Southern Legend dug deep into his gritty reserves when fending off Beauty Generation to earn a first Gr1 win in last month’s FWD Champions Mile and trainer Caspar Fownes anticipates another tough effort will be needed in Sunday’s Gr3 Lion Rock Trophy Handicap to be run over a mile at Sha Tin.
There is no Beauty Generation this time but Southern Legend will contend with a hefty 133lb on his back, as well as a concession of 20lb to more than half of his 10 opponents, some of which are aiming to prove that they too won’t be out of place in the top races next term.
Southern Legend beats Beauty Generation last time (Pic – HKJC)
“It’s always tough when you drop back into these grades with the heavy weight, giving some half-decent horses a bit of weight,” Fownes said. “But I’m sure he’ll still acquit himself very well, I’m sure he’ll be competitive and if we can win under 133lb it will be unbelievable.”
Southern Legend has been boxing around the top races for three season now and Champions Mile success was just reward for the two-time SIN G1 Kranji Mile winner, who will officially turn eight years old on 1 August.
“You wouldn’t know he’s getting on in years, he’s in top form,” Fownes said. “He’s been really well and we’re very happy with him.”
The Not A Single Doubt gelding spent two weeks at the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Conghua facility in Mainland China following his career peak Champions Mile triumph, returning to Sha Tin on 21 May. Jockey Vincent Ho partnered the bay in a gallop two days later, a 1200m workout in which his mount clocked 1m 21.4s (27.1s, 29.3s, 25.0s).
“His form is still there,” Ho said. “It was a really good win in the Champions Mile and he’s been well since, he’s been in really good form. It’s a handicap race this time and he’s carrying 20lb more than some of them so it won’t be easy but I hope his class will be enough to cope.
“We passed Beauty Generation by half a length and then he fought back and got really close but we were lucky that we held on.”
Beauty Generation has been Hong Kong’s standout miler in recent seasons, earning Horse of the Year and Champion Miler honours in each of the past two campaigns. With the great horse’s ability this term having dipped from spectacularly brilliant to ‘plain’ very good, those titles are up for grabs this year but Fownes is not getting too carried away by the thought that Southern Legend might nick the milers’ crown.
“Technically, he’s in with a chance,” he said. “He’d have to win this race first, I think. His last race showed his tenacity and will to win, when he fought the champ the whole way down the straight. That was a great effort.
“Let’s see what happens on the weekend and hopefully he runs well.”
- Hong Kong Jockey Club
