Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) will attempt to cap a stunning first season in Hong Kong when he lines up in the second section of the Class 3 Kam Tin River Handicap (1200m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
Unbeaten across his first three outings in the Far East, Manfred Man’s exciting three-year-old will need to defy a hefty impost of 133lb in a hot finale against 11 opponents tomorrow night, while seven others in the race have been assigned 119lb or less.
Aiming to leap into Class 2 with a fourth victory at the city circuit, jockey Zac Purton retains the ride and steps away from gate five aboard the 80-rater.
“The big weight is a concern, he’s a little bit on the lighter side with his frame, so it’s going to be difficult for him to carry but it will be a good contest,” Purton said.
The New Zealand-bred carried 127lb to victory last start at Happy Valley, digging deep for a half-length score on yielding ground under Purton.
“He’s done a good job so far, I just thought he made hard work of it last time. He got up outside of the leader and he wanted to over-race, then he ran off on the corner at the top of the rock and then he got on the wrong leg, lost his momentum and I had to ride him into the straight and he wandered on that corner too, he was still able to kick on but he got very tired,” Purton said.
The Sweynesse gelding returns for the first time since that effort at the end of March as he bids for a hat-trick of wins in Class 3.
“He’s still a work in progress and I just thought he’d had a few hard runs, he’s gone up in the ratings quite quick and he’s a young horse – it might have been the best thing to give him a little freshen up and let him get over that last run and go again.
“So, here we are now (following the freshen up) and if he can do everything right then of course we’re a good chance again but with the big weight he’s going to need to get it all right,” Purton said.
“It’s always good when they show us as much as he has early and he might even get a little bit further in time but Manfred will just take his time with him. I’m not sure if he’ll run again (this season) after this race, the race tomorrow will tell us.”
