Caspar Fownes' team for International Day are down one player after the withdrawal of miler Fair Trade, but the trainer is still upbeat on his chances of success tomorrow, in particular with sprint star Lucky Nine.
Fair Trade was scratched from the HK$20 million Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile after appearing rough in his action yesterday, leaving Fownes with two runners each in the Sprint and Vase.
'Fair Trade was just falling away a bit and feeling a leg injury, so we had to take him out and medicate him,' Fownes said.
Fownes' Lucky Nine and Green Birdie contest their first domestic race of the term in the HK$14 million Hong Kong Sprint after a cursed early season trip to Japan.
Lucky Nine was a desperately unlucky second in the Centaur Stakes and was nearly slammed through the running rail when looming ominously in the Sprinters Stakes, where he finished fifth to Curren Chan, a rival tomorrow.
Since returning from Japan looking worse for wear, Fownes said the four-year-old Group One winner had regained full health, as proven by an impressive recent trial and strong trackwork since. 'We're hopeful of a very big showing. It's a very open race and he is right among the chances. He is spot on,' Fownes said.
