Latest news with #KaholoAngel
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Caspar Fownes is ‘King of the Valley' once more, while Ellis Wong continues strong form
Caspar Fownes rocketed to the top of the unofficial Happy Valley trainers' championship and Ellis Wong Chi-wang continued his strong form as the pair bagged doubles at the city circuit on Wednesday night. Wins from Joy Of Spring in the Class Three Tai Tam Gap Handicap (1,800m) and Kaholo Angel in the card-closing Class Two Wan Chai Gap Handicap (1,200m) took Fownes to 23 victories at the track this season, with the 'King of the Valley' leapfrogging Mark Newnham to assume the lead. 'We're back in front. We'll keep doing our best,' said Fownes before praising his apprentice Wong. 'Lovely ride – he's ridden beautifully all night, the kid. He's come a long way, he's doing well and I'm sure everyone's going to want a piece of him now. Kaholo Angel does it again! 🔥 Three wins in four starts for Caspar Fownes' in-form grey galloper as @elliswong05 makes it a double tonight... #HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 4, 2025 'Lovely to get that result with [Kaholo Angel]. When you get up to Class Two in Hong Kong, it's very tough and that looked a proper field. But Ellis gave him a lovely ride and thankfully he got it done.' After five wins in May – including three last week – Wong kicked off June in fine style with an early success aboard Mega Bonus for Ricky Yiu Poon-fai in the second section of the Class Four Wong Nai Chung Gap Handicap (1,200m) before delivering the goods aboard Kaholo Angel. 'I have to thank my boss [Fownes] for all his support. I've been lucky and [when you] start to ride well, the support starts to come and the confidence starts to come, too,' said Wong. 'I hope to get more winners and keep improving.' Also on Wednesday night, the win of S J Tourbillon was a welcome one for Karis Teetan, who ended a run of 39 rides without a victory by driving the Dennis Yip Chor-hong-trained galloper home in the Class Four Mount Nicholson Handicap (1,800m). HK Racing News Get updates direct to your inbox Sign up Best Bets Racing News By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Error: Please enter a valid email. The email address is already in use. Please login to subscribe. Error, please try again later. THANK YOU You are one the list. Four wins from the past three fixtures for @elliswong05! 🔥 Our apprentice makes all aboard Mega Bonus for in-form trainer Ricky Yiu at Happy Valley...#HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 4, 2025 'Dennis said the horse was in good shape and that the track should help him,' said Teetan after S J Tourbillon travelled three wide before barrelling home down the middle of the good-to-yielding track. 'The only thing he said was to get him out of the gates and get him into a good rhythm and I must say he let down nicely.' Teetan wasn't the only one seeing off something of a drought at the midweek meeting, with Keagan de Melo bagging his first success since early April. After enduring 38 losing mounts, South African De Melo speared the Douglas Whyte-trained Golden Darci up the inside from behind midfield in the Class Four Cricket Club Valley Stakes (1,200m). 'He trialled well at Conghua and Dougie was kind enough to give me the ride. Drawing barrier one was really a help and I was able to get close without using him,' De Melo said. S J Tourbillon (ex Roman Empire 🇮🇪) grabs a first win in 728 days at Happy Valley! 🤯 Formerly with @coolmorestud, the Galileo gelding powers through testing conditions with @KarisTeetan for Dennis Yip... 🌧️#HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 4, 2025 'These conditions really suited him and he quickened through the line really nicely. 'Things are slowly starting to pick up. There's been a couple of suspensions along the way, but nice to get a win and I'm really grateful for the support I get.' The win was Golden Darci's second from his past three starts and continued an uptick in form for De Melo's countryman Whyte. 'He let down really well and I think Keagan gave him a good ride. He was patient, he waited for the gaps to present themselves and when they did, the horse let down well,' said the trainer. 'He looks like he loves the track. He loves the pace on. The draw was certainly beneficial tonight and I do think the cut in the ground made a significant difference to his performance. Brilliant steer, @kdemelo01! 🤯 South Africa's ace rider weaves to victory in the Cricket Club Valley Stakes with Golden Darci for @DJWhyteTrainer... 🏆#HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 4, 2025 'He's got a bit of confidence about him now and let's hope he's on his way. 'It's slowly ticking over again,' added Whyte after moving to 23 successes for the season. 'The horses are at their right rating and I've got a lot of older horses that, towards the back of the season, always come good. 'When there's a bit of juice in the ground like this these older horses always let down a bit better. 'Things are coming together nicely. December, January, February were slow with young horses taking their time – just the normal Hong Kong season – but the back end of the season will be nice.'
South China Morning Post
02-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Jumbo Legend passes first staying test as Caspar Fownes notches a Happy Valley double
Caspar Fownes credited his son Ronan and a top ride by jockey Harry Bentley for Jumbo Legend's fast-finishing victory on Wednesday night before Kaholo Angel sealed a double for the stable at Happy Valley. 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 — 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 — 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.
