The draw Gods were smiling on Caspar Fownes’ Saturday runners and the trainers’ premiership leader is hoping he can make it pay when he assembles an eight-strong squad to try and drive home his five-win advantage at the top of the table.
In a championship battle that has ebbed and flowed, Fownes looks to finally have a stranglehold on what would be his fifth title, saddling winners at five of the last six meetings to keep Danny Shum Chap-shing and Mark Newnham at arm’s length.
It is a long way back for the chasers and to make matters worse for them, four of Fownes’ eight runners have drawn barrier one, which could be another decisive swing.
“Four gates ones is something I’d take every week,” Fownes said. “We won’t complain, that’s for sure. We’ve had our fair share of bad draws for the season, but hopefully it has levelled out now and we get some gates for the last four meetings when it really matters.”
Perhaps the biggest of Fownes’ chances does not run from the inside barrier, however, with Tang Heart drawing barrier three as he looks to break his local duck in the Class Three Lee Trophy (1,400m).
