Relieved Fownes comes up trumps
The final result might have been the one that many expected but there were still unexpected scenes to play out yesterday in the final act of this season's thrilling trainers' championship race before Caspar Fownes defied the traditional 'leader bias' and took his second title in three years.
'My first championship was a great buzz, but it was so different,' Fownes croaked after underlining his return to the throne with a treble, exhausting his lungs and cheering his throat red raw as Jackpot Delight closed the story out with the day's feature in the last race.
No dead-rubbers in this game. 'The first time, I was always in contention, always going to be right in the finish. It was my first so, of course, it was fantastic, but this has been a tremendous buzz. I was so far off the lead, I didn't even think of myself as a contender this season until quite late in the season, so it has been a different experience altogether. A real rush.'
At one point of the season, John Moore's advantage over Fownes was 18 wins, and 15 even as recently as May 6.
Historically, Moore was home and hosed as the championship, as always, displayed a very strong 'lead bias' due to the handicap system. Yet Fownes was able to produce 25 of his 68 wins after May 1 and in 14 meetings.
'The leader bias may have been true, but it's great to see that you can come from off the pace, that you can have a good run like I've had and win it. And to bring it right down to the final day was great for the sport,' Fownes said.
'You need a bit of luck in this game, and I got a lot of great rides from the boys that made a big difference. The staff all did a great job and things bounced our way. I'd chased for all those weeks and then drawn level and then pinched a break on Sunday, but it was certainly not over. I got here two in front today, but walked in thinking John Size could train six and John Moore had four great winning chances. It could all have turned for anyone of us.'
Punters agreed, sending an incredible six of reigning champion Size's runners out as clear favourites, and Special Days in the last a close second choice. Though it may have looked a walk in the park, the ultimate irony was the only placegetter among them was the debutant of that name in perhaps the most remarkably disappointing afternoon Size has endured during his brilliant career at Sha Tin.
Moore, for his part, did manage to restart the winning machine his stable had been for much of the term, with Ever King's upset in race five renewing hopes of winning his first title in 14 years after Fownes had drawn first blood with Telecom Gogo.
'Whoever thought I would win three in a season with Ever King? I didn't think he was one of our best today, but he has been very honest and, when he won, I just started to think we were in with a chance, that maybe it was my day,' Moore said.
But when well-backed Holey Dollar was third in the following race and Craig's Dragon a dismal last 30 minutes later behind Fownes-trained Deferential, a miracle was needed. When Boss loomed as the winner in the eighth but ran out of legs in the final 100m, the mathematics said it was all over, and Fortune Haven's win in race nine was only a consolation.
'We came up short and good luck to Caspar. He's worked hard these final weeks and got the right results and I'm just pleased to have been part of such a great tussle.
'To have to wait till the final day to decide it was great for the fans,' Moore said. 'Regardless of the championship, this is my best season ever - six Group Ones and we'll fall only a couple of hundred thousand short of HK$100 million in stake money and Viva Pataca has won Horse Of the Year.'
Worthy champ
Caspar Fownes ended the season as a champion trainer with (wins): 68
