The Caspar Fownes-trained Thumbs Up has been one of the forgotten horses of the season, but the six-year-old gets his chance to put that right in the Group Two Chairman's Trophy (1,600m) at Sha Tin today. Thumbs Up (Brett Prebble) has still only raced four times under Fownes despite moving yards the best part of a year ago and, when he burst out of the summer break with a first-up Sha Tin Trophy win, he looked set to be competitive in everything. A subsequent second to Able One in the Jockey Clu

The Caspar Fownes-trained Thumbs Up has been one of the forgotten horses of the season, but the six-year-old gets his chance to put that right in the Group Two Chairman's Trophy (1,600m) at Sha Tin today. Thumbs Up (Brett Prebble) has still only raced four times under Fownes despite moving yards the best part of a year ago and, when he burst out of the summer break with a first-up Sha Tin Trophy win, he looked set to be competitive in everything.

A subsequent second to Able One in the Jockey Club Mile confirmed his well-being, but the season got turned upside down on international day.

Thumbs Up was good in defeat, brought undone behind Beauty Flash by a soft tempo but he also pulled up with blood in his trachea and the bad luck didn't stop there.

A scratching from the Stewards' Cup with a hind leg problem followed and Thumbs Up lost another chance to shine at the top level, but Fownes then took aim at this race, no doubt with the Champions Mile to follow.

Thumbs Up hasn't looked to have missed a beat in his training since mid-February and, although he hasn't trialled, his fresh form in the past has been outstanding.

First-up this season he was a winner and first-up in his other two attempts have brought outstanding placings, running on strongly with the tempo against him.

Under the conditions of this event, Thumbs Up and Irian (Darren Beadman) are the ones tossed into the race as they receive a weight allowance for not being Group One winners in the past year. That puts the likes of Mr Medici and Viva Pataca at a disadvantage in giving them weight and the remainder are on the back foot for not receiving any. Irian drops back to 1,600m again, a distance perhaps a touch on the short side for him but it was hard to fault his Stewards' Cup third to Beauty Flash and he is drawn to run well again.

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