In a thrilling twist at Nakayama, the evergreen eight-year-old Win Carnelian claimed his first elite-level triumph in the G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m), leaving favourite Lucky Sweynesse to finish a disappointing 11th. The victory, clocked in a slick 1m 06.9s, was the second fastest in the race’s history, just behind Lord Kanaloa’s 2012 track record of 1m 06.7s.
Breaking from barrier 10 of 16, Lucky Sweynesse was hoping to become Hong Kong’s third Sprinters Stakes winner after Silent Witness (2005) and Ultra Fantasy (2010). The eight-year-old settled behind early leader June Blair but found himself boxed in through heavy traffic down the back straight. By the time jockey Derek Leung asked him for his effort, the uphill 310m home stretch at Nakayama left too much to do.
Meanwhile, Win Carnelian, drawing wide, cruised early to track June Blair before powering past in the final meters to snatch victory by a head. The crowd of 33,918 erupted as the 92/1 outsider crossed the line first, proving that experience and tenacity can trump odds.
Trainer Manfred Man reflected on Lucky Sweynesse’s run: “The draw was a bit wide and the pace very fast. He had to work hard and it was difficult for him. We will now let him recover and go back into quarantine before planning his next start.”
Leung added, “He didn’t have a smooth trip. The outside horse kept squeezing him, and the tempo was different from Hong Kong. It was his first time here, and he struggled with the traffic, but he finished well and is sound.”
For jockey Kosei Miura, the win was a long-awaited G1 breakthrough after 18 years in the JRA. “There were times I thought a G1 title wasn’t meant for me, but I never gave up. Owners, connections, and fans kept rooting for me – this is a truly great feeling,” he said.
June Blair fought hard for second under Yutaka Take, while Namura Clair secured third, adding another Group 1 placing to her 23-start career. Race favourite Satono Reve closed late for fourth. Win Carnelian, trained by Yuichi Shikato, is now a nine-time winner and has international experience in the USA and Dubai.
Read the full Sprinters Stakes report on RaceBuzz.
