Derek Leung will carry an immense sense of pride to the races in Tokyo, Japan this weekend as he relishes the challenge of international competition and representing Hong Kong, China aboard Lucky Sweynesse in the Group 1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) at Nakayama.
Leung, 37, has 499 Hong Kong racing wins and will aim to become only the fourth local rider — after Tony Cruz, Vincent Ho and Matthew Chadwick – to reach the 500-win milestone at next Wednesday’s National Day fixture at Sha Tin. Before that, though, he will take two mounts on Saturday at Nakayama in readiness for his pairing with Lucky Sweynesse on Sunday.
“I can’t wait for this Sunday. It’s my honour to represent Hong Kong. I’m very lucky to have the trainer and owner’s support to go overseas and ride. I hope everything goes smooth and that we can run a good race,” Leung said.
“My dream is to try and get as many winners as I can and win Group 1s as well. If I am lucky enough to represent Hong Kong overseas, for me, it’s an honour and a big achievement.”
Leung links with Smart Weiss in the Shufu Stakes (1600m) and Sumire First in the programme’s finale (Race 12) on Saturday. Smart Weiss is a three-time winner from seven starts. The son of Lord Kanaloa sports the familiar pink and black colours of owner Toru Okawa, who raced dual Sha Tin winner Smart Charade with trainer Chris So.
“I have two rides on Saturday in races 11 and 12. I will see the draws and try to get good results. Thank you to the owners for their support,” Leung said.
Aboard Lucky Sweynesse in trackwork this week, Leung has gained a valuable feel ahead of the weekend for Nakayama’s unique contours, featuring a long sweeping back section which heads downhill before turning into a short home straight (310m) with a steep incline.
The Manfred Man-trained Lucky Sweynesse steps from gate 10 in Sunday’s Sprinters Stakes against 15 rivals, including Satono Reve (barrier seven) – who brings Ka Ying Rising and Royal Ascot form to Nakayama – as well as Mama Cocha (four), Namura Clair (six), Toshin Macau (11), Lugal (15) and Win Carnelian (16).
“You can see Satono Reve has performed very well in Hong Kong, Europe and Japan. Of course, he is a hot favourite here. I think, I respect all of the horses, it’s a very strong field and hopefully we can get some luck and a good result,” Leung said.
“The draw is a bit wide. We will see on Saturday and Sunday what the racecourse is like, coming from behind, midfield or forward. We’ll try to plan it out later. There are quite a few leaders positioned outside, so they need to work a bit to get in.”
A product of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Apprentice Jockeys’ School, Leung has won two Group 1 races in Hong Kong aboard Beauty Generation in the 2017 G1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) and Victor The Winner in the 2024 G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), although success aboard Lucky Sweynesse this Sunday profiles as a new pinnacle for Leung.
“His fitness is improving. We know his action is fine and that he keeps getting better and better, but with this class you need to be in top form to run well. This season, he sounds good, though the weather limited him to less training before the season started because of the rain,” Leung said.
Man, 68, became a fully-fledged trainer in 2001. He won the 1979 QEII Cup on Go-Getter as a jockey before climbing the local ranks as an assistant trainer, notably under the tutelage of top trainer John Moore.
Earlier this month, Man united with jockey Jerry Chau as the second all-local combination to win a race abroad – a feat that he is aiming to repeat on Sunday with Leung – in South Korea’s Group 3 Korea Sprint (1200m, sand) on September 7. Trainer Ricky Yiu and Alex Lai first secured the landmark with Ultra Fantasy in the 2010 Sprinters Stakes.
“My horse’s form is very well. We are all satisfied about this trip and everything is fine. He has come to Japan and at first, he feels like a stranger, but after a few days it looks like he loves Japan more than Hong Kong,” Man said.
“We feel that everything is fine. The draw is a little bit wide and the better chances from Japan have a better draw.”
The trainer has worked Lucky Sweynesse each day on the turf course at Nakayama since Wednesday’s final gallop, citing added experience as the reason ahead of Sunday’s 59th running of the Sprinters Stakes.
“In Hong Kong the grass track isn’t always open. In Japan over these few days, they have opened the grass track for us each day, so we decided to have the horse practice on the grass track so that he can get more experience,” Man said.
“Thank you to the JRA (Japan Racing Association) for inviting us to race here. I hope my horse gets a good result.”
Barrier 10 is the joint-second most successful draw since 1990 (to 2024) with five wins, equal to gate 13, while barrier eight leads the way with seven winners.
Overall, 16 attempts have been made by runners from Hong Kong to capture the Sprinters Stakes, with Silent Witness (2005) the only other triumphant, along with Ultra Fantasy.