Hong Kong season ends on at Happy Valley on Wednesday
Caspar Fownes has claimed victory in the gripping battle with John Size for the 2020/21 Hong Kong trainers’ championship after a pulsating final Sha Tin meeting of the season on Sunday saw Fownes emerge with an unassailable lead.
With only nine races left at Happy Valley’s season finale on Wednesday night, Fownes leads 79-72 with 11-time trainer Size guaranteed only three certain runners ahead of declarations on Monday, while Fownes has entries in every race.
The champion trainer in 2006/07, 2008/09 and 2013/14, Fownes was jubilant after Green Envy (Shamexpress) delivered the stable’s 79th victory of the current term in the first section of the Class 4 All You Wish Handicap (1400m), stretching his lead over Size to nine wins.
“I think it’s all over now because there’s not enough races, what am I nine in front with 14 races to go? I’m pretty safe,” he said.
“I’m pretty happy. We’ve worked hard this year to get this result. Extremely happy for all of the team. We’ve all worked hard and it’s been a great challenge, a great fight – and a lot of fun. It’s exciting.
“We’ve had a very big season and the pressure has been on the last couple of months.”
Size, who finished Sunday’s program with a double, credited Fownes’ outstanding season.
“I have to be satisfied with it (the season), 72 winners is a pretty good score. I’m reasonably pleased with the outcome,” he said. “Caspar’s horses run straight and true every week and when you get up near 80 you deserve to win.”
With a seven-win buffer heading to Happy Valley on Wednesday night, Fownes, 53, believes the turning point of the season arrived on May 23, when Size surged to a six-win lead.
“When John went six ahead of me on the 23rd of May, it was going to look quite tough to come back and beat him because he’s such a great trainer and a great champion over the years,” Fownes said.
“When he won those early races in the day and he went six wins in front and I came back and won three races at the end of the day and he was three in front.
“I like to fight. I like the challenge and I was there for it all season. It’s wonderful how it’s worked out. We’ve put a lot of hard work in and we’ve got a lot of good horses in the stable.
I’m looking forward to next season already, but it’s been a magic season.
“I always felt I had a good chance this year. We had the horses in great positions and they were in form.
“We got a lot of seconds, a lot of thirds and now a lot of winners, so it’s been a wonderful season.”
Fownes’ highlight during a resurgent season was the Hong Kong Derby (HK Gr 1, 2000m) triumph of Sky Darci (Darci Brahma).
