Lucky Nine is the real deal, beams Fownes

Lightly raced three-year-old Lucky Nine worked overtime to justify his hot favouritism and win the HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup (1,200m) yesterday, but that didn't stop trainer Caspar Fownes declaring him 'the real deal'.

Fownes had previously won the race with The Duke, who was already one of the top sprinter milers in Hong Kong at that time, and believes Lucky Nine (Brett Prebble) could be treading a similar path.

'He's got something this horse and he could be the real deal,' said Fownes after Prebble lifted Lucky Nine past last year's Chief Executive winner, Nightlign, in the final 100m to score by a neck.

'He's still getting there, I've no doubt that Lucky Nine now is well short of the finished article. But he's come a long way in the six months - he was very difficult to handle when he got here and gelding him has improved his attitude no end - and there is a lot more to come on the mental side of things.'

It was nervous going for punters who took the even money in a race that had not been kind to punters in the past.

Only Kingston Treasure (1999), Cliffhanger (2001) and Cheerful Fortune (2003) had won it as outright favourites and Prebble said later he wasn't overconfident of success until Lucky Nine got right down to his work late in the race.

But he came away impressed by the youngster and feels that Lucky Nine might be coming along at the right time to make a real name for himself.