Caspar Fownes sealed a fifth Hong Kong trainers’ championship and Jerry Chau claimed the Tony Cruz Award for leading homegrown jockey as ageless veteran Beauty Joy stamped his class at a pulsating Sha Tin Finale Race Day on Sunday (12 July).

With only nine races left to be run at the 2025/26 Season Finale at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (15 July), Fownes holds an unassailable lead with 69 wins over Danny Shum (64) and Mark Newnham (60) and cannot be caught based on entries for the 88th and final meeting of the season.

Fownes, 58, previously won the Hong Kong trainers’ championship in 2006/07, 2008/09, 2013/14 and 2020/21 and has a career tally of 1,235 Hong Kong wins.

“It’s massive, very relieved, happy – lots of love to my family for pushing me with this one,” Fownes said. “It’s special. It means a lot to me.

“It’s been hammer and tong the whole way and I’m looking forward to next season already – that’s how we roll.”

With 48 wins, Chau holds a 10-victory buffer over Vincent Ho (38) and was jubilant formally sealing victory in the race for the Tony Cruz Award.

“It’s amazing and it’s a dream come true. I’ve been waiting for this for six years,” Chau said. “I really appreciate everyone who has been supporting me. I want to give all of the credit to them, and my fiancé, she has helped me a lot and fixed any of my problems, so I can focus on the track.”

Chau has ridden 221 winners in Hong Kong since returning to the city from a stint in Australia.

Ka Ying Rising was announced as Most Popular Horse, while Zac Purton received a fourth Most Popular Jockey crown.

Tony Cruz’s Beauty Joy (130lb) earned a tilt at his seventh Hong Kong season after the nine-year-old blitzed his rivals to land the HK$4.075 million Class 1 Hong Kong Racehorse Owners Association Trophy Handicap (1600m) under Hugh Bowman.

Having his 13th ride on the mercurial gelding, Bowman was trapped behind a wall of horses at the 250m before Beauty Joy angled to the outside of the field and blasted to victory with a final 200m sectional of 11.07s to defeat Max Que (115lb) and Silvery Breeze (115lb).

Cruz confirmed Beauty Joy, who was unbeaten in four Australian starts as Talladega, would race on in 2026/27.

“He’ll race again next season but maybe not for the whole season,” Cruz said. “It might be half a season or a quarter of a season, but the owners (Eleanor and Patrick Kwok) are happy for him to keep going.”

Bowman said: “I knew I had plenty of horse and the pace had been on. I knew he was going to let down for me. Obviously, I had to ease over heels but once I balanced up on the outside, I had enough time and I was very confident of winning.

“I’ve ridden him a lot. He was the first good horse that I rode when I moved to Hong Kong and I’ve ridden him many times and he’s been a really solid horse, not only for me but the entire organisation.

“I’m really, really chuffed to win on him because it’s the first time I’ve won on him. I’ve run second in a Group 1, I’ve had other placings in Group 1s but he just lacks that killer punch at that level at the set weights.

“He’s just a really, really good horse and I’m delighted to win on him.”

Riding at the peak of his powers, Zac Purton took his tally for the season to 143 wins as Ricky Yiu celebrated his 69th birthday with the last-stride success of Double Bingo (128lb) in the Mr Award Handicap (1400m) before David Hall’s Rising Phoenix (135lb) swept along the fence to clinch the Class 4 Medic Kingdom Handicap (1400m).

Packing Fighter (134lb) was the most impressive of Purton’s haul, surging to victory in the Class 4 Solar Hei Hei Handicap (1600m).

“Danny had him in really good shape today, he was very fresh in the Parade Ring and he just raced like he was never going to lose,” Purton said. “He was in a lovely rhythm right from the start, he relaxed better than he did last start and he was able to get it on his own terms a bit more.

“It was impressive, it was a good effort.”

Manfred Man posted his 43rd winner of the campaign when Ho scored on Grand Patch (127lb) in the Class 4 Pingwu Spark Handicap (1400m). Man believes the Hellbent three-year-old has good potential.

“He’s a nice horse and he will keep improving. Last time he came third and today the extra distance was good for him and he improved from that run. Next season, 1400m to 1600m will be ideal for him. Vincent rode the perfect race,” Man said.

Pierre Ng’s Harry Angel three-year-old Green Angel (123lb) struck for Andrea Atzeni in the Class 4 Big Profit Handicap (1200m) before Ng made it a race-to-race double with Prestige Always (122lb) in the Class 4 Victory Marvel Handicap (1200m).

Brett Crawford also notched a double with Beauty Missile’s (135lb) fast-finishing effort under Alexis Badel in the Class 5 Miraculous Handicap (1800m) after overcoming gate 14 and PI Legend’s (129lb) success for Karis Teetan in the Class 3 Joy And Fun Handicap (1200m).

Teetan sealed a brace when Cody Mo’s Complete Unknown (116lb), a Flying Artie three-year-old, earned a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million, before James Orman piloted Chris So-trained Perfectday (130lb) to victory in the final race of the season at Sha Tin, the Class 3 All You Wish Handicap (1400m).

By Leo Schlink

Photo: HKJC