Lo Rider to prove his class

Lo Rider took a big step towards confirming his potential with a dazzling first-up win last month, and today at Happy Valley Caspar Fownes’ four-year-old Harzand gelding is aiming to repeat the dose in a quality HK$3.12 million Class 2 Lei Yue Mun Handicap over 1800m.

- 

A high-quality import from Ireland, where he was known as Sharinay and was a two-time winner at Cork and the Curragh for His Highness the Aga Khan IV, Lo Rider displayed plenty of promise throughout his debut seven-run campaign in Hong Kong last season, headlined by a brave fourth behind Cap Ferrat in last March’s HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby over 2000m at Sha Tin.

Scoring by 0.75 lengths when resuming in Class 2 over 1650m at Happy Valley on 17 September, Lo Rider - rated 89 and boasting earnings of HK$7.05 million from eight appearances in Hong Kong, China ~ is one of Fownes’ most exciting horses and the four-time Hong Kong Champion Trainer is hoping the galloper can make further headway.

“He arrived back on Saturday (11 October) from Conghua. He looks extremely well, very healthy in the coat, and he seems to be a happy horse,” Fownes said. “We're stretching out an extra 150m this week, which should be very beneficial for him, you would think, especially after what he did last prep.