Lucky Sweynesse announced himself as one of the best in the world. Will the 2024 Chairman's Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday provide another great moment?
2024 CHAIRMAN'S SPRINT PRIZE - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Chairman's Sprint Prize is a Group 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for the sprinters at Sha Tin conducted by Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Chairman's Sprint Prize is run over 1200m. It was first run in 1979 as the Hong Kong Sprint Championship when Sha Tin was opened.
The first winner was the Arthur Ward trained Ever Win who took the first running under Tony Cruz.
Ivan Allan had a great run going, winning six times in seven years from 1995.
Some of Hong Kong's best short coursers have taken it out, many of whom have taken international prizes.
The 2016 edition was the first time it was an international G1 contest with prize money upped to HK$10 million. The race was shifted to a May date - as the final leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series and the fourth leg of the Global Sprint Challenge - to fill the void left by Singapore's discontinued KrisFlyer International Sprint.
One of the all-time best wins you'd see came from Australian sprinter Chautauqua in that 2016 running. He was two lengths last out of the gates and still 12 lengths back on the corner.
But much like many of his famous wins at home, he rounded up the field to score held together on the line.
2017 winner Lucky Bubbles gave his trainer Francis Lui a career-first G1 success. He was also the 16th Australian-bred to win the Chairman's Sprint Prize since it was upgraded to HKG1 status in 1992. Ivictory, Beat The Clock and Mr Stunning then added to that tally.
Quicken Away is the only horse to have won the Chairman's Sprint Prize three times (1989, 1990 & 1991). Eight others since 1985 won this race twice, the latest being Wellington in 2021 & 2022.
Silent Witness in 2004 and Sacred Kingdom in 2008 were the only two four-year-olds to have won this race since 2000 before Ivictory in 2018 and then Wellington in 2021. The last three-year-old to win was Fairy King Prawn in 1999.
Jockey Brett Prebble has an outstanding record in this race, collecting four wins (Lucky Nine 2013 & 2014, Sacred Kingdom 2010, Absolute Champion 2007) and placing on seven other occasions.
Basil Marcus is the most successful jockey in Chairman's Sprint Prize history, having won the race five times. His first win aboard Concert King in 1992 also denied Quicken Away a record fourth win in the race.
While Ivan Allan is the all-time most successful trainer in this race with six wins, John Moore is the most successful active trainer, having notched four wins and 17 placings from 62 runners since 1986. He is followed by Ricky Yiu, the most successful home-grown trainer in this race with three wins and Richard Gibson has won three.
Favourites have won 18 of the past 38 editions, including 12 that started even money or shorter. Dim Sum won the 2009 renewal at 50/1 and was the longest-priced winner in that period.
The Chairman's Sprint Prize was worth HK$22m in 2024.
Some notable winners of the Chairman's Sprint Prize include Lucky Sweynesse (2023), Wellington (2021/2022), Beat The Clock (2019), Lucky Bubbles (2017), Chautauqua (2016), Gold-Fun (2015), Lucky Nine (2013/2014), Sacred Kingdom (2008/2010), Absolute Champion (2007), Silent Witness (2004/2005), Fairy King Prawn (1999/2001) and Mr Vitality (1995/1996).
The 2023 Chairman's Sprint Prize was won by Lucky Sweynesse from Courier Wonder and Wellington.
