Fownes has classic plans for Sikander
With the ink barely dry on the prizemoney cheque for the 2006 Hong Kong Derby, trainer Caspar Fownes has already put forward the first name on the classic roll call for next year, with three-year-old Sikander scoring in the final event.
Sikander showed the benefit of his three prior Hong Kong starts when he stepped up to 1,800m and over-ran older, more seasoned rivals to win going away.
Lightly raced in Australia with the leading yard of John Hawkes, Sikander had shown himself a horse with a future at his final two-year-old start there.
Coming from last in the Group One T J Smith Stakes over 1,600m in Brisbane, Sikander - then named Daemons - had charged into third at only his sixth start for the powerful Hawkes stable.
Fownes saw a potential Derby horse and pounced to purchase the youngster for long-time stable client, Ramesh Samtani.
'I'm thrilled because he's had horses for years with dad [Lawrie Fownes] before me, including a couple of Derby runners, and I've won for him with Himalaya and Everest, and he's more than an owner - he's a really close mate and it's fantastic that he's got a good horse,' Fownes said.
'I thought Sikander was just the right kind of horse to buy. He'd already shown some quality in that Group One placing, with plenty of unexplored potential and he looked a horse who would have no trouble with longer distances as he got older.
'He was bought specifically as a Derby horse so I've taken my time with him, but it is always nice to see them come out and win one in their first season. It gives you a bit of confidence that you're on the right track. He didn't have a lot go his way last time over 1,600m so I did give him a really good chance today.'
Weichong Marwing looked ready to claim the first Hong Kong win of his new stint when Syllabus went clear in the straight but with Shane Dye weaving through on the inside, Sikander swallowed him up in the last 150m then came away.
Sikander scored by a length, with extra merit added by the moderate lead tempo of the race being against the backmarkers.
'I won't put him away just yet. He's certainly shown his ability today on firm ground but Sikander also won a race in Sydney by nine lengths on a wet track so he could certainly win another before the season's over if he strikes those conditions in the weeks ahead,' Fownes said.
