India Breaking News reported Francis Luis Surprise Admission About Cordyceps VI, has disclosed that Francis Lui was taken aback by Cordyceps VI’s participation in the upcoming Group Three race at Sha Tin. The horse, who is a previous winner of the Speed Series, is considered a strong contender this Sunday, much to the surprise of its new trainer.

Cordyceps VI issue

Despite historically poor performances from top weight horses in such handicap races, Lui Kin Wai, the trainer of Cordyceps Six, regards Lucky Sweynesse as the favorite in the upcoming Sha Tin Vase (1,200m). Lucky Sweynesse, under the guidance of Manfred Man, is set to defend his title, although his entry in this particular race was unexpected.

India Breaking News Francis Luis Surprise Admission About Cordyceps VI

“I had no idea he would run here, but that’s up to them,” remarked Lucky Sweynesse prior to this weekend’s two high-stakes games.

Carrying a significant 135 pounds, Lucky Sweynesse has an 18-pound advantage over Cordyceps Six, which has been assigned a minimal weight of 115 pounds by the Hong Kong Jockey Club craftsmen. However, following a notification from Vincent Ho Chak-yiu, Cordyceps Six’s replacement jockey, that he would be two pounds heavier, the horse will now carry 117 pounds. Last season, Cordyceps Six, with Richard Gibson as trainer and Alexis Badel as jockey, narrowly clinched victory over Nervous Witness in the Sha Tin Vase.

Furthermore, Duke Wai, ridden by He Junxiang, finished last, falling short by three-quarters of a length. Despite being slightly overweight last year, Lucky Sweynesse, who ended the race just a quarter pound over the limit, is set to compete again this year. The trainer Lui Jianwei has been monitoring Cordyceps Six closely and cautiously predicts that this offspring of Star Turn might surpass his career-best rating of 112 points by four points.

Cordyceps Six also demonstrated promising form in a trial supervised by Lui Kin-wai, finishing third against Victor The Winner, another contender for the Sha Tin Vase. “He performed well in the trials and still shows a lot of youthful vigor. I’m hopeful he can continue to improve,” stated Lui Kin-wai, indicating that five handicapped teams would participate in this weekend’s race.

Francis Lui admits he didn’t expect Cordyceps VI

Reflecting on historical wins, Captain Sweet secured the Sha Tin Vase back in 2012 with a weight of 131 pounds after Leading City and Rich Unicorn were disqualified just days before the race. The following year, Little Giant triumphed under a weight of 133 pounds.

If Lucky Sweynesse, piloted by Zac Purton, manages a victory at Sha Tin Vase from post 3 this Sunday, he would become only the second horse to win Horse of the Year twice during the Hong Kong season. This season, Lucky Sweynesse is gearing up for his tenth race at Sha Tin Vase, having won nine of his last five starts, with the longest interval being 57 days since his debut in February 2022.

When Matthew Chadwick clinched the Group 3 Sauternes Cup (1,200m) on Power Koepp, he joined Tony Cruz as the only local jockey to achieve 500 wins in Hong Kong. Chadwick celebrated this milestone and his victory, emphasizing the significant support he received from Cruz, his mentor and former champion.