Longines Hong Kong Sprint
Hong Kong | FEATURE RACE GUIDE
History
The Longines Hong Kong Sprint is a Group 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for the sprinters at Sha Tin conducted by Hong Kong Jockey Club.
It is run as part of the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) meeting run in December each year.
The Longines Hong Kong Sprint is run over 1200m. It was first run in 1999 and was won by Fairy King Prawn.
The first runnings were as a Listed Race over 1000m but became 1200m in 2006.
It was then a Group 3 in 2000, Group 2 after that before becoming a Group 1 from 2002.
Most wins by a Trainer (3): Ricky Yiu, Tony Cruz and Takayuki Yasuda
Most wins by a Jockey (4): Zac Purton.
Six horses have won the Sprint twice:- Falvelon, Silent Witness, Sacred Kingdom, Lord Kanaloa, Aerovelocity and Mr Stunning.
Some grand sprinters over the years have won and some all-time favourites from Hong Kong are amongst them. That is because the sprinters are the horses best known internationally from there – such as Silent Witness, Absolute Champion, Sacred Kingdom, Lucky Nine and Aerovelocity.
Of the overseas winners, Falvelon won twice for Brisbane trainer Danny Bougoure and Damien Oliver before it became a G1, winning up the 1000m straight. J J The Jet Plane scored for South Africa and the Japanese powerhouse Lord Kanaloa won twice. His son Danon Smash won in 2020.
The Longines Hong Kong Sprint is now the final leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.
Mr Stunning was one of Hong Kong's four home trained winners on International Day 2018.
The 2021 version was marred by a horrible fall where four horses didn't complete the course and their jockeys were left strewn on the track. Some of the horses sadly didn't make it home.
Ka Ying Rising would then be set for global challenges after winning his first G1 in 2024.
The Longines Hong Kong Sprint was worth HK$26m in 2024.
Notable winners of the Longines Hong Kong Sprint include Ka Ying Rising (2024), Lucky Sweynesse (2023), Wellington (2022), Danon Smash (2020), Mr Stunning (2017/2018), Aerovelocity (2014/2016), Lord Kanaloa (2012/2013), Sacred Kingdom (2007/2009), Absolute Champion (2006), Silent Witness (2003/2004), Falvelon (2000/2001) and Fairy King Prawn (1999).
The 2024 Longines Hong Kong Sprint was won by Ka Ying Rising from Helios Express and Satono Reve.
Previous Longines Hong Kong Sprint Winners
| Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
KA YING RISING
(NZ)
4G SHAMEXPRESS (NZ) - MISSY MOO (NZ) PER INCANTO (USA) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | D A HAYES | 11 |
|
|
LUCKY SWEYNESSE
(NZ)
5G SWEYNESSE (AUS) - MADONNA MIA (NZ) RED CLUBS (IRE) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | MANFRED MAN | 5 |
|
|
WELLINGTON
(AUS)
6G ALL TOO HARD (AUS) - MIHIRI (AUS) MORE THAN READY (USA) |
RYAN MOORE | 57.0 | R GIBSON | 10 |
|
|
SKY FIELD
(AUS)
5G DEEP FIELD (AUS) - LARAVISSANTE (NZ) O'REILLY (NZ) |
B SHINN | 57.0 | C FOWNES | 1 |
|
|
DANON SMASH
(JPN)
5H LORD KANALOA (JPN) - SPINNING WILDCAT (USA) HARD SPUN (USA) |
RYAN MOORE | 57.0 | TAKAYUKI YASUDA | 14 |
|
|
BEAT THE CLOCK
(AUS)
6G Hinchinbrook (AUS) - FLION FENENA (AUS) LION HUNTER (AUS) |
JOAO MOREIRA | 57.0 | JOHN SIZE | 3 |
|
|
MR STUNNING
(AUS)
6G EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - With Fervour (USA) DAYJUR (USA) |
K TEETAN | 57.0 | F C LOR | 9 |
|
|
MR STUNNING
(AUS)
5G EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - With Fervour (USA) DAYJUR (USA) |
N RAWILLER | 57.0 | JOHN SIZE | 4 |
|
|
AEROVELOCITY
(NZ)
8G PINS (AUS) - EXODUS (NZ) KAAPSTAD (NZ) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | P O'SULLIVAN | 2 |
|
|
PENIAPHOBIA
(IRE)
4G DANDY MAN (IRE) - UMLANI (IRE) GREAT COMMOTION (USA) |
JOAO MOREIRA | 57.0 | A S CRUZ | 14 |
|
|
AEROVELOCITY
(NZ)
6G PINS (AUS) - EXODUS (NZ) KAAPSTAD (NZ) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | P O'SULLIVAN | 7 |
|
|
LORD KANALOA
(JPN)
5H KING KAMEHAMEHA (JPN) - LADY BLOSSOM (JPN) STORM CAT (USA) |
Y IWATA | 57.0 | TAKAYUKI YASUDA | 12 |
|
|
LORD KANALOA
(JPN)
4H KING KAMEHAMEHA (JPN) - LADY BLOSSOM (JPN) STORM CAT (USA) |
Y IWATA | 57.0 | TAKAYUKI YASUDA | 6 |
|
|
LUCKY NINE
(IRE)
4G DUBAWI (IRE) - BIRJAND (GB) GREEN DESERT (USA) |
B PREBBLE | 57.0 | C FOWNES | 6 |
|
|
J J THE JET PLANE
(SAF)
6G JET MASTER (SAF) - MAJESTIC GUEST (SAF) NORTHERN GUEST (USA) |
PIERE STRYDOM | 57.0 | LUCKY HOUDALAKIS | |
|
|
SACRED KINGDOM
(AUS)
6G ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) - COURTROOM SWEETIE (AUS) ZEDITAVE (AUS) |
B PREBBLE | 58.0 | P F YIU | 7 |
|
|
INSPIRATION
(AUS)
5G FLYING SPUR (AUS) - LA BAMBA (AUS) LAST TYCOON (AUS) |
D BEADMAN | 58.0 | JOHN MOORE | 9 |
|
|
SACRED KINGDOM
(AUS)
4G ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) - COURTROOM SWEETIE (AUS) ZEDITAVE (AUS) |
G MOSSE | 58.0 | P F YIU | 6 |
|
|
ABSOLUTE CHAMPION
(AUS)
5G MARAUDING (NZ) - BEAUTY BELLE (AUS) IDEAL PLANET (AUS) |
B PREBBLE | 58.0 | DAVID HALL | 5 |
|
|
NATURAL BLITZ
(AUS)
5G MAROOF (USA) - MIIHARO (NZ) BLETCHINGLY (AUS) |
G SCHOFIELD | 58.0 | D CRUZ | 2 |
|
|
SILENT WITNESS
(AUS)
5G EL MOXIE (USA) - JADE TIARA (AUS) BUREAUCRACY (NZ) |
F COETZEE | 58.0 | A S CRUZ | 6 |
|
|
SILENT WITNESS
(AUS)
4G EL MOXIE (USA) - JADE TIARA (AUS) BUREAUCRACY (NZ) |
F COETZEE | 58.0 | A S CRUZ | 11 |
|
|
ALL THRILLS TOO
(AUS)
5G ST COVET (AUS) - RED SLIPPERS (NZ) CITIDANCER (IRE) |
G MOSSE | 58.0 | D A HAYES | 2 |
Related News
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The 2025 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races has received a world-class entry list, comprising 185 horses and crowned by 70 individual Group 1 winners, all chasing end-of-year glory at the ‘Turf World Championships’ on 14 December at Sha Tin.
Helios Express is aiming to go one better at Sha Tin this Sunday (26 October) when he lines up in the HK$5.35 million G2 Premier Bowl Handicap (1200m) for Australian Racing Hall of Famer John Size.
Ka Ying Rising emphatically confirmed his status as the world’s premier sprinter with a devastating display to win the AU$20 million (approx. HK$101 million) G1 The Everest (1200m) on Saturday (18 October) at Royal Randwick in Sydney, Australia, delivering career-high thrills for Zac Purton and David Hayes.
Ka Ying Rising emphatically confirmed his status as the world’s premier sprinter with a devastating display to win the AU$20 million (approx. HK$101 million) G1 The Everest (1200m) on Saturday (18 October) at Royal Randwick in Sydney, Australia, delivering career-high thrills for Zac Purton and David Hayes.
David Hayes is hopeful Tomodachi Kokoroe can complete a remarkable journey by gaining a start in the HK$28 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) in December after the evergreen galloper clinched the HK$2.84 million Class 2 Shing Mun Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (12 October).
