While Lucky Sweynesse faces the biggest field he’s encountered in over a year in Sunday’s Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m), the increased quantity of the 13-runner affair doesn’t necessarily translate to added elite-level quality.

Jockey Zac Purton points to the shock second of Lucky With You at $37 in last month’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) as the catalyst for a number of unproven runners “trying their luck” this weekend, with five horses stepping out at the top level for the first time.

“There are a few horses in there just trying their luck. Lucky With You running second in the Sprint has given everyone the enthusiasm to roll the dice and see where they’re at. There’s a fair few horses there that probably shouldn’t be there,” Purton said.

After becoming the first horse to win all four of Hong Kong’s Group One dashes in the same calendar year, Lucky Sweynesse chases back-to-back Centenary Sprint Cup victories.

Confirmed as the world’s highest-ranked sprinter in London on Tuesday night, Manfred Man Ka-leung’s Lucky Sweynesse jumps from gate five in a race where the race’s other proven Group One star, veteran Wellington, again looks his biggest danger.

“It’s a tricky gate, people look at five and think it’s a good gate, but it looks a little bit tricky to me with the runners drawn inside me, so we just need a little bit of luck early to hopefully get him out and get a nice spot,” Purton said.

“There’s a few runners in the race as well, a few horses who shouldn’t be there who could get in the way of a few other runners, so it’s just a matter of navigating the right path on him and giving him his chance.”

Purton judged Lucky Sweynesse’s Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m) romp as the speedster’s best win to date, and didn’t rule out the five-year-old returning to those levels this weekend.

“It’s not easy to win any international race in Hong Kong, so you’ve got to put it towards the top of his list. But it wasn’t one of his most devastating performances,” Purton said of Lucky Sweynesse’s Hong Kong Sprint success last month.

“I think the Chairman’s Sprint towards the end of last season was probably his best performance, but it was not far off that. The horse looks like he’s going well.

“I think he’s feeling pretty good. I think he’s taken another little step again so I’m looking forward to the race.”

Newnham saddles first HK G1 runner: ‘to have a horse of his calibre is exciting’

The 98-rated Lucky With You tries his luck again, with Andrea Atzeni jumping aboard from gate seven, while Sight Success, Courier Wonder, Victor The Winner and Duke Wai are also among the challengers.

Francis Lui Kin-wai’s Packing Treadmill is among those trying their hand at Group One level for the first time, with star Australian jockey Jamie Kah’s hit-and-run mission adding some impetus to the five-year-old’s hopes.

Son Pak Fu makes the step up from Class Two, providing trainer Benno Yung Tin-pang with his first Group One runner since Not Usual Talent stepped out in the 2021 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m).

The five-year-old will be ridden by Jerry Chau Chun-lok, who has just his third ride at the elite level.