Caspar Fownes hopes to build on impressive early-season momentum when Dancing Code contests the Class 2 Yan Chai Trophy Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (8 October) when the impressive last-start winner faces the sternest test of a blossoming career.
A dual winner over 1200m at Happy Valley, Dancing Code graduates in class and distance against quality opposition as four-time Hong Kong champion trainer Fownes bids to add to his tally this season of 10 wins and 13 minor placings from 64 runners.
“Dancing Code is a nice horse, I think he’s going to appreciate the step up to 1400m at Sha Tin now. He’s done well for us in the handful of starts that he’s had and obviously now we’re up in class and when you get to Class 2 in Hong Kong, it’s pretty serious,” Fownes said.
“You’ve got horses like The Golden Scenery, Find My Love and Supreme Lucky – all nice, up and coming horses that are in good, current form – but so is my guy. He presents well and the step up with extra furlong, he’ll eat that up.
“He’s the type of horse who could probably get up to a mile, but this is a nice race to step him up into and we’re going to see if he can handle the class rise and if he does, we’re going to have a bit of fun with him. He’s really well and he looks a treat. Obviously, it’s going to be tough to win that type of race but we’ll certainly be there doing our best.”
Dancing Code (123lb) will start from barrier eight under Vincent Ho in a HK$2,840,000 contest headed by Keefy (135lb), The Golden Scenery (134lb) and Sauvestre (131lb).
Sitting second in the 2023/24 trainers’ championship behind Francis Lui (11 wins), Fownes is satisfied with his stable’s start to the campaign.
“It’s going good. We planned for a good start and to try to have a big season all the way through, so hopefully we can continue to do that,” he said. “It’s tough over here in Hong Kong with the handicap system but the horses are looking well and racing well and long may it continue.”
Having reached the 400-win milestone in Hong Kong at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (4 October), Frankie Lor will oppose Fownes’ Dancing Code with Keefy, Sauvestre and Eason (127lb) in Sunday’s turf feature.
The 2021/2022 Hong Kong champion trainer is also optimistic Youthful Deal can reprise his best form in the Class 2 Tsuen Fu Handicap (1200m, dirt) under Ho. With four wins and two minor placings over the course and distance, Lor hopes the 90-rater can improve significantly after two unplaced runs on turf.
“I try also with him on the turf, but he likes the dirt better. He’s trialled good,” Lor said of the Deep Field gelding. “Vincent knows the horse well and he’s worked really well lately and hopefully we get a good result on Sunday.”
Lor will also saddle Happy Together in the Class 3 Tsuen Lok Handicap (1600m) for Alexis Badel, having scored with Richard Gibson’s former charge on 24 September.
“I think he’s got potential. He won his first start for me and I was really happy,” Lor said. “This time, he needs to carry a big weight (135lb), but Alexis knows what to do. He’s been working well.”
Champion sprinter Lucky Sweynesse took another important step towards the G2 Premier Bowl Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on 22 October with a 1200m trial victory this morning (6 October) under regular rider Zac Purton.
Beaten by Victor The Winner when resuming in the Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) on 10 September, Manfred Man’s three-time Group 1 victor had two lengths to spare at the line over stablemate Encountered, clocking 1m 11.44s.
“His action is getting better, he’s getting a bit cleaner in the wind. His body is starting to look better. He was very fresh in the gates, which we know he can be, he jumped out nicely and travelled nicely and did what he had to do,” Purton said.
Purton also partnered Beauty Eternal in a winning trial over 1200m as John Size’s rising star readies for the G2 Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin on 15 October.
“He was a bit fresh in the gates as well. He got out, travelled nicely. The track was a little bit deep this morning and he prefers hard and fast but he travelled around nicely and although he didn’t change his lead legs in the straight, which is unusual for him, he still ran through the line nicely and had a good blow when pulled up,” Purton said after the dual G3 winner clocked 1m 11.19s.
“He’ll improve a lot from that trial and he’ll improve even more after he races heading towards hopefully December.”
Sunday’s (8 October) 10-race card at Sha Tin starts with the Class 3 Ho Pui Handicap (1650m, dirt) at 1pm.
By Leo Schlink, HKJC
