Kembla punters set a Chinese puzzle

Hong Kong's premier trainer Caspar Fownes has reversed the usual flow of horses by sending the well-related Sikander back to Australia and the Gwenda Markwell stable at Kembla Grange.The five-year-old is a full brother to the ill-fated outstanding filly Unworldly and will make his return to Australian racing in the Gujarat NRE Minerals Ltd Handicap (1300m) at Kembla today.He raced as a two-year-old in Australia under the name of Daemons, winning by nine lengths over 1600m at Warwick Farm on a heavy track and ran third to Darci Brahma in the Group One TJ Smith (1600m) before being sold to Hong Kong.Fownes, who is the cousin of Markwell's racing manager Len Fownes, decided Sikander had "met his mark" in Hong Kong and has sent him to Kembla to get a new lease of life."Caspar and I had been talking about getting the right horse to come to Gwenda's (stable) for a while and this is the one he picked out," Len Fownes said."It is not a cheap exercise sending a horse from Hong Kong to Australia, so we are hopeful he will measure up here."It is a big change from the confined spaces of the multi-level stables over there to our stables and day yards, so we are hoping it will have a positive effect on Sikander."Caspar believes he is a 2000m and above horse but he has to start somewhere and on a heavy track is a good place given that win as a two-year-old," he added.Sikander won two races in Hong Kong at 1800m and 2200m but did the majority of his racing at Class 1 and Class 2 level which is the top grade over there.He was given 59kg in today's open handicap but Markwell's apprentice Beth Honeysett will offset 3kg of that with her claim.Kembla Grange racecourse manager Dave Anderson rated the track a heavy (9) yesterday and he has asked Racing NSW stewards to come down for a track inspection this morning to ensure that the meeting will go ahead."It will be a heavy track but it is safe," Anderson said."We had a lot of rain and it hasn't really been good drying conditions, even though we had two sunny days."(Racing NSW steward) Allan Reardon will come down as a precaution and have a look at the track at 6am (this) morning," he said.