Hong Kong's Lucky Nine set for Melbourne

Tuesday 4 June 2013, 1:48pm

Star Hong Kong sprinter Lucky Nine is being aimed at the Melbourne spring carnival.

Trainer Caspar Fownes has confirmed the last-start winner of the KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore will be set for the Group One Manikato Stakes and Patinack Farm Classic in Melbourne later this year before returning home for the Hong Kong International Sprint in December.

Lucky Nine has won four Group Ones in Hong Kong, including the 2011 International Sprint, along with his last start success in Singapore.

His appearance in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley sets up a re-match with Australian speedster Bel Sprinter who finished second to Lucky Nine in Singapore.

Bel Sprinter is also being aimed at the Hong Kong International Sprint after the spring carnival.

The Manikato Stakes (1200m) is on October 25 with the Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) on November 9 at Flemington.

Fownes confirmed the Melbourne targets for Lucky Nine after another horse from his stable, Helene Spirit, finished unplaced in the Yasuda Kinen in Japan on Sunday.

"I've wanted to go there for a few years now, but it comes at the wrong time for us because we look forward to our international races, but he's already won one of them, so we can play around with him there," Fownes was quoted in the South China Morning Post.

"He is in great form. You can be confident to travel with him, you're not going to get any egg on your face."

Last year's Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Brett Prebble is the regular rider of Lucky Nine.

– AAP

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