BRED in the racing purple and weighing in yesterday at eight pounds was the first child of popular racing couple Caspar and Alix Fownes.
Alix, of course, is the only daughter of Bruce and Lana Hutchison, while Caspar is the son and assistant to Lawrie. The supremely happy new parents grew up together at Sha Tin where their respective fathers have been training horses for more than 17 years.
Alix gave birth to a son with the minimum of fuss at Matilda Hospital, but first association with the weight scales might suggest the new arrival could grow to be a little heavy for a jockey.
The families headed for the hospital after yesterday's Sha Tin meeting and Lawrie had every reason to smile.
He moved on to the 30-win mark for the season and nephew Wendyll Woods began a three-day suspension with the boost of a last-race success when Royal Performance obliged.
'It has been a memorable day. We are really delighted for them,' said Lawrie, while Bruce, a grandfather for the first time, added: 'Everybody is very happy.' Basil Marcus will watch as the saddle he used so many times on local hero River Verdon goes under the hammer next Friday night.
The Grand Hyatt is the venue for the Ascotasia Ball and a host of racing personalities will be there. Another item of interest to be auctioned is an eye-catching painting by well-known equine artist Circle Lo featuring the field for this year's Hong Kong Derby and 100 racing personalities.
