Manfred Man Ka-leung and Derek Leung Ka-chun were left slightly disappointed when Lucky Sweynesse drew barrier 10 for Sunday’s Group One Sprinters Stakes (1,200m) at Nakayama Racecourse.

Bidding for a fifth elite-level success, Lucky Sweynesse will have to overcome the double-figure draw in the capacity field of 16, while key rivals Satono Reve and Namura Clair fared better than the Hong Kong sprinter with barriers seven and six, respectively.

Lucky Sweynesse heads into the feature sprint, which carries total prize money of HK$17 million, off the back of his best run since being struck down by injury – a closing second to the world’s best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising, in the Class One HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1,200m) at Sha Tin.

Man and Leung’s hopes for a barrier between four and eight were dashed when the draw was revealed on Friday.

“The draw is a bit wide, and the best chances got better draws,” the veteran trainer said. “At this moment I’m still thinking [about tactics].”

Leung will use two rides at Nakayama on Saturday as a guide to potential tactics aboard Lucky Sweynesse, who has won 16 races and HK$75.7 million in prize money.

“We still need to deal with it and at the moment, the best two chances drew six and seven, but we are going to be in a similar position,” Leung said.

“So I’ll try to plan out on Saturday and Sunday. Let’s see how it works. We have a few horses outside as well, so they also need to work a bit to get in and we’ll see what happens.”

Man, 68, would pull off a famous training feat should he claim a first overseas Group One after Lucky Sweynesse was off the scene for over a year with a fractured left fore cannon bone.

After undergoing surgery, the 2022-23 Hong Kong Champion Sprinter was given plenty of time to recover and returned at the end of last season, running sixth to Ka Ying Rising in the Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m) and fourth in the Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m).

His first-up run in the Chief Executive’s Cup and impressive trackwork at Nakayama this week indicate he is on track for a bold performance on Sunday.

“My horse’s form is very good,” Man said. “We are all satisfied about this trip and everything is fine.

“He has come to Japan and at first, he feels like a stranger, but after a few days it looks like he loves Japan more than Hong Kong.

“Starting from this season, his form is better than last season. His first run, he came second and lost to the best sprinter in the world. After that race his form has kept improving.

“From their records, Satono Reve and Namura Clair are the two horses we have our eyes on, but I hope my horse can get a good result.”

Man is fresh from his first international success courtesy of Self Improvement’s victory in the Group Three Korea Sprint (1,200m) earlier this month.

Lucky Sweynesse bids to become just the fourth international raider to win the Sprinters Stakes, joining Hong Kong’s Silent Witness (2005) and Ultra Fantasy (2010) on the honour roll.

Satono Reve will lead the local charge and is expected to start a popular favourite after running second to Lazzat in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1,200m) at Royal Ascot in June.

The Noriyuki Hori-trained sprinter was also placed behind Ka Ying Rising at Sha Tin when third in last December’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) and second in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize.