Casper Fownes maintained his momentum at the top of the trainers' premiership last Saturday and will be excited about the prospects of the Hong Kong Derby-nominated Blazing Speed after being unlucky not to have finished in the placings with a stop-start debut sixth in the Shek Mun Handicap (1,600m).
Nearly four months since his last outing and off a light preparation, Blazing Speed wasn't the quickest out of the stalls, but rolled forward to settle a handy sixth. He came one off the fence in search of a run upon straightening, had to slam the brakes when Enabling shifted out to put him in a pocket with Packing Tycoon in front and Mizani on his outside at the 300m. The gelding then shifted off a tiring Packing Tycoon into the path left by Mizani at the 100m and had to take a hold yet again at the 50m, but finished off 1-1/2 lengths off the winner Mizani.
It was a huge performance in defeat and this fellow should only improve with this run and will be looking forward to a step up in distance according to his past form and pedigree.
The British-bred stepped out four times for trainer James Fanshawe. He weakened after tracking the leaders in his mile debut as a juvenile at Yarmouth, before putting things right as a three-year-old with two wins (2,055m and 2,000m) and a fourth.
He's a son of Dylan Thomas and Saddler's Wells mare Leukippids. Dylan Thomas injects some champion bloodlines into Blazing Speed as a winner of 10 races, including the Group One Prix De l'Arc de Triomphe, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes; Irish Champion Stakes (twice), Irish Derby and Prix Ganay.
His dam was unraced but is a half-sister to the 1998 Hong Kong Derby winner Johan Cruyff and Mantles Princess - dam of the 2010 Derby winner Super Satin.
