Latest news with #CasparFownes-trained
South China Morning Post
19-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hugh Bowman lays Hong Kong Derby marker with Happy Valley double
Ahead of his bid for a third victory in the city's most prestigious race, Australian rider boots home Power Koepp and M Unicorn at city circuit Hugh Bowman warmed up for his tilt at a third BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) victory at Sha Tin on Sunday with a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. Set to ride the Caspar Fownes-trained Lo Rider in the city's most prestigious race, Bowman was in top form at the city circuit when booting home Mark Newnham's new recruit Power Koepp and Fownes' M Unicorn. The champion Australian rider, who has won the Derby on Werther (2016) and Furore (2019), believes Lo Rider can make an impact after a close second to Steps Ahead and fourth to Bundle Award on his past two starts. 'I'm on a horse that's certainly capable of winning,' said Bowman, who also returns to Sydney on Saturday to ride Rivellino in the Group One Golden Slipper (1,200m) at Rosehill. Hong Kong Hughie reaches 50 wins this season! 👌 M Unicorn brings up the milestone victory as well as a double for @HugeBowman at Happy Valley... #HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 19, 2025 'He's going to need some things go his way, but I think it's a very open race and I'm delighted to be involved.' After stints with John Size and Manfred Man Ka-leung, Power Koepp broke through for his first victory in almost two years with a powerful stable debut for Newnham in the second section of the Class Four Wong Nai Chung Handicap (1,200m). Bowman had the hot $2.1 favourite perfectly placed one out and one back from gate two and he soared clear in the straight to beat My Day My Way by a length and a half. Bowman clinched his brace with a superb mid-race move on M Unicorn, sending the Savabeel gelding forward from the back half of the field to snatch the lead at the 600m en route to a commanding victory. The six-year-old kept finding after Bowman's move to easily account for Sturdy Ruby by two lengths. 'He just has difficulty getting himself involved early and I'd spent no energy. I felt the pace wasn't strong so I thought 'I can't come from back and through them,' which was my preferred option,' Bowman said. 'The horse was in good form, so I thought I would make some use of him mid-race and it turned out to be the right move.' Newnham bounced back from the narrowest of defeats in the Class Three Percival Handicap (1,000m), with Youthful Spirits nailed by Colourful King by a nose, to win the following race with Power Koepp. The Australian handler, who saddles Classic Mile victor and Classic Cup (1,800m) runner-up My Wish in the Derby, was in disbelief after Youthful Spirits' bid to make all came up agonisingly short. 'He's a hard horse to win with, everyone knows what he's going to do and it's that last 50m that's always a challenge,' Newnham said. 'Tonight I thought he held on.' While he was elated to score with former Australian sprinter Colourful King on his second Hong Kong start, trainer David Eustace was also convinced Youthful Spirits had won. Colourful King nails Youthful Spirits! 😱@EustaceRacing's son of Blue Point, a two-time winner at Sandown in Australia, gets off the mark in Hong Kong with @Atzenijockey at Happy Valley...#HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 19, 2025 'I really, really thought [Colourful King] was beat, so it's obviously pleasing he ran well but I thought he was chinned,' Eustace said. 'I think he's potentially an exciting horse – lightly raced and still working things out.' A two-time Sandown winner from five pre-import starts when known as Blue Renegade, Colourful King delivered Eustace and jockey Andrea Atzeni their first win together. 'We've both been patient and we haven't lost faith,' Eustace said. Beauty Destiny - WOW. 🤯 Frankie Lor's sprinter swamps rivals in the nightcap at Happy Valley to win a fifth race this season and first in Class 2 over Aurora Lady... 🔥 @Atzenijockey @Beautystablehk | #HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 19, 2025 Atzeni joined Bowman with a double when he booted home Frankie Lor Fu-chuen's in-form sprinter Beauty Destiny in the Class Two Sports Handicap (1,200m). The Star Turn gelding continued his stunning transformation with a fifth win from his past six starts. Elsewhere on the Valley card, Karis Teetan snapped a streak of 50 winless rides with victory on Douglas Whyte's Ace Power in the Class Four Craigengower Cricket Club Cup (1,200m). Antoine Hamelin notched his fourth success of the season when he lifted Cody Mo Wai-kit's Spicy Spangle home in the Class Four Hong Kong Football Club Centenary Cup (1,000m).
South China Morning Post
17-02-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Could controversial protest decision cost Sky Trust a spot in the Classic Cup?
Caspar Fownes-trained galloper sits just below cut-off line for second leg of four-year-old series, but he should be given priority to start by officials by Sam Agars on Monday, February 17, 2025 7:10 PM Sky Trust (left) and Winning Gold fight out the finish at Sha Tin on February 9. Photo: Kenneth Chan The controversial protest decision which saw Sky Trust relegated to second on February 9 has left the Caspar Fownes-trained galloper just below the cut-off line for the HK$13 million Classic Cup (1,800m) on March 2, but if common sense prevails the in-form galloper should find himself in the field anyway. A winning result on February 9 would have put the 79-rated Sky Trust safely in the field, but the stewards' decision to demote the galloper because of interference late in the race meant he received only a three-point rise to leave him equal 16th on ratings among the 28 entries released by the Jockey Club on Monday. Of course, attrition could ensure Sky Trust a spot in the field regardless but that should be rendered irrelevant when Jockey Club head of racing product Greg Carpenter releases his priority to start later this week. The top 11 in the ratings – My Wish, Rubylot, Packing Hermod, Divano, Johannes Brahms, Stunning Peach, Mickley, Noisy Boy, Cap Ferrat, Packing Angel and Californiatotality – all look assured of their spot in the second leg of the prestigious four-year-old series, but after that things are more open to interpretation. Six horses look to be fighting for the final three spots, with 80-raters Mondial, Romantic Thor, Steps Ahead and Talents Ambition sitting just ahead of Sky Trust and Lucy In The Sky on marks of 79. Steps Ahead should be guaranteed of his spot after his Class Three 1,800m win on the weekend and Talents Ambition looks to have done enough to warrant selection, while it should be easy to put a line through Lucy In The Sky after he ran fourth over 1,200m on the weekend. That means officials will have to promote Sky Trust – who has won over a mile in Class Three this season – ahead of Mondial and Romantic Thor, which should be a simple enough decision given Mondial has never raced in Hong Kong and Romantic Thor was 11th over a mile on Sunday and is winless from four starts in the city. If they don't, the decision to demote $2 favourite Sky Trust will leave connections smarting yet again. Million Challenge on the line To say the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge fails to capture the imagination of Hong Kong racing fans would be something of an understatement, but this year's edition could be even less inspiring than normal if results fall a certain way at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. While the Million Challenge finale is set for February 26, the competition could be decided a week early if the David Hayes-trained Soleil Fighter salutes on Wednesday night and Eternal Fortune fails to fire. As it stands, Soleil Fighter sits on 46 points with a four-point lead over the second-placed I Can, who isn't running on Wednesday night, and a six-point buffer over Eternal Fortune. — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) February 5, 2025 A win in the Class Three Kap Shui Mun Handicap (1,650m) would see Soleil Fighter move to 61 points, meaning anything less than a top-two finish from Eternal Fortune in the second section of the Class Three Ma Wan Handicap (1,200m) would render next week's finale merely ceremonial. Held between September and February, the Million Challenge is open to horses in Class Three and above, with 15 points awarded for a win, six for second, four for third and three for fourth. The winning connections pocket HK$1,000,000, while second grabs HK$350,000 and third HK$150,000.
