Young Elite raised the discomfort level for trainers' premiership pacesetter John Moore when he gave Caspar Fownes his sole win in the Lai Chi Chong Handicap - but it was a significant single on an afternoon when neither Moore nor John Size led in a winner. Fownes moved to 60 wins, only two behind Moore on the title chase, when Young Elite (Brett Prebble) impressively won his way to better races in this Class One handicap at 1,800 metres. The larrikin in Fownes was even tempted to tease Moore wi

Young Elite raised the discomfort level for trainers' premiership pacesetter John Moore when he gave Caspar Fownes his sole win in the Lai Chi Chong Handicap - but it was a significant single on an afternoon when neither Moore nor John Size led in a winner. Fownes moved to 60 wins, only two behind Moore on the title chase, when Young Elite (Brett Prebble) impressively won his way to better races in this Class One handicap at 1,800 metres.

The larrikin in Fownes was even tempted to tease Moore with the possibility that the rising star may run again on final day. However, the reality is that the 2008-09 season is over for Young Elite, whose ownership - members of the Racing Club - flooded the winner's circle after the race to highlight just how much fun a progressive, syndicated racehorse can be.

"He's done a great job," Fownes said. "That's five wins and three placings from nine starts and he's held together well. He's not a horse that carries a lot of condition but he's stayed solid and got stronger as the season progressed. You've got to think he's a chance to take the step up to the top level and I would like to give him that chance."

After winning his previous two starts impressively at 1,600m, Fownes eased this grandson of champion Sunday Silence up to 1,800m yesterday and the added stamina requirements made no difference to him. "I think this horse will get 2,400 metres next season, I really do," Fownes insisted. "He's a very versatile horse, he could win first-up at 1,400 metres and go right through the distance spectrum to 2,400 metres, and you don't get many of those. The way I think we'll tackle next season is to aim towards the International Cup Trial [2,000m] in November. From there we'll know what to do - firstly, whether he's good enough and secondly whether to head to the Cup at 2,000 metres or the Vase [2,400m]."

Prebble, who won the Jockey Challenge yet again with 36 points, is two from two on Young Elite and is happy to support Fownes in his pursuit of bigger races.

(From Murray Bell, HK Racing Post)