lucky Sweynesse mustered early speed to take his preferred position on the speed, while Hong Kong’s top-rated sprinter and four-time Gr.1 winner Wellington stalked his rival from fourth place but was ultimately unable to overhaul his younger foe in the run to the line after Purton had struck first for home.
Beaming with excitement, Man said: “Each winner is special for me but a Group 1 winner makes me feel powerful. I’m still excited. I was full of confidence that he could win. Two runs ago he just had no luck, everyone could see that. This race he drew eight but he could still win. I think the horse can still improve. Zac told me he is a good horse.”
Ruling out international travel, Man will next target the two remaining legs in Hong Kong’s Speed Series – the Gr.1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup 1400m on 19 March and the Gr.1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize 1200m on 30 April.
Asked about the licence extension, Man who has 23 winners this season, said: “I can only say thank you to the Jockey Club for giving me the chance, I will try my best.”
Lucky Sweynesse was jointly bred by Allan Sharrock and Paul Dombroski with Novara Park and was sold by Woburn Farm at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale for $90,000 to J & I Bloodstock and then won an Ellerslie inside track trial by 6 lengths when trained by Shelley Hale before being sold to Hong Kong.
