Manfred Man Ka-leung has not been afraid of running Lucky Sweynesse at every possible opportunity, but after a gruelling few months, surely the world’s highest-rated sprinter deserves a rest?

Instead of having a well-earned break between his disappointing Group One Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m) fifth and the Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m), Lucky Sweynesse will grace the Sha Tin turf for this Sunday’s Group Two Sprint Cup (1,200m).

Marking his 24th outing in just 26 months, Man’s superstar will compete in another Group Two contest that doesn’t do anything to further the sprinter’s reputation while only offering the potential for a minor boost to his huge HK$71 million in prize money.

If thinking long-term is the aim of the game with one of world’s top horses, Man is failing emphatically.

Lucky Sweynesse burst onto the scene two seasons ago and collected five victories from his seven outings.

Rated 98 at the beginning of last term, the sprinter answered every call in his 10-race campaign, triumphing in a Class One, a pair of Group Threes, two Group Twos and three Group Ones.

But, after his demanding four-year-old season, Lucky Sweynesse was wheeled out on the opening day of this term and asked to carry 135 pounds in the Class One HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1,200m).

It is rare to see the very best Hong Kong horses step out in September, but 66-year-old Man – sensing this season could be his last – saw no issues with making his stable star lug 135 pounds on the first day of the new campaign.

“He’s already had a two-month holiday, what’s the problem?”, Man said of $1.2 favourite Lucky Sweynesse before he suffered a two-and-a-half-length defeat to Victor The Winner.

Of course, the logical next move for Man, who only has a handful of horses rated above 70 in his yard, was to make Lucky Sweynesse again carry 135 pounds a month later in the Group Two Premier Bowl (1,200m).

He was rolled again, this time by Sight Success.

He returned to his best in December’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) – scooping the HK$26 million contest in the event’s slowest-ever winning time – but in doing so put the first blemish on his vet record by pulling up with substantial blood in his trachea.

He was unable to back up that win in January’s Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m), with the five-year-old facing the biggest defeat of his career before pulling up lame the day after racing.

Man decided it was not Lucky Sweynesse’s condition that caused the flop, it was six-time champion jockey Zac Purton.

Purton, who has steered the sprinter to 11 of his 15 wins, was replaced in the saddle by James McDonald for last month’s Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup. Lucky Sweynesse suffered another convincing loss.

At this point in the season, he’s endured six appearances, four defeats, blood in his trachea and lameness, but Lucky Sweynesse will be sent out on another prize-money quest – this time under Hugh Bowman.

After start 24 this Sunday, Lucky Sweynesse will have six more outings under his belt than six-year-old Romantic Warrior and only one less than last week’s Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) hero California Spangle, who is also six.

There is minimal upside and significant downside in competing in this weekend’s contest. Under the tutelage of another trainer, you’d have to think such a talent would be more tenderly handled.

Man’s stable has not been renowned as a home of stars since his training career started in 2001 and the end looked near for the handler before he reached his 66th birthday last July – 65 is the Jockey Club’s “standard retirement age”.

His licence was extended for this season – the Jockey Club stated that his 66th birthday fell after the end of last term – and it looked like the 2023-24 campaign would be Man’s last on the Hong Kong roster.

Believing the end was in sight, Man continued to put his stable star to work.

But, the Jockey Club tweaked its training policy in December and thanks to Lucky Sweynesse and his Group Three winner Encountered, the quietly spoken handler met the criteria to have his licence extended.

He now has the potential to work until the end of the 2028-29 season – confirmation he will be able to train Lucky Sweynesse until the end of his career, or at least until he turns 10.

Surely, the chance to train the world’s highest-rated speedster until he retires would prompt Man to stop his relentless campaigning of Lucky Sweynesse?

Leung orchestrates Group One boilover as Victor The Winner upstages Sweynesse

So far, the answer to that question is a resounding no.

Man’s stance remains the same, sending around his stable star for every race possible to keep the prize money ticking over.

While you wouldn’t put it past the veteran handler continuing the speedster’s season past the Chairman’s Sprint Prize on April 28, hopefully the right decision is made and Lucky Sweynesse gets his well-earned rest sooner rather than later.