Caspar Fownes breaks Happy Valley win record, extends trainer lead
Caspar Fownes broke his own single-season record for wins at Happy Valley and extended his trainers’ championship lead again with a double on Wednesday night.
After teaming up with Joao Moreira to score a double with Family Fortune and The Heir, Fownes moved to 41 wins for the season at the city circuit – one more than the record he set in 2009–10.
The “King Of The Valley” now sits on 60 wins for the season, three above the next highest placed trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing.
“For me it’s a personal best to get 41 wins here, that means a lot to me at my home track, so I’m going to try and shatter that record this season – hoping for the best,” Fownes said.
Moreira was also pleased with the results from the three-month partnership as retained rider for Fownes’ stable.
“A dream run – I thought we could go well but actually we’re doing better than I thought, to be honest, all the credit goes to the team, who are doing an amazing job,” Moreira said.
“The key tonight was being on the inside and both of them were quite lucky to get good draws, which makes a massive difference at Happy Valley. You need luck and apparently that’s what we have been getting in the last couple of meetings.”
Fownes was both thrilled and relieved to see The Heir record back-to-back wins at the course and distance in the third section of the Class Four Wong Nai Chung Gap Handicap (1,200m).
Moreira gave the six-year-old a rails-hugging ride from barrier two carrying the top weight of 135lb, with the big son of Impending never going around a horse to score running away by a length over Meowth.
“A very exciting night and for me, I’m mostly proud that the horse has come out and done the job again. Normally he doesn’t perform that well on the inside, compared to the outside, but he gained a lot of confidence from his win last start and it was a great ride by Joao,” Fownes said.
Family Fortune kicked off the first leg of Fownes and Moreira’s double in the Class Five Mount Butler Handicap (1,650m), with Moreira making it two wins from three rides on the son of Derryn.
The five-year-old sat midfield on the rail after jumping from barrier one and after being shaken up was able to slide through a gap and run down The Way We Win to win by a neck.
“It never gets boring [watching Joao ride] – gate one assisted us but he snuck up the inside at the corner and that was the winning move,” Fownes said
“If he comes outside he probably gets baulked and that’s the difference between winning and losing. I’m very happy to have him riding for me and hopefully that fans are enjoying it.”
Brenton Avdulla also had a landmark night when bringing up 100 wins in Hong Kong aboard Take Action for John Size in the Class Four Middle Gap Handicap (1,650m), which came as the result of a pickup ride after Hugh Bowman was unable to make the horse’s weight of 125lb.
Avdulla credited the support of Size for his success over the previous three seasons in Hong Kong, and was grateful to hit the ton aboard one of his runners.
“It’s a good result. If you asked me at the start of the season, I hoped it would have come a couple of months in. But to do it now, obviously on a pickup ride for John Size, I think it’s pretty appropriate. I think John’s probably been one of the most loyal supporters I’ve had since I got here,” Avdulla said.
“To ride 100 winners in Hong Kong is a big thrill. It’s an achievement that I probably didn’t think would happen a few years ago when I came to Hong Kong. I thought that was just going to be an eight or nine-week season and then I’d go home, but to come back and ride here for three seasons and ride 100 winners, it’s a big thrill.”
Drawn wide in barrier 10, the Sacred Falls gelding was taken back from his draw and with a strong tempo up front, had things set up perfectly to swoop late and pick up his third victory at the track and trip.
“He’s been a consistent horse all season, he deserved to win. He needs races to be run his way. Tonight he got a good set-up,” Avdulla said.
“Obviously he drew wide, he settled back, he got a good cart up into the race with the second horse and he was able to dash for [the last] 250m, so it worked out really well for him. He’s been knocking on the door all season, I’ve been beaten short margins on him all season and to get a win on him is a big highlight for the team.”
David Eustace also brought up a double on the night with Silvery Breeze in the Class Two Tai Tam Gap Handicap (1,800m) and Majestic Delight in the Class Five Mount Nicholson Handicap (1,200m).
Silvery Breeze capped a brace for Zac Purton in the Class Two Tai Tam Gap Handicap (1,800m) after he also won the Class Four Cricket Club Valley Stakes (1,200m) on Brownneedsfurther, while Alexis Badel also brought home a double courtesy of Power Koepp in the Class Three Shouson Hill Handicap (1,200m) and Forerunner in the second section of the Class Four Wong Nai Chung Gap Handicap (1,200m).
