By Ed Culham
BANK on ‘King of the Valley’, trainer Caspar Fownes, to get back into the winning groove when he sends a handful of raiders to Happy Valley today.
While trainers Ricky Yiu, with 19 winners since the beginning of the year, and more recently, back-to-form David Hayes – with winning doubles at the Valley and Sha Tin last week – have been grabbing the headlines, Fownes has suffered a frustrating period.
Just three wins and 15 places in the last month will have done little to improve Fownes’ demeanour, especially while overseeing an unsuccessful raid with frustrating galloper Senor Toba in Doha and Dubai.
Fownes, however, is always likely to bounce back to form, especially at his favourite track, where he has saddled 19 of his 28 winners this season.
With his once go-to jockey Joao Moreira now out of the equation, Fownes has built up a good relationship with star-pilot Hugh Bowman.
The combination has struck three times and made the frame on nine occasions from just 21 rides, suggesting when the stable fancy one of their gallopers, the former LONGINES World’s Best Jockey is the man to go for.
Fownes and Bowman team-up three times on the nine-race programme, starting with Kokushi Musou who has a major chance in the opener, division one of the Leighton Handicap (10.45am) over six furlongs.
This looks a tough contest on paper though, with last-start winners Divine Era and Son Pak Fu in opposition, and Durham Star back near his last winning mark.
More attractive propositions come later on the card, when Bowman takes over from Luke Ferraris aboard WINNING ICEY, who bids to put behind him a series of unlucky and narrow defeats, in division two of the Russell Handicap (2.15pm) over six furlongs.
This son of Hinchinbrook has twice dashed too late over the course and distance in the past month, after getting too far back in the early stages, from either awkward or wide draws.
This time with a positive draw in stall four in his favour, he should be positioned in midfield from the off and then make his impressive trademark finishing kick count in the closing stages.
Bowman once again teams up with hugely talented but unpredictable ROCKET SPADE, who is given one last throw of the dice, in the Percival Handicap (1.15pm) over nine furlongs.
This former New Zealand Derby winner has recently had his supporters tearing their hair out in frustration, after swooping too late over the extended mile in January, and then touched off on the post by rival Escape Route over the course and distance last month.
His outside draw is of no consequence as he has to be ridden quietly at the back, and if Bowman can safely navigate an untroubled passage, he will be hard to beat.
POINTERS
Rocket Spade 1.15pm Happy Valley
Winning Icey 2.15pm Happy Valley
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