Hong Kong trainer Caspar Fownes is ready to take on the world with Eliza Park International graduate Gun Pit.

The budding international star maintained his perfect record on Sha Tin’s all-weather track and smashed his own track record in a scintillating performance on Wednesday evening.

Gun Pit (5g Dubawi – Magic Tori by Ali-Royal) powered away to a two-length victory in the Jackson Hcp (1650m) clocking 1:36.34s.  “He’s a very exciting horse and we look forward to bigger and better things,” Fownes said as Zac Purton brought the gelding back to scale.  “We are only just scratching the surface with this guy.”

Fownes will take the Victorian-bred gelding to Japan for the G1 Champions Cup (1800m) at Chukyo on December 6.  He’s also looking further afield to the Dubai World Cup carnival and even next year’s Breeders’ Cup meeting.

“I think the distance in Japan won’t be a problem at all – he was very strong to the line tonight,” he said.  “The only question mark will be Chukyo’s deeper sand-based surface.”

Lynden Park’s Jill Ross bred Gun Pit’s dam Magic Tori and raced her to 8 wins in Melbourne with trainer Greg Eurell.

Eliza Park International sold Gun Pit to leading Kiwi pinhooker Mark Treweek for $65,000 at the 2012 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.  He toured the ring again at the NZB Ready to Run Sale later that year when changing hands for $250,000

Gun Pit is unbeaten in 7 starts on Sha Tin’s all-weather track and has earned over $7.68 million (AUD 1.39 million) for owner Cheng Chung-wah.

GUN PIT
Photo:  Kenneth Chan / SCMP