Fair Trade proves worth

Boom galloper Fair Trade may have been more professional than brilliant in scoring on his Hong Kong debut, but the three-year-old justified Caspar Fownes' belief in the unbeaten son of Danewin.

The sale of Fair Trade was chased down by Hong Kong-based bloodstock agent Justin Bahen and secured for owner Tony Stadmoor after he had won two from two in Melbourne for the Mick Kent stable.

Fair Trade trialled impressively on June 2 when handled by Brett Prebble, who could not be at Sha Tin yesterday after fulfilling his commitment to Sacred Kingdom in England on Saturday. Weichong Marwing proved a willing and able substitute. He drove Fair Trade forward from his inside alley.

'He's obviously come with a big reputation from Australia, he's on a high rating [94] and has beaten a genuine Class Two field ... not too many do that first-up off that sort of rating,' Marwing said. 'He's handled this way [right-handed] well, and I used him up. Caspar said he showed enormous acceleration in Melbourne when ridden cold, but this is Hong Kong and he has to become more versatile and learn to race forward.'

Fownes said getting a run into Fair Trade before the end of the season was important in terms of the bigger game.

'Next season, these horses only get a couple of chances before the big races come around, so having him fit enough to win in late June will mean he'll be forward in condition at the start of next term,' Fownes said. 'Hopefully, that will give us an advantage in trying to get into the bigger races.'