Alexis Badel has had considerably more than his fair share of success in Hong Kong’s Group sprints, and the Frenchman is hopeful of continuing that run in Sunday’s Group Three National Day Cup (1,000m).

Thanks to star speedster Wellington, Healthy Happy, Cordyceps Six, Explosive Witness and Super Wealthy, Badel has nine of the city’s 13 Group races at 1,400m or less on his CV.

Badel joined the Group Three Celebration Cup (1,400m) honour roll with victory aboard Healthy Happy last weekend and now has his sights set on a second win in the National Day Cup after landing the race with Super Wealthy in 2021.

In a race headlined by the 118-rater Sight Success but ultimately lacking depth, Badel joins forces with Frankie Lor Fu-chuen’s Adios.

Third behind up-and-coming star Victor The Winner and proven gun Lucky Sweynesse on opening day, Adios carries just 117 pounds in his first Group assignment.

“I think this horse has got ability – he’s talented – and he won a Class One very convincingly [last term]. His first run of the season was good enough. He was beaten by two good horses with good sectionals, so I’m confident he should run a good race,” Badel said.

“I think it’s a fast race, but he can finish very strongly. Adios is a very honest horse, and I really expect him to be close.”

Super Wealthy also won last year’s National Day Cup for David Hayes before shifting to Pierre Ng Pang-chi, but the eight-year-old will not be there to attempt a hat-trick on Sunday.

Zac Purton was in the saddle for Super Wealthy’s success 12 months ago, and he will attempt to go back to back aboard Francis Lui Kin-wai’s 1,000m specialist, Stoltz.

“He feels really good. He’s moving well. He’s nice and bright, so I’m hoping for a forward run,” Purton said of Stoltz, who has had two trials at Conghua ahead of his seasonal debut.

“There’s nothing outstanding in the race. We know all of the horses pretty well. He races well fresh. He’s won at the track and distance, which always helps. Francis is going good.

“One of his attributes is he gets out, rolls along and likes it when the speed is on during the running of a race. Up the straight, the pressure is on all the way, and he can absorb that, handle that, and I think he’s in nice shape. It’s a question of whether he’s up to this class, but we’re going to find out.”

Rounding out the seven-horse field are Kurpany, Rewarding Together, Whizz Kid and We Are Hero.

Kurpany enters the contest with the most recent winning form after taking out a Class Two down the straight under Ellis Wong Chi-wang on September 17, with Whizz Kid a head behind in second and We Are Hero fourth.

Rewarding Together resumed in the same race as stablemate Adios, finishing six lengths off the successful Victor The Winner in fourth, while Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) runner-up Sight Success joins Stoltz in being first up.