Self Improvement produced the performance of his life to win the Group Three Korea Sprint (1,200m) as Hong Kong fell agonisingly short of snaring a feature-race double on the Seoul sand on Sunday afternoon.

One of the lowest-rated runners in the field, the Manfred Man Ka-leung-trained Self Improvement’s previous best was a Class Three victory in Hong Kong, but that mattered little for the six-year-old son of Deep Field.

Given a peach of a ride outside the speed and out of the kickback by Jerry Chau Chun-lok, Self Improvement kept finding during a tough home-straight battle with Japanese galloper Chikappa under Yutaka Take.

“It’s amazing and it’s my honour to represent Hong Kong, [owner] Mr Wong and trainer Mr Manfred Man. It’s a very great honour for me and the horse brings me success. I really appreciate it,” said Chau after Self Improvement saw off Chikappa by half a length.

“[Take is] a great jockey and that was a great horse. I think the key to winning is because we got to the front earlier and didn’t get the kickback. It was helpful for my horse.

“In the straight my horse had a very big heart. When the other horse passed him, he tried to go again and fight back. I was really happy with that.”

Both Chau and Man were enjoying success overseas for the first time, while Self Improvement became Hong Kong’s second Korea winner nine years after Super Jockey’s success in the same race.

“It’s very meaningful for me. Before the race I was worried because in Korea the sand is very different from Hong Kong. I was worried about whether the horse could handle it or not,” said Man.

“But the owner did the research and said that the Japanese opponents are old and also not too strong, so the horse deserved to go to Korea. I’m very happy, it’s my first time to send a horse to Korea.”

While Self Improvement’s victory earned him an invite to the Group One Breeders’ Cup Sprint (1,200m), Man confirmed he is more likely to consider a trip to Dubai for World Cup night in March.

One galloper of Man’s who looks certain to travel is Lucky Sweynesse after the four-time Group One winner returned to somewhere near his best when running second to Ka Ying Rising in Sunday’s Class One HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1,200m) at Sha Tin.

“Lucky Sweynesse will definitely go to Japan,” declared Man after also enjoying success on the Sha Tin programme thanks to the victory of Super Strong Kid in the Class Four Lin Fa Shan Handicap (1,000m).

Soon after Self Improvement’s success, Chau employed similar tactics aboard Francis Lui Kin-wai’s Chancheng Glory in the Group Three Korea Cup (1,800m) and the pair surged to the lead in the final 150m.

It wasn’t to be for last season’s Group Three Centenary Vase (1,800m) winner, however, with Japan’s Diktaean finishing over the top to salute by a length and relegate the five-year-old to second.