A stomach virus may have felled trainer Caspar Fownes, but the show went on in his absence with Gallant Master (Jacky Tong Chi-kit) breaking through for a well-deserved victory in the sixth event over the all-weather mile. Fownes was at Sha Tin for the first race but his eldest son Ryan had been hospitalised with a 'gastro problem' yesterday morning and Fownes suddenly thought he would be following the same path. 'I was feeling very nauseous and flat, so I went home after the first race and watched the rest of the day from there,' Fownes said. 'I was very happy to see Gallant Master win, I thought the handicapper had been a bit unfair not dropping him even a point after being unplaced at his last four starts, but he's won his first race now so hopefully he's on his way,' he added. 'He's going to be a nice bread-and-butter horse who should give his owners a lot of enjoyment.'