Fownes enlists his biggest guns as he launches all-out assault on trainers’ title
Caspar Fownes will roll out his four biggest guns as part of an all-out assault on Sunday’s Sha Tin meeting and the trainers’ premiership.
Proceedings are delicately poised with Fownes leading John Size 69 winners to 67 with eight meetings remaining, however the former saddles up a dozen runners this weekend compared to his adversary’s six.
Fownes unleashes a double-pronged attack on each of the day’s Group Threes – Southern Legend (Zac Purton) and Columbus County (Joao Moreira) in the Premier Plate (1,800m) and Sky Darci (Moreira) and Sky Field (Blake Shinn) in the Premier Cup (1,400m).
The quartet make up four of the 53-year-old’s five highest-rated horses – Aethero sits second but has never raced under his care – and top dog Southern Legend is ready to do his bit for the cause despite approaching nine years of age.
“Southern Legend is a beast, he’s well and he just wants to go and race. He’s in great form. He’s carrying 133 [pounds] but he’s a bloody brute, he’s so tough and tenacious and I think he’ll still give it a shake,” said Fownes.
“Columbus County is coming back 600m but I’ve kept him as fresh as I can and he’s got a good record over 1,800m at Sha Tin. He’s very consistent and there’s no reason he can’t take it up to them.”
