Lawrence Fownes, the former champion trainer of India and a pioneer of the sport’s professional era in Hong Kong, passed away at his Tai Po home this morning, aged 77.
A family statement issued read: “Beloved father, husband and friend to many, died peacefully surrounded by his loving devoted wife Pamela, his three children – Fenella, Stephanie and Caspar – and his grandchildren. He was dearly loved and will be deeply missed. A true champion till the end.”
Fownes had been fighting a long battle with cancer. In January last year, he was admitted to hospital with issues that led to kidney problems, and was found to have lumps on his lymph nodes.
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“I told them flat out, no chemotherapy. I had seen both of my sisters die after a month or two of misery,” he told the South China Morning Post a few months ago.
Born in India in 1937, Fownes was surrounded by horses and racing from his early childhood. His grandfather came to the colonial outpost to serve with the legendary Royal Hussars mounted cavalry at the turn of the 20th century. Fownes’ father, Captain Jack Fownes, was also a member of the mounted division and went on to become one of the country’s leading trainers.
Lawrence followed in his father’s footsteps and became one of India’s greatest trainers.
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He prepared more than 650 winners in India, was twice crowned champion trainer of Calcutta and won a host of major races, the most famous his dead-heat success with Skyline in the 1974 Bangalore Derby.
Skyline’s victory was not just notable for its dramatic nature but for the fact Fownes helped load a rival trainer’s horse, Mauritius Pearl, into the starting gates – the horse that would, minutes later, dead-heat with his.
The story is cited as an example of Fownes’ sportsmanship and integrity, core values that he would bring to the burgeoning racing mecca of Hong Kong in 1981.
After finishing last in his first season of training at Sha Tin and preparing just 16 winners in his first two terms, Fownes forged a career marked by consistency.
He trained 636 winners in 22 seasons, his biggest victory the Hong Kong Derby with Super Fit in 1994, but he also had considerable success with horses such as Always Win, Cricket Lord and Excellent Kid.
When the 65-year-old Fownes faced compulsory retirement in 2003, Caspar was initially denied a licence and Lawrence wrote an open letter published in the South China Morning Post.
“As his father and mentor, I am firmly convinced that he has all the attributes to excel at the job and firmly believed he would be given the opportunity to follow in my footsteps,” he said.
True to Lawrence’s word, Caspar has excelled – his own win tally of 641 domestic wins only surpassing his father’s total of Hong Kong wins last month. He is Hong Kong’s current champion trainer and three-time championship winner.
