Hong Kong Sprint

Hong Kong Sprint

Group One Betting Guide
Date: December 8, 2024
Location: Sha Tin Racecourse, Hong Kong
Distance: 1200m
Prize Money: HK$26,000,000

The Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint is one of four Hong Kong International Races, offering a purse of HK$26,000,000.

Held in mid-December each year, the 1200m event is one of the world’s highest-rated short-course races and attracts punters from all around the globe. It is now the final leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, which includes high-calibre races from countries such as England, Dubai and Australia.

The Hong Kong Sprint has been won by some genuine champions of the turf. Betting markets for the race are open for most of the year, so sign up with our recommended bookmakers to bet on the next sprinting superstar.


2024 Hong Kong Sprint Odds

Lucky Sweynesse careers to his fourth Group 1 victory.

Odds are not available for the 2024 Hong Kong Sprint.


Best Hong Kong Sprint bookmakers

All of the bookmakers listed below offer betting on the Hong Kong Sprint and weekly Hong Kong race meetings.

Punters can bet into all Hong Kong markets where fixed odds and futures betting are available.

United States Hong Kong Sprint Bookies

Hong Kong Sprint Bookies


Latest Hong Kong Sprint News

Hong Kong excels on world stage with 2023 HKIR meeting
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has praised the 2023 Hong Kong International Races as “one of the ...
Lucky Sweynesse bounces back to claim Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint
Manfred Man and Zac Purton have combined with Lucky Sweynesse to take out the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint at ...
Sha Tin racing tips
The annual Hong Kong International Race Day will be held at Sha Tin Racecourse this Sunday afternoon. Check out Horsebetting's ...
Wellington could begin a big month for trainer Jamie Richards
Jamie Richards hopes that Wellington is ready to run a big race in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint at ...
Barrier challenge as Golden Sixty chases history
Golden Sixty must overcome the widest draw of all in stall 14 if he is to reclaim his Group 1 ...
Andrea Atzeni bids to continue excellent season with HKIR success
Andrea Atzeni has will bid to underline his potential as one of the brightest talents with two rides at the ...

Hong Kong Sprint facts and figures

Knowing all the facts and figures can make betting on horse racing much easier. Knowing which trainers and jockeys to follow is a great way to make some extra cash.

  • Most wins by a trainer: Ricky Yiu (1999, 2007, 2009)
  • Most wins by a jockey: Brett Prebble (2006, 2009, 2011)

Four horses have won the Hong Kong Sprint on two occasions. Mr Stunnong, Falvelon, Silent Witness and Lord Kanaloa won consecutive Hong Kong Sprints, with Sacred Kingdom winning in both 2007 and 2009.

The fastest time recorded was 1:07.80 in 2006 by Absolute Champion. The race was changed from 1000m to 1200m in 2006 and the quickest time over the shorter distance is held by All Thrills Too, who ran a slick 56.40 in 2002.


2024 Hong Kong Sprint Final Field

Horsebetting will update this page when the 2024 Hong Kong Cup field is released.


Previous Hong Kong Sprint Field

  • No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
    1 Silks
    Lucky Sweynesse
    Manfred Man
    Zac Purton
    5
    126lb
    2 Silks
    Wellington
    Jamie Richards
    Alexis Badel
    3
    126lb
    3 Silks
    Mad Cool
    Manabu Ikezoe
    Cristian Demuro
    7
    126lb
    4 Silks
    Sight Success
    John Size
    Brenton Avdulla
    6
    126lb
    5 Silks
    Victor The Winner
    Danny Shum
    James McDonald
    4
    126lb
    6 Silks
    Aesop’s Fable
    Aidan O’Brien
    Ryan Moore
    1
    126lb
    7 Silks
    Duke Wai
    Pierre Ng
    Karis Teetan
    10
    126lb
    8 Silks
    Jasper Krone
    Hideyuki Mori
    Yuga Kawada
    8
    126lb
    9 Silks
    Lucky With You
    Frankie Lor
    Andrea Atzeni
    2
    126lb
    10 Silks
    Highfield Princess
    John Quinn
    Jason Hart
    9
    122lb
  • No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
    1 Silks
    Wellington
    Richard Gibson
    Ryan Moore
    10
    126lb
    2 Silks
    Sky Field
    Casper Fownes
    Blake Shinn
    11
    126lb
    3 Silks
    Gendarme
    Yasutoshi Ikee
    Damian Lane
    8
    126lb
    4 Silks
    Lucky Sweynesse
    Manfred Man
    Zac Purton
    3
    126lb
    5 Silks
    Super Wealthy
    David Hayes
    Vincent Ho
    7
    126lb
    6 Silks
    Naran Huleg
    Yoshitada Munakata
    Kyosuke Maruta
    2
    126lb
    7 Silks
    Stronger
    Douglas Whyte
    Hugh Bowman
    5
    126lb
    8 Silks
    Lim’s Kosciuszko
    Daniel Meagher
    Daniel Beasley
    4
    126lb
    9 Silks
    Duke Wai
    Pierre Ng
    Harry Bentley
    12
    126lb
    10 Silks
    Cordyceps Six
    Richard Gibson
    Silvestre De Sousa
    13
    126lb
    11 Silks
    Courier Wonder
    John Size
    Luke Currie
    9
    126lb
    12 Silks
    Sight Success
    John Size
    Christophe Lemaire
    6
    126lb
    13 Silks
    Meikei Yell
    Hidenori Take
    James McDonald
    14
    122lb
    14 Silks
    Resistencia
    Takeshi Matsushita
    Joao Moreira
    1
    122lb

2023 Hong Kong Sprint result


1stLucky Swyenesse (-285.71)
2ndLucky With You (+405)
3rdWellington (-133.33)

Recent Hong Kong Sprint winners

  • Any questions about Lucky Sweynesse loosening his grip on the world’s best sprinter mantle were swept aside when Manfred Man’s speedster surged to victory in the HK$26 million Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. It was a redemptive triumph for Lucky Sweynesse, who had no luck in last year’s sprint when he was trapped with nowhere before finishing sixth behind Wellington after a tiring Lim’s Kosciuszko went back through the field. Momentarily it looked like Lucky Sweynesse was again in need of a big slice of luck at the top of the straight when Zac Purton had to get off heels and hook him around runners to get a clear passage up the straight but he quickly accelerated to score from the fast-finishing outsider Lucky With You. 2022 winner Wellington finished third.
  • Wellington now looks to have the racing world at his feet after the home-trained champion delivered a performance of real authority in the HK$24 million Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) on Sunday. Richard Gibson’s six-year-old has had an almost faultless 12 months since his unfortunate seventh-place run in this 1200m showpiece at the end of 2021. Now a four-time Group 1 winner, he has swept the board in divisional honours, retaining his Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) and returning from a break with an admirable weight-carrying performance in the Group 2 Premier Bowl Handicap (1200m). Only a few weeks prior, Wellington’s regular rider Alexis Badel dislocated his shoulder in a fall at Sha Tin and so Gibson looked to the very top for a replacement – his British compatriot Ryan Moore. Moore, one of the world’s leading pilots who was winning his eighth race at the HK$110 million Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), admitted the race went perfectly to plan as he settled in the middle of the pack. Singapore runner Lim’s Kosciuszko went to the front and was then superseded by Christophe Lemaire and John Size-trained Sight Success. With 200m remaining, Lemaire had set for home but Wellington was on his shoulder in an instant, passing the line three-quarters of a length in front in a time of 1m 08.76s. Sight Success held on for second, ahead of Sky Field and Courier Wonder in a finish dominated by Hong Kong runners.
  • Caspar Fownes and Blake Shinn were left with conflicting emotions after Sky Field steamed to success in the Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), fending off world-class opposition from Japan to continue Hong Kong’s dominance in the event. Shinn, 34, slotted his first Group 1 triumph in Hong Kong but the Melbourne Cup-winning jockey’s thoughts – and those also of Fownes – were with Pixie Knight (Yuichi Fukunaga), Lucky Patch (Zac Purton), Naboo Attack (Karis Teetan) and Amazing Star (Lyle Hewitson), who fell on the home turn. Shinn and Sky Field avoided the incident before staving off Resistencia (Christophe Soumillon) by three-quarters of a length in 1m 08.66s. Courier Wonder (Joao Moreira) was third, one and a half lengths from the winner. Shinn’s faith in Sky Field, a son of Deep Field, was rewarded on the highest stage and came three seasons into the Australian’s Hong Kong stint.
  • Needing a perfect ride from barrier 14, Ryan Moore provided Danon Smash the most elite steer to claim the 2020 HK Sprint. The win handed Ryan Moore back-to-back Group 1 victories on the day and he certainly ernt his pay cheque in doing so. Having drawn the wide barrier, Moore had the Japanese galloper settled midfield with cover and when asked for an effort in the home straight, he looked to be the winner a long way out from home.
  • Mr Stunning was looking for a hat trick of wins in the HK Sprint, but it was the John Size trained Beat The Clock who swamped the leader Aethero and Hot King Prawn in a blanket finish to claim the 2019 Hong Kong Sprint. There was only a length seperated the first four and half a length seperating the trifectra and the win in the 2019 HK sprint handed superstar jockey Joao Moreira his fourth win of the day and his second group one.
  • Defending champion Mr Stunning was just shaded in the market by the in-form Hot King Prawn, but it was the Stunner who had the last laugh as the post approached. Hot King Prawn led for the majority of the race but never looked comfortable, which was in direct contrast to Mr Stunning. The button was pushed on the winner at the 400m mark and he eventually extended entering the final 100m to successfully defend his crown.
  • Mr Stunning came into the 2017 Hong Kong Sprint as a red-hot favourite and the champ justified the short price in style. Settling just off the speed behind Peniaphobia and Once In A Moon, Mr Stunning pulled wide of the pair entering the straight and promptly kicked away. D B Pin looked to have Mr Stunning’s measure entering the final 200m but the gun galloper maintained the strong run to record a gutsy win.
  • Age was no barrier for Aerovelocity as the eight-year-old won the 2016 Hong Kong Sprint. It was able to find a nice spot in the run with Zac Purton in the saddle and it held off the fast-finishing Lucky Bubbles which found trouble at the rear of the field. This was Aerovelocity’s second Hong Kong Sprint win after scoring in 2014. Read full report here.
  • Peniaphobia was a stylish winner of the Hong Kong Sprint in 2015 when winning at odds of $6. The Tony Cruz-trained runner has ridden by champion jockey Joao Moreira who gave Peniaphobia a great ride from a tricky draw. It was able to cross from the wide draw and with its superior turn of foot, there was no running down the champion.
  • Aerovelocity was another all-the-way winner in 2014 when it held off the fast-finishing Peniaphohia which would win the Hong Kong Sprint a year later. The Paul O’Sullivan-trained sprinter was well-found in the market and it continued the good run set by the favoured runners.

Past Hong Kong Sprint winners list

Hong Kong Sprint Past Winners
Year Horse Jockey Trainer
2023 Lucky Sweynesse Zac Purton Manfred Man
2022 Wellington Ryan Moore Richard Gibson
2021 Sky Field Blake Shinn Caspar Fownes
2020 Danon Smash Ryan Moore Takayuki Yasuda
2019 Beat The Clock Joao Moreira John Size
2018 Mr Stunning Karis Teetan Frankie Lor
2017 Mr Stunning Nash Rawiller John Size
2016 Aerovelocity Zac Purton Paul O’Sullivan
2015 Peniaphobia Joao Moreira Tony Cruz
2014 Aerovelocity Zac Purton Paul O’Sullivan
2013 Lord Kanaloa Yasunari Iwata Takayuki Yasuda
2012 Lord Kanaloa Yasunari Iwata Takayuki Yasuda
2011 Lucky Nine Brett Prebble Caspar Fownes
2010 J J the Jet Plane Piere Strydom Lucky Houdalakis
2009 Sacred Kingdom Brett Prebble Ricky Yiu
2008 Inspiration Darren Beadman John Moore
2007 Sacred Kingdom Gerald Mosse Ricky Yiu
2006 Absolute Champion Brett Prebble David Hall
2005 Natural Blitz Glyn Schofield Derek Cruz
2004 Silent Witness Felix Coetzee Tony Cruz
2003 Silent Witness Felix Coetzee Tony Cruz
2002 All Thrills Too Gerald Mosse David Hayes
2001 Falvelon Damien Oliver Danny Bougoure
2000 Falvelon Damien Oliver Danny Bougoure
1999 Fairy King Prawn Steven King Ricky Yiu

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