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Trelawney Graduate Takes out Hong Kong Mile 11 Dec 2006
The Hong Kong International Racemeeting brings together the world’s thoroughbred elite and each year, it has grown in status and internationalisation as the leading stables of the world converge on Hong Kong to chase Group One glory.

With four Group One races on the card, last night it was the Trelawney Stud-graduate The Duke (Aus) (Danehill – Mer Du Sud by Bluebird) who emerged victorious in the G1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m). A starter in this race on three consecutive occasions, the win is certainly deserved after finishing third in his first attempt and second in last year’s rendition.

Regarded by many as one of the world’s toughest mile races, in winning The Duke provided current Hong Kong Trainers Premiership-leader Casper Fownes with his first Group One victory while the official winning time of 1:33.4 was just one tenth outside the Sha Tin track record which has stood for 23 years. “It is just a magic feeling,” said Fownes when asked about training his first Group One winner.

Currently in his fourth season of training in Hong Kong, Casper Fownes spent 18 years as assistant trainer to his father Lawrie before being granted his own training license. “I have shared in the success of some big wins with my father but it is a great result to win such a big race and this horse has been very consistent,” said Casper. “His next target will be the Stewards Cup on the 28th of January and then after that, depending on how he races and how he comes through things, we would look at traveling either to Japan or maybe Australia and target the Mile series,” he said.

The Duke’s win topped off a successful week for Fownes with Trelawney bred horses as another Trelawney graduate in the form of Socrates (NZ) (Zabeel – Oh Sister by Marooned) added to the Fownes tally of winners earlier in the week when he made it two-in-a-row on Wednesday after taking out the HKJC Asia Handicap (1800m) at Happy Valley. “He has had four starts this season for three wins,” said Casper. With seven wins from 25 starts, Socrates was bred and reared by Trelawney Stud and was sold at the 2003 NZB Premier Sale for $190,000. “He is going well at the moment and we will just keep ticking him over and see what happens,” said Casper.

Whilst providing his trainer with a first Group One victory, The Duke also provided his breeder Mark Todd with his first Group One winner as a breeder. “It was a little while ago now but we were looking for a nice quality broodmare and at the time, Coolmore were looking for an eventing horse,” said Mark Todd. “It was the time when we were selling up our eventing horses and moving back to New Zealand,” said Todd. “There were a number of mares to choose from and we asked Brent Taylor from Trelawney to take a look at them and he recommended Mer Du Sud,” he said. “At the time, we didn’t have a farm set-up in New Zealand so the mare foaled down in Australia, was covered by Thunder Gulch and then came back to New Zealand where she went to Trelawney,” said Mark. “The Duke was raised and prepared by Trelawney for the Premier Sale and he was purchased for $200,000 for the Hong Kong International Sale,” he said.

Now with a select broodmare band of seven mares, Mark said the focus is on breeding at the quality end of the market. “We have a few mares in partnership with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and his farm Watership Downs,” said Mark. “One of those mares is Chablis whose first foal is Pinot Grigio,” he said. “We also have a half sister to The Duke, a daughter of Almutawakel called Izzaz. She is still racing but she will eventually join the broodmare band but we will try and pick up a nice race with her before then,” said Mark.

The Duke’s victory on the international stage continues Trelawney Stud’s trend of raising and selling thoroughbreds that can compete at the highest level. This season has already seen two Group Two-winners carry the Trelawney brand to success in the form of Sandown Guineas-winner Sender (NZ) (Keeper) and Counties Cup-winner Chettak (NZ) (Almutawakel). “Each season for the last ten years we have bred, raised or sold a Group One winner,” said Brent Taylor of Trelawney Stud. “Breeding Group One horses is what we all set out to do but achieving the result is a completely different thing and involves so many steps along the way,” he said. “In this case, The Duke was bred by Mark and Carolyn Todd – people we have had a long association with – and it is great that we were involved in assisting them to breed and sell their first Group One winner and I’m sure there will be more to come,” said Brent.