Lucky Sweynesse and California Spangle justify confidence

Having gone head-to-head in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (Gr 1, 1400m) last month, Lucky Sweynesse (Sweynesse) and California Spangle (Starspangledbanner) cemented their position as two of Hong Kong’s leading stars when they each justified short-priced favouritism to claim the pair of Group 2 contests at Sha Tin on Sunday. 

Lucky Sweynesse, the one-and-a-quarter-length winner of that Group 1 contest on March 19, further lay claim to being Hong Kong’s best sprinter when defeating four-time Group 1 winner Wellington (All Too Hard) to win the Sprint Cup (Gr 2, 1200m). 

The Manfred Man-trained gelding is the flagbearer for his Novara Park stallion Sweynesse (Lonhro), who has five stakes winners from three crops of racing age.

Lucky Sweynesse is now a winner of 11 of his 15 starts, a haul which includes two victories at the highest level, having won the Centenary Sprint Cup (Gr 1, 1200m) ahead of his Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup triumph.

His success sees Sweynesse sit fourth in the Hong Kong sires Premiership, his HK$31,470,500 (approx. AU$6.048 million) in prize-money accrued behind only the totals of Hong Kong’s champion sire Deep Field (Northern Meteor), Starspangledbanner (Choisir) and All Too Hard (Casino Prince).

Starspangledbanner was handed a further boost to his season when his son California Spangle added a fifth stakes win in Hong Kong when landing the Chairman’s Trophy (Gr 2, 1600m) at Sha Tin. 

The Australian-bred son of the former Rosemont Stud shuttler beat Money Catcher (Ferlax) by a half-length.

 

First for Havana Grey

Kaholo Angel (3 c ex Starboard Watch by Harbour Watch) became the first winner in Hong Kong for his sire Havana Grey (Havana Gold) when winning the Barker Plate (1000m) for Griffins at Sha Tin on Sunday. Making his debut, the Caspar Fownes-trained colt won by a length and a half ahead of Joyful Prosperity (Daiwa Major). The British-bred Kaholo Angel is the second foal out of Harbour Watch (Acclamation) mare Starboard Watch. Kaholo Angel was a 21,000gns weanling buy at Tattersalls for Hazelwood Bloodstock, before being sold as a yearling for 57,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, when purchased by Dwayne Woods. Whitsbury Manor Stud stallion Havana Grey has had two runners in Hong Kong. 


16 for Toronado 

Red Elegance (3 g ex Esteemed Elegance by Sir Percy) became the 16th winner from just 20 runners in Hong Kong for his Swettenham Stud sire Toronado (High Chaparral), when landing the Homestead Handicap (Class 4, 1000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Making his debut, Red Elegance won by two and a quarter lengths ahead of Lucky Encounter (Epaulette). The Jamie Richards-trained three-year-old was an $80,000 buy for Dynasty Towns Bloodstock from the Riverina Downs draft at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. He is the second foal out of two-time provincial winner Esteemed Elegance (Sir Percy).  


Third for Mehmas

Taj Dragon (4 g ex Next Trial by Hard Spun) earned his sire Mehmas (Acclamation) a third winner in Hong Kong from just four runners when bagging the Severn Handicap (Class 3, 1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Trained by Pierre Ng, Taj Dragon defeated Solid Impact (Sweynesse) by three-quarters of a length. Taj Dragon was a £19,000 buy for BBA Ireland at the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale and was imported to Hong Kong after a hat-trick of wins in Britain. He is the third foal out of unraced mare Next Trial (Hard Spun), herself a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Space Blues (Dubawi). 


52 for Holy Roman Emperor

Loyal Ambition (5 g ex Heart Of Ice by Montjeu) became the 52nd winner in Hong Kong for his sire Holy Roman Emperor (Danehill) when he took out the Flamingo Flower Handicap (Class 5, 2200m) at Happy Valley on Thursday. Trained by Caspar Fownes, Loyal Ambition won by a length ahead of Al One (Shocking). An International Sale Graduate, Loyal Ambition was purchased for €65,000 by the Hong Kong Jockey Club at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, before being sold for HK$2.2 million to Wong Ka Ming at the Hong Kong Sale in 2021. The German-bred five-year-old is a half-brother to Listed winner High Duty (Oratorio) being out of the winning Montjeu (Sadler’s Wells) mare Heart Of Ice. Coolmore sire Holy Roman Emperor has had 87 runners in Hong Kong. 

 

First for Sioux Nation

Helene Feeling (3 g ex Cynthia Calhoun by Exceed And Excel), the first runner in Hong Kong for his sire Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy), became the stallion’s first winner in the jurisdiction when scoring in the Lusitano Challenge Cup (Class 3, 1650m) at Happy Valley on Thursday. The Irish-bred three-year-old won by a short-head ahead of New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Rocket Spade (Fastnet Rock). Helene Feeling, who won two races in Britain before his export to Hong Kong, is the fourth foal out of the Exceed And Excel (Danehill) mare Cynthia Calhoun. He was a €15,500 weanling buy before being sold as a yearling for 40,000gns when purchased by Nick Bell at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. 

 

Malaysia
Golden Champ regains his sparkle
Having suffered his first defeat in four starts in Malaysia on his previous outing, Golden Champ (Midshipman) regained the winning habit when taking out a Class 3 contest over 1200 metres at Sungei Besi yesterday.

Now trained by Tiang Kim Choi, the Brazilian-bred six-year-old, who won just once in Singapore having arrived a highly touted prospect, took his career tally to seven wins from 23 starts after he beat Grand Choice (Master Of Design) by a length and three-quarters.

Winning rider Nuqman Faris Rozi said: “He’s a very honest horse. I have now ridden him four times for four wins. It wasn’t a strong field today and I knew I had the race won from a long way out.”

Super Dragon (Hidden Dragon) has been under the care of five different trainers since Teo Keiser paid AU$10,000 for the now nine-year-old as a yearling and after a long losing run he finally managed to get his head in front again yesterday when landing a class 5 contest over 1250 metres.

Making his 69th appearance, the gelding won for the seventh time as he downed odds-on favourite White Rabbit (Alamosa) to post a shock outcome to the final race on yesterday’s card, and in the process provided Edson Ferreira with a winner on his first day riding at Sungei Besi.

“I am happy to ride a winner on my first day here,” said Ferreira, 38, who has more than 270 winners to his name.

“I am thankful to the Selangor Turf Club for allowing me to ride here. The track is beautiful and I have been treated well by all the people I meet. I hope to ride many more winners.”

Besides his native Brazil, Ferreira has also ridden in the UAE for a few years.

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