By Leo Schlink
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Caspar Fownes’ push for the 2025/26 Hong Kong trainers’ title gained crucial momentum at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (3 June) when the four-time champion posted a double to forge to a three-win lead with 11 meetings left in the season.
Combining with Joao Moreira, Fownes struck with Family Fortune (133lb) in the Class 5 Mount Butler Handicap (1650m) and The Heir (135lb) in the third section of the Class 4 Wong Nai Chung Gap Handicap (1200m) to take his seasonal tally at the city circuit to 41, breaking his own record of 40 wins set in 2009/10.
Fownes’ brace propelled him to 60 wins overall for the campaign, three clear of Danny Shum (57) with Mark Newnham next on 56, Francis Lui (50), David Hayes (49) and John Size (47).
“A very exciting night and for me, I’m mostly proud that the horses have come out and done the job again,” Fownes said. “For me, it’s a personal-best to get 41 wins (in a season) here, that means a lot to me at my home track, so I’m gonna try and shatter that record this season – hoping for the best.
“It never gets boring (watching Moreira ride) – I’m very happy to have him riding for me and hopefully the fans are enjoying it.”
Champion trainer in 2006/07, 2008/09, 2013/14 and 2020/21, Fownes has accelerated his charge for a fifth crown with doubles across each of the past three meetings.
Moreira has been integral to Fownes’ surge, riding 17 winners for the Fownes stable since returning to Hong Kong full-time in April.
“A dream run – I thought we could do well, but actually we’re doing better than I thought, to be honest,” Moreira said. “All the credit goes to the team, who are doing an amazing job.
“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.”
Shum maintained touch with Fownes after Without Compare (128lb) snared the Class 3 Violet Hill Handicap (1650m) for Jerry Chau, who now leads Vincent Ho by 11 wins – 42 to 31 – in the battle for the Tony Cruz Award for the leading homegrown jockey.
Newnham had briefly moved into second place overall in the trainers’ standings with Power Koepp’s (120lb) all-the-way victory in the Class 3 Shouson Hill Handicap (1200m) under Alexis Badel before Shum’s success in the evening’s finale.
Jumping from gate six, the tenacious seven-year-old steamed to his fifth course and distance success to give Badel a double after the Frenchman earlier scored on Cody Mo’s Hong Kong International Sale graduate Forerunner (125lb) in the second section of the Class 4 Wong Nai Chung Gap Handicap (1200m).
Brenton Avdulla notched his 100th winner in the city when Size-trained Take Action (125lb) prevailed in the Class 4 Middle Gap Handicap (1650m). Substituting for Hugh Bowman, Avdulla brought the Sacred Falls gelding with a well-time run down the centre of the track to down Exceed The Limit (135lb).
“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 pick-up ride for John Size, I think it’s pretty appropriate,” Avdulla said.
“I think John’s probably been one of the most loyal supporters I’ve had since I got here.
“He’s been a consistent horse all season, he deserved to win but 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.”
Fresh from G3 Lion Rock Trophy Handicap (1600m) success last weekend with Light Years Charm, David Eustace slotted a double, triumphing with Majestic Delight (132lb) in the Class 5 Mount Nicholson Handicap (1200m) under James Orman and Silvery Breeze in the Class 2 Tai Tam Gap Handicap (1800m) for Zac Purton, who also scored on David Hall’s Brownneedsfurther (126lb) in the Class 4 Cricket Club Valley Stakes Handicap (1200m).
Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday (7 June) with the first of the 2025/26 ‘Summer Series’ fixtures with the first race scheduled for 4pm.