The Hong Kong trainers’ championship took another significant turn at Happy Valley on Wednesday night as Caspar Fownes closed to within one win of the lead with a timely double alongside Joao Moreira. With only four wins separating the top six trainers, the title race has developed into one of the most compressed contests in recent seasons.

Fownes entered the meeting after a quiet stretch by his standards, having gone three meetings without a winner, but quickly reversed that trend when Decision Link justified odds-on favouritism in the first section of the Class 4 Dandelion Handicap over 1650m.

The trainer indicated the gelding’s recent form had been affected by difficult barriers rather than any lack of ability. Fownes noted that Decision Link had repeatedly drawn wide gates and said the stable had long believed the horse would be better suited once stretched to 1650m.

The victory moved Fownes onto 52 wins before he struck again later on the programme with The Heir in the second section of the Class 4 Dendrobium Handicap over 1200m. The six-year-old, ridden by Moreira, ended a lengthy wait for victory after placing four times since his previous success on the opening day of the 2025/26 season.

Fownes said The Heir had continued to race consistently despite failing to win and added that it was satisfying to secure another result for the owner. Importantly, he also linked his recent quieter period to track conditions brought about by Hong Kong’s rainy season.

In comments that stood out on the night, Fownes described recent racing surfaces as heavily favouring on-speed runners and said the return to the “A” course at Happy Valley produced a track that “looks like a proper Hong Kong track.” He also expressed hope that improved weather conditions would assist with repairs in the coming weeks.

The championship standings remain exceptionally tight. Danny Shum holds the lead on 54 wins, with Fownes now second on 53. Mark Newnham sits on 52, Francis Lui has rallied into contention with 50, while David Hayes and defending champion John Size remain within striking distance on 48 and 46 respectively.

Victor The Winner Ends Long Drought

Group 1-winning sprinter Victor The Winner produced one of the more notable performances of the evening when snapping an 843-day losing sequence in the Class 2 Thistle Handicap over 1200m.

Now trained by Pierre Ng, the 118-rated gelding had not won since landing the 2024 Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup and had changed stables twice in the interim. In a race loaded with early speed, Angus Chung drove the veteran to the line in a determined front-running effort at 58/1.

The tempo throughout the contest was relentless, with several natural leaders ensuring genuine sectionals from the outset, but Victor The Winner held on under pressure to finally return to the winner’s enclosure.

Tycoon Resources Continues Rapid Rise

The performance that arguably carried the most long-term significance came from Tycoon Resources, the rapidly improving three-year-old trained by Tony Cruz.

Competing in the Class 4 Ewo Challenge Trophy Handicap over 1000m, the gelding unleashed a powerful finishing burst from the rear under Angus Chung to maintain his unbeaten record after two Hong Kong starts.

The manner of the victory immediately elevated him as a horse to follow through the grades, particularly given the difficulty of producing sustained late runs over the straight five-furlong trip at Happy Valley.

Cruz later completed a stable double when Flying Wrote stayed on strongly to claim the Class 3 Violet Handicap over 1200m under Jerry Chau.

Purton Closes On 2,000-Win Milestone

Zac Purton moved within five wins of the 2,000-win mark in Hong Kong after partnering Vivacious Win to an emphatic maiden success in the second section of the Class 4 Dandelion Handicap over 1650m.

The David Eustace-trained galloper surged clear by five lengths after settling off a strong early tempo. Eustace said the horse had been “threatening to win for a little while” and noted that favourable race conditions allowed Purton to control the contest perfectly from the draw.

Despite the wide margin, Eustace was cautious in his assessment, suggesting the strength of the race and the fast early pace may have exaggerated the winning distance. He also expressed hope that the handicapper would not overreact to the performance.

Other Winners On The Card

King Alloy broke through at his 16th attempt when taking the Class 5 Celosia Handicap over 1000m for trainer Jimmy Ting and jockey Richard Kingscote. The son of Cosmic Force quickened effectively over the final 100 metres to score by half a length.

Dylan Mo also returned to form with a patient ride aboard 24/1 chance Vulcanus in the first section of the Class 4 Dendrobium Handicap over 1200m for trainer Me Tsui. The victory was Vulcanus’ fifth in Hong Kong and provided Mo with momentum ahead of Sunday’s Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup, where he is booked to ride Winning Wing.

With the trainers’ championship tightening, Purton edging closer to another major milestone and several progressive horses emerging through the grades, the final weeks of the Hong Kong season are shaping into a highly competitive finish on multiple fronts.