The Manfred Man-trained Lucky Sweynesse was named this season’s Champion Sprinter and Champion Four-Year-Old. The emerging youngster continued his advance from his 98 rating to become a three-time Group 1 winner this term, claiming each leg of Hong Kong’s HK$5 million Speed Series: G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m).
The Sweynesse gelding matched Beauty Generation’s record for the most wins in a single season when he ended the term on a high note by scoring for the eighth time in the G3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m).
Currently rated 131 locally, Lucky Sweynesse is the highest-rated four-year-old in Hong Kong.
The Danny Shum-trained Romantic Warrior has been crowned Champion Middle-Distance Horse for the second consecutive year by winning the two prominent 10 furlong features in Hong Kong – the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m), beating overseas rivals on both occasions. In the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup, the son of Acclamation left a high-class global field trailing in his wake with a dominant performance and in April this year, he confirmed himself among the world’s elite with a commanding second straight success in the FWD QEII Cup.
A graduate of the 2021 Hong Kong International Sale as a HK$4.8 million purchase, Romantic Warrior is currently ranked joint-seventh in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings with the international rating of 123. His earnings hit HK$84.36 million, with 10 wins from 14 starts.
The Douglas Whyte-trained Russian Emperor claimed back-to-back Champion Stayer of Hong Kong titles following his tremendous win in the QAT G1 H.H. The Amir Trophy (2400m) in Doha, Qatar. He is the only Hong Kong runner to score in an overseas race this term.
Upon returning to Hong Kong, he claimed a second consecutive G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) in May.
The John Size-trained Howdeepisyourlove finished his debut season with four wins from 12 starts to be crowned Hong Kong’s Champion Griffin. The three-year-old has nine top-three finishes to his name and achieved a career highlight with victory in Class 2. Howdeepisyourlove shot up 44 points and now sits on a career-high rating of 96.
The John Size-trained Beauty Eternal is this season’s Most Improved Horse. After starting the campaign rated 52, the Starspangledbanner gelding soared 65 points to 117 after achieving seven wins, one second and two thirds from 10 starts in his first season.
John Size was honored with a record 12th Hong Kong Champion Trainer title. The battle for the championship was settled before the season finale, as Size successfully repelled a strong challenge from Francis Lui and Frankie Lor throughout the season to recapture the crown.
Zac Purton is now a six-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey. The Australian rider enjoyed another remarkable season of dominance, including breaking Joao Moreira’s single-season record of 170 wins.
He also reached 1,600 career wins in Hong Kong. Purton and Douglas Whyte are the only jockeys in the history of Hong Kong racing to reach 1,600 wins.
Vincent Ho won the Tony Cruz Award as the season’s leading homegrown rider with a personal-best 96 wins. He was voted as Most Popular Jockey as well.
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Award Winner
Horse of the Year Golden Sixty
Champion Trainer: John Size
Champion Jockey: Zac Purton
Tony Cruz Award: Vincent Ho
Champion 4YO: Lucky Sweynesse
Champion Sprinter: Lucky Sweynesse
Champion Miler: Golden Sixty
Champion Middle-Distance Horse: Romantic Warrior
Champion Stayer: Russian Emperor
Champion Griffin: Howdeeepisyourlove
Most Improved Horse: Beauty Eternal
Most Popular Horse: Golden Sixty
Most Popular Jockey: Vincent Ho
Six-time HK champion jockey Zac Purton receives the trophy from HKJC Steward Dr Silas Yang.
