A lunch with “Casibah” aka Caspar Fownes goes through a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and all good in their own ways. In the end, you’ve covered a helluva lot of terrain with great humour, some serious discussions, differing opinions, and, above all, great honesty through some open heart surgery that keeps everything real.
Finding “real” is extremely difficult to find these days, and which can be extremely exhausting and disappointing.
Maybe those of us who have pretty much seen it all, and now finally understand what makes certain things priorities in life, tend to tell it like it is without holding back and standing on ceremony. It’s very freeing.
There’s also a new found sense of importance placed on fair play while being able to see strengths and weaknesses in a nanu second.
Cas is a horse trainer- a champion horse trainer in Hong Kong- who would have been, and still could be, a champion horse trainer anywhere he wants to do what he was born to do.
He and I have both had to break through quite a few barriers to get to where we are today, and which is probably why when he’s talking about how he feels about things happening or not happening in his profession, I can understand it all as a journalist and music marketing professional.
Neither of us are any “better” than the other. The emotional glue holding everything together is the importance of family, never forgetting where we came from. Not having been born with silver spoons stuck up our backsides makes us see things in Hong Kong learned through the school of hard knocks and knowing to never take anything or anyone for granted.
As a champion horse trainer, I don’t think many have realised what it takes for Cas to sustain this role.
As the undisputed King Of Happy Valley and having trained more winners at the city racecourse than any other trainer in Hong Kong, there should be a huge billboard outside the iconic racetrack saying “Welcome to the home of Caspar Fownes, The King Of The Valley”.
Wikipedia will give you the names of his Greatest Hits, but, off the top of my head, the names of his equine heroes that come to mind are gallopers Lucky Nine, Southern Legend, Super Satin, Sky Field and Green Birdie.
The names of all the trophies he’s won? All of them, and he’s certainly not shy to show his emotions when he wins these big ones. Maybe it’s therapeutic.
Far more important is seeing how popular the 55 year old is with the man in the street including waiters in restaurants and hotels with whom he communicates in fluent Cantonese about everything including what goes into making his favourite Chinese chilli sauce for dim sum.
There’s also the incredible bond between him and his owners. Maybe this is because they’re also his friends and friends trust their friends. Loyalty is priceless and dishonesty is never tolerated.
I was reminded of all this and just how good he is in helping market Hong Kong horse racing when we recently met up for a long overdue lunch to just catch up on things... like life.
During almost four hours, we covered much ground except maybe arriving at a solution for world peace. He was taking care of business on his phone while talking to me in his different voices about many different subjects, but which always hit the target.
At times it was like being with Michael Corleone and Ace Ventura.
I wasn’t just part of the audience either. I was returning serve and also reminded that being a full time champion horse trainer in Hong Kong and having to think of all the different things it takes to look after a leading stable, and how nothing can afford to fall through the cracks.
It’s not winging it and hoping for the best. It’s to do with passion, dedication and having a certain sixth sense.
I don’t think many racing fans understand this and just how much of it segues into one’s personal life. After our lunch, it took a while to come down from that rollercoaster ride.
I couldn’t keep thinking how, after any lunch with Cas, everything should have been filmed.
It would have made one helluva entertaining reality show.
Entertaining and honest.
Maybe too honest in the court of public appeal...
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