Werther,  Mr Stunning, and Seasons Bloom emerged as winners of the three Group 2 stakes run Sunday at Sha Tin, and the first two of those horses in particular stand a good chance of finding more success three weeks from now in the Hong Kong International Races. Werther, making his second start of the season, beat Time Warp by a neck in the $512,187 Jockey Club Cup while carrying a five-pound penalty as a Group 1 winner. Werther, relaxing nicely throughout the two-turn, 2000-meter race under Tommy Berry, came forward to challenge in upper stretch, and though he had to work to get the better of Time Warp, always traveled well in a race that should lead to further improvement in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup on Dec. 10. “His fitness was really tested and he will improve for this run,” winning trainer John Moore said. Harbour Master made the front in the Jockey Club Cub and really pushed tempo into and around the second turn, testing the stamina of the chasers. Werther, a 6-year-old New Zealand-bred by Tavistock, was up to the challenge, clocking 2:01.52 over good ground in race where the top two proved much the best, Nassa finishing third, 1 3/4 lengths behind Time Warp. Werther last season won the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup over 2000 meters and the Group 1 Standard Charter Champions and Chater Cup over 2400 meters. Mr Stunning was the sharpest winner on the card, capturing the $512,187 Jockey Club Sprint by a decisive 1 1/2 lengths, though it must be noted that his chief rival, favored Lucky Bubbles, had a nightmare journey in the one-turn race over 1200 meters. Lucky Bubbles and Zac Purton raced mid-pack along the rail, which seemed a decent enough spot until the pace slowed around the turn, condensing the field and causing Lucky Bubbles to twice toss his head as Purton steadied his mount. Things got worse from there, with Lucky Bubbles totally trapped behind a wall of horses the entire homestretch, Purton eventually giving up and hand-riding him to a ninth-place finish. Lucky Bubbles, with any luck, should do far better Dec. 10 in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint -- and he will need to if there’s a chance of beating Mr Stunning. Racing from seventh while outside and in the clear under Nash Rawiller, Mr Stunning cruised into contention part-way around the turn, and at the top of the long homestretch had nearly reached the leaders while Rawiller still sat chilly. Rawiller finally asked his mount with a furlong left, but by then the race was over. Mr Stunning came past the finish looking like a horse who had more to give, as trainer John Size swept the top three spots, with Amazing Kids second by a nose over D B Pin. With a final 400 meters in a flashy 22.20, Mr Stunning stopped the timer in 1:09.33 over the good going. A 5-year-old Australian-bred by Exceed and Excel, Mr Stunning improved his official rating by a massive 43 points during the 2016 – 2017 Hong Kong season and now appears very legit. “Mr Stunning still has to produce it again in three weeks, but if he pulls up well, he should be able to repeat the run,” Size said. It’s fair to wonder, since this was the best race of his career, whether Seasons Bloom can repeat his winning run Sunday in the $512,187 Jockey Club Mile three weeks from now in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile. Under Joao Moreira, Seasons Bloom beat Helene Paragon by a half-length and Beauty Generation by one length Sunday despite being caught out three wide around the race’s one turn. Finishing on the far outside, Seasons Bloom was about a length from the front a furlong out before a final surge got him home. “Once we straightened up, I held my nerve a little bit and he used pretty much everything he had in the last furlong,” Moreira said. Seasons Bloom went his last 400 meters in 22.55 and was timed in 1:34.13 for the 1600 meters. The 5-year-old Aussie-bred by Captain Sonador is trained by Danny Shum. Helene Paragon, carrying a five-pound penalty as a Group 1 winner, was making just his second start of the season and pleased trainer John Moore with his improvement Sunday. Second last year in the Hong Kong Mile, Helene Paragon came between horses in midstretch to make his bid, flattening out in the very late stages like a horse a race away from his best. Beauty Generation just held third over 2016 Hong Kong Mile-winner Beauty Only, and both ran creditably. Beauty Generation seized the early lead but became more aggressive than desirable when supplanted on top first by Winners Way and then by Giant Treasure. Eventually steered three wide to bid for the front at the top of the stretch, Beauty Generation had the lead 200 meters out before being passed. Beauty Only’s wide run lost momentum in the final 50 yards, but he improved considerably on his first two starts of the Hong Kong season. Sichuan Dar, a 58-1 shot on a huge class hike, was a surprisingly close fifth despite being checked fairly hard early on the turn. Seventh-place Horse of Fortune had a good early position but was shuffled back and then lacked racing room through the homestretch.