Dan Meagher is hopeful Hong Kong hasn’t seen its last Singapore-based runner after Lim’s Kosciuszko’s fighting performance behind the imperious Golden Sixty at Sha Tin on Sunday.

After running last in the 2022 Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m), Meagher’s stable star returned to run ninth in a Group One Hong Kong Mile performance that left his trainer wanting more.

With Singapore racing set to close in October 2024, the Lion City’s last chance to target a big Hong Kong meeting will be April’s Champions Day fixture.

Golden Sixty is expected to have his final run in the Group One Champions Mile on that April 28 card, and Meagher hopes Lim’s Kosciuszko can be among the supporting cast.

“If they invite me back and he’s sound, I’d definitely consider it,” Meagher said. “I thought his run was terrific, and Damian Lane gave me massive confidence that it was better than what it looked.

“He said he probably should have just stayed where he was early instead of coming back. That confidence, the way he pulled up and knowing the horse – he could get a bit better.

“I was a bit toey about taking on the best, but he was fantastic, and it shows it was the right decision to come back. If Greg Carpenter rang me up and said they’d like me back for April, I’d jump at it.”

Sweynesse pulls up well

Manfred Man Ka-leung has confirmed Lucky Sweynesse has come through his historic Sprint victory in fine fettle despite returning with blood in his trachea.

After becoming the first horse to win Hong Kong’s four Group One sprints in the same calendar year, stewards reported Lucky Sweynesse “was noted to be making a respiratory noise. An endoscopic examination conducted on Lucky Sweynesse showed a substantial amount of blood in its trachea”.

But Man is confident the five-year-old – who entered Sunday’s race with a clean veterinary record – remains on track for his Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) defence on January 28.

“The horse is OK, just walking today. I think the last 200m he slowed down and of course, with other horses coming out, I think in that moment it made him have a little bit of blood inside. But he is healthy – everything is fine. He’ll run at the end of January,” Man said of his speedster, who nudged his prize money tally past HK$70 million with Sunday’s success.

Handicappers raised Lucky Sweynesse one point to 132 for his performance, while Golden Sixty jumped two points, moving to 133, and Romantic Warrior climbed from 130 to 132 for his Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) success, meaning the city’s three best gallopers are all sitting on career-high marks.

Japan registers rare blank

While most of the attention was on the phenomenal feats of superstar local trio Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior and Lucky Sweynesse, the somewhat underwhelming performance of the 13-strong Japanese raiding party went a touch under the radar.

Looking to secure at least one Hong Kong International Races victory for the fifth consecutive year, Japanese gallopers had to settle for second in the Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) thanks to Zeffiro, third in the Mile courtesy of Namur and a third in the Cup from Hishi Iguazu.

Richards hopeful of a Happy Wednesday at the Valley: ‘He has a nice chance’

The most disappointing performance from Team Japan came in the Vase, with $2.3 favourite Lebensstil – the talk of trackwork all week – tailing off to finish 12 and three-quarter lengths behind France’s Junko.

According to stewards, neither jockey Joao Moreira nor trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka could explain Lebensstil’s poor showing.

No send-off for Currie

Barring any late changes, Luke Currie has ridden in the last race of his Hong Kong stint after failing to secure a ride at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.

Currie departs with 20 wins from 509 rides since making Hong Kong home in January last year.

The 42-year-old’s progress wasn’t helped by a fall in a barrier trial just days after he rode a winner on his first Hong Kong ride, and after going winless so far this season, he decided to cut his stay short.