Jumbo Legend passes first staying test as Caspar Fownes notches a Happy Valley double
On his first test over further than 1,800m, Jumbo Legend ran on powerfully from eighth on the turn to beat equal $3.5 favourite Fallon by a neck in a tight finish.
The six-year-old was a two-time winner at both 1,200m and 1,650m at the city circuit before passing his first staying test with flying colours.
'My boy told me [about this race], he said 'you've got to put this in the 2,200m',' Caspar Fownes said.
Strong win, Jumbo Legend! 💪 Caspar Fownes' galloper picks up a first 2200m win at the Valley by denying Fallon in a thriller... @HarryBentley_ #HappyWednesday | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/X4KOElGJKx — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 2, 2025
'I said 'stop having a lend of me'. It was great. We nailed it and Ronan was good there, he felt the horse had a good pair of lungs and could do something [at the trip].
'[Jumbo Legend is] an honest horse. He ran a good race last start with a good sectional at 1,800m. It was a good finish – they were fighting down the straight and it was nice that we got the winning result.'
After travelling smoothly four-back on the rail, Jumbo Legend was hooked out to the centre of the track by Bentley to launch his run at the top of the straight.
The son of Hinchinbrook successfully chased down Fallon, who had raced to the lead just before the 150m. They raced well clear of the equal favourite Charity Gain, who was beaten three lengths in third.
'Stepping up in distance was a slight question mark,' Bentley admitted.
'I was happy with how he came into it and he relaxed beautifully. Fallon really stuck his head out and obviously the weight played a bit of a part, but take nothing away from this lad's victory.'
Kaholo Angel relished a return to the city circuit when he chased down Happy Fat Cat to score by a head in the Class Three Kyoto Handicap (1,200m). The grey had run two seconds from his past five starts, which were all at Sha Tin.
Kaholo Angel also handed Andrea Atzeni a double after he booted home Cody Mo Wai-kit's Crystal Powerful in the Class Four Japan Racing Association Trophy (1,000m).
Kaholo Angel charges home to give Caspar Fownes double in the nightcap! A red-hot @Atzenijockey collects two of his own this evening at Happy Valley... ✌️#HappyWednesday | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/sUkg45LQoB — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 2, 2025
Elsewhere, Zac Purton notched his first Valley win since returning from injury on Aestheticism in the Class Three Tokyo Handicap (1,650m).
Purton, who returned last Sunday after fracturing a toe on February 9, kept Aestheticism out of trouble and the Pierre Ng Pang-chi-trained gelding streaked home to land his first win of the season.
'The connections have been waiting for a Class Three win and it was great to have Zac back on,' Ng said after Aestheticism beat Definitive by a length and a half.
'It's been frustrating – he's sort of a horse that comes from the back and can be unlucky. Hopefully he'll get more mature and win more races in the future.'
Richard Kingscote finished his Hong Kong stint on a successful note when he booted home Giant Leap in the second section of the Class Four Nakayama Handicap (1,200m).
In town since mid-February as injury cover, the British jockey bagged his first success at the city circuit to go with a breakthrough treble on the Sha Tin dirt a week earlier.
It was fitting that the last victory of his stint was for trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fai, who supported Kingscote as he often does with new riders in Hong Kong.
'I'm really happy. Obviously tonight's my last night, so it's nice to get another one. I'm very grateful to Ricky and his team – they've supported me a lot since I've been here. It's good,' Kingscote said after Giant Leap got the better of Nebraskan by half a length.
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