The roar of Nakayama Racecourse might be a world away from Hong Kong, but Derek Leung’s pride in representing his home turf is unmistakable. The 37-year-old jockey could barely hide his excitement as he prepared to ride Lucky Sweynesse in Sunday’s G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m), a race that pits him against some of Japan’s top sprinters.
“This Sunday is very special for me,” Leung said, a smile lighting up his face. “It’s an honour to represent Hong Kong. I’m lucky to have the trainer and owner’s support to ride overseas, and I hope we can have a smooth race and run well.”
Leung, closing in on a landmark 500 Hong Kong wins, has already tasted Group 1 glory with Beauty Generation in 2017 and Victor The Winner in 2024. But riding Lucky Sweynesse abroad offers a new pinnacle: a chance to etch his name further in international racing.
Ahead of Sunday, Leung will saddle Smart Weiss in the Shufu Stakes (1600m) and Sumire First in Race 12 on Saturday. Smart Weiss, a three-time winner, carries the pink and black silks of Toru Okawa, a familiar name in Sha Tin racing circles.
At Nakayama, Leung has been carefully familiarizing himself with the track’s unique layout — a sweeping back stretch that slopes downhill before a short but steeply inclined home straight of 310 metres. “The draw is a bit wide,” Leung admitted. “We’ll see how the course rides on Saturday and Sunday, plan the pace, and hope for some luck.”
Lucky Sweynesse, trained by Manfred Man, breaks from barrier 10 in the Sprinters Stakes, facing a field of 15, including Satono Reve, the hot favourite from barrier seven. Other notable runners are Mama Cocha (4), Namura Clair (6), Toshin Macau (11), Lugal (15), and Win Carnelian (16).
“Satono Reve has shown excellent form in Hong Kong, Europe, and Japan,” Leung said. “It’s a strong field, and we need everything to go our way to get a good result.”
Manfred Man, 68, has spent decades in Hong Kong racing, with a QEII Cup win in 1979 as a jockey and a record of international success as a trainer. This season, he hopes to repeat his recent overseas triumph in South Korea’s G3 Korea Sprint with Lucky Sweynesse, mirroring the landmark victories of Hong Kong runners like Ultra Fantasy in Japan.
“Our horse’s form is very good,” Man said. “He needed a few days to settle in Japan, but now he seems to enjoy it more than Hong Kong. We’ve been working him daily on the turf to get experience on this track, and everything is fine.”
Barrier 10, from which Lucky Sweynesse starts, has historically yielded five winners since 1990, tied for the second-most successful draw. Hong Kong horses have made 16 attempts in the Sprinters Stakes, with Silent Witness in 2005 and Ultra Fantasy among the few victors.
For Derek Leung and Lucky Sweynesse, Sunday represents not just a test of speed but a moment of pride for Hong Kong racing on the world stage.
Read the full story and updates on international racing at RaceBuzz.
