South African trainer Brett Crawford is hoping for his first Happy Valley winner on Wednesday night when Encountered contests the Class 2 Lei Yue Mun Handicap (1800m) and he believes his veteran is ready to build on an encouraging first-up effort.
“He’s been doing well – he ran a really good race last time and he had shown in his work that he would,” Crawford said. “Since then he’s done well. He had a short break at Conghua for a change of scenery, and he’s come back moving really well.”
Encountered, who finished second behind Caspar Fownes’ Lo Rider over 1650m last month, meets that rival five pounds better off tonight. Crawford still sees Fownes’ horse as the biggest danger.
“Caspar’s horse is still the horse to beat – although we are better off at the weights. I certainly respect him, he’s a nice horse,” Crawford said. “But our horse’s Happy Valley form is good.”
A four-time winner from 10 starts at the city track, Encountered’s record there speaks for itself, even if those successes came over 1650m. “He has been competitive at 1800m there before,” Crawford added.
Encountered raced with David Hall last season but before that won five of his last eight starts of the 2022/23 season for Manfred Man Ka-leung, before claiming the 2023 Group 3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse off a rating of 110. Now rated 92, a victory tonight would likely earn a return trip to that same race next month.
“Tomorrow will give us a good idea of what we can plan for him,” Crawford said. “If he runs well and keeps heading back toward that previous ratings range, we could look at the Ladies’ Purse again.”
Crawford, who has already sent out two winners in his debut Hong Kong season, has been quick to make use of the Club’s spacious training center at Conghua in Guangdong. Encountered recently enjoyed a five-day spell there.
“I think it’s a really fantastic place and a great option for horses in Hong Kong,” he said. “The logistics are well managed, getting horses back and forth is easy, and they come back refreshed.”
Crawford is also embracing another recent addition to the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s facilities: treadmills. The new training option became available to trainers last week and Crawford is already introducing his string to the equipment.
“They opened last Monday and we’re schooling every horse in the yard so they can use them when needed,” he said. “Back home, if you wanted a treadmill you had to buy one yourself. We had one for seven years and they’re a great aid – for rehab, fitness, maintenance, or managing soundness issues. It just depends on what you want to achieve.”
Fownes, meanwhile, says his Lo Rider – who returns from Conghua looking “very healthy in the coat” – deserves his early-season hype.
“He looks extremely well … and he seems to be a happy horse,” Fownes told the HKJC. “We’re stretching out an extra 150 (meters) this week, which should be very beneficial for him, you would think, especially after what he did last prep.
Fownes said of Encountered: “You have to respect him, but my horse presents well. I’m very excited because these types of horses have the opportunity to get into the triple figures (rating) and if you do then you’ve done your job. Anything after that is cream.”
