Guest Selector – Des Coppins

I hope readers hopped aboard Arabian Songbird last week at great odds.  Des has been having a really consistent run with his selections of late – I know several of our readers are subscribers to Des’ full service (as I am myself) and have been getting very pleasing results

Here is what Des has to say this week

Greetings John and the Fortuna team

I hope your week went well and it surely was a decent enough start with Arabian Songbird hitting the right notes for us at Ellerslie with a commanding win at a big price. She’s one to follow. As is Frank the Tank who loomed large after getting too far back at Wanganui. Please stay with him once the track’s improve. I’m not saying he’s totally unsuited by wet ground but for last Saturday’s underfoot conditions the effort told us he may have been a run short!

What a few weeks we have in front of us  with classy racing?

I’m looking forward to maintaining a decent strike rate with the best bets for my subscribers.
For the record over the  last 14 meetings we’ve had 10 wins and 3 placings with the best bets.Race by race tips and value bets haven’t been too shabby either with a $27 midweek winner just the other day as a highlight.

Why not join?

Up until November 30 there are 57 meetings and if you would like the full service of race by race tips to accompany the best bet and value bet for each meeting for the generous subscription of $200 ( gst inclusive at $3.50 approx per meeting) please drop me an email dcoppins@ xtra.co.nz and I’ll put you in! It’d be great to have you on board. Tips, exclusive to your email, arrive before 9am each race day.

Excitement begins on Saturday at Hastings and I’m happy to hand a couple here who I think will go well but continue with strong form throughout the season.

No Rain Ever, race three, Hastings

She ran 4th in a recent trial and was travelling better than the 3 that finished in front of her in my humble opinion.
The stable has always rated her.
She won first up last season 12 months ago and immediately took on the Hawkes Bay Guineas. She wasn’t quite up to it that day but she continued to improve with winning or placed form in 3 black type races.
Whatever she does on Saturday she will certainly improve upon and a decent stakes race is on the cards before too long.

December, race 6, Hastings

He won his first race and looked well above average in just 6 starts with 3 wins.
He wasn’t far away in three unplaced runs, two of which were at group 3 and one at group 2.
A feature of his racing is the way he ran through the line.
We should get a good run for our money on Saturday  but I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t feature prominently in all his racing this season.

DuPont, race one, Te Rapa ( Friday)

It was a super one and only run last term and this three year old has been doing everything right this season at jump outs to have him spot on for a bold showing.
He’s been placed in two recent jump outs at Ellerslie.
He holds a nomination for the 2000 Guineas.
Good punting!

Des

Fortuna launches its 150th Syndicate

Vale ZED

Shares for Sale in the Fortuna Racemare HAYATE

ELLIOT NESS contests the Class 4 1100m Poly event – race three at 1.30 pm with Manoel Nunes to ride from an outside barrier draw – strong 3rd this trip when resuming he is ready to run a bold race here – holds the Singapore Track record for this trip. Outside draw makes it slightly tricky, but is just a field of eight runners and Nunes is a master – can win this. TAB says ” improver, who is an excellent winning chance “- no odds posted yet

Here is what the STC tipsters have to say about this race;

ROCKY races in the Class 4 1800m Turf event – race three at 1.30 pm with Simon Kok to ride from an outside barrier draw – ran 4th 1600m Poly 1st Sept at 3rd run back from a long break from racing – is looking for more distance and gets it here – not favoured by the tipsters but can feature here at very good odds – TAB says “doesn’t pose too much of a threat” – no odds posted yet

Flemington – Sunday

OUR PARAMOUR races in the Crown Oaks Preview, a 3yo Fillies event over 1800m – Race 5 @ 3.50 Aus time (5.50pm NZT) and will be ridden by Blake Shinn from the ace draw. Desperately unlucky not to win on her race day debut at Cranbourne over 1300m 3rd September, she faces a fair rise in distance here, but is a natural stayer who will love the Flemington track and will be ridden by a top jockey in Blake Shinn. Her track gallop at Cranbourne on Tuesday was exceptional and she is ready to really fire here. TAB says “should relish this trip and can win” – showing odds of $3.90/$1.65″

Matamata Trackwork – Fortuna runners

Matamata – Thursday 19th Sept

Inca Belle (O Bosson) worked over 800 metres at three-quarter pace in 57.4, home in 42.1.

Cranbourne – Tuesday 17th Sept
Our Paramour (L Cartwright) worked over 1200 metres in 1.21.2, home in 37.1.

Singapore Trackwork 

No timed Fortuna trackwork this week

 OTHER NEWS

Huge thrills for Bellatrix Star Syndicate Members who were on course at Flemington 14th September

As Bellatrix Star took a narrow gap 275m from the finish on Saturday at Flemington and surged to a dominant victory in the (Listed) Cap D’antibes Stakes, there was yelling and yahooing from almost every corner of New Zealand, given that she has an ownership base that stretches from Kerikeri in the north to Cromwell in the south – however on course at Flemington we had five owners who had made the trip across the Tasman – Nigel and Tania Gregory from Tauranga, Ollie and Hazel Lawrence from Cambridge and John Carr who had made the long trip from Cromwell to attend – Ollie and Hazel were accompanied by their son Mark and their good friend Des Hurst and John was accompanied by his son Graeme.

Also present in our group was three Melbourne based teenage boys. Alexander, Max and Willare all senior students at Xavier College in Melbourne, who are budding racing enthusiasts and whom I had met at Caulfield a few weeks ago when Bellatrix Star made her Melbourne debut – this led me to invite these fine young men to attend Flemington last week and join our ownership group as guests – you can imagine that simply being on track on a big day of racing as part of an ownership group would be thrill enough, but you could imagine how these young guys felt seeing our wonderful Filly winning in such stylish fashion. It reminded me very much of my own formative years in racing attending Trentham races as a teenager with my own schoolmates

Here are some pics from the day

Nigel and Tania Gregory with the Cap D’antibes Trophy

Ollie and Hazel Lawrence with their Melbourne based son Mark

Alexander, Max and Will
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Fortuna launches its 150th Syndicate

The launching of this syndicate this week gave me cause for reflection. We started Fortuna back in January 2007 at a time when I was running my very successful financial services business – this following the success I had had with horses in private ownership – the stakes winner Kapsdan and the Champion Darci Brahma  – I have been encouraged by David Ellis to start my own syndication business and so we did so, although to be fair it was being being done very much on a “hobby business” approach.

Looking back in my records, in 2007 we acquired five yearlings that year and remarkably four of those were winners. He’s Licarocket was the first winner for us, he was ridden by Michael Walker at his first win and Daniel Stackhouse at his second. We then had Sir invincible who won twice for us at Riccarton as a two-year-old in the hands of Troy Harris and subsequently ran in the very first Karaka Million (unplaced) –  and then Volkarrie won for us ridden by Samantha Collett in his first win and James McDonald in  his second – the best was still to come however, because at the Magic Millions sale in June of 2007 David Ellis had selected a Tale of The Cat yearling for us, who went on to become  Tell A Tale  – he won once as a two year old but then had a remarkable stretch as a three-year-old – he won four successive stakes races, the Hawkes Bay Guineas, the Canterbury Stakes and the NZ 2000 Guineas (for a stake of $1 million) and then the Avondale Guineas, ridden by Troy Harris in all four of those wins. Looking back through my client list for Tell A Tale, I see we have several members of that syndicate who are still current clients today, notably Noel and Gillian Caskey, Stephen Turner, Peter and Prue Hobill, Joan Jolley, Dave Crumby, Greg Sheppard, Joy Hickling and Jacqui Quinn – a big thank you to all of those people for being with us for so long

Looking back at early milestones, syndicate number 50 was a yearling colt by Stratum out of The Party Stand, which is quite remarkable given that The Party Stand is the grand dam of Bellatrix Star – we named this colt Grand Via and he was extremely fast, however at his second start at  Ellerslie, he was galloped on and that unfortunately bought his career to an end  – syndicate number 100 was a yearling by Deep field out of Miss Fi – after a couple of early starts in New Zealand, when he was called Polaris, he went to Singapore to race where, now renamed Trident, he won four times for us – he is now owned by Malaysian interests and he won a stakes race in that jurisdiction recently. He is a half brother to Lux Libertas, the Kylie Bax owned Filly, who has recently won four times in a row.

Suffice to say Fortuna Racing is no longer a “hobby business” although is still very much “boutique” just being run by Jessica and myself from our Hamilton home, with part-time assistance by Deb Mellow, who provides invaluable support for our accounting. And with Court Of Appeal and Bellatrix Star winning last Friday/Saturday, we have brought up 253 wins in total for the Fortuna Team – this warrants a big thank you to the past and present clients who have supported us over the years – and so now we are launching our 150th syndicate and I think this one is quite remarkable. I would never have thought that I could buy a son of Frankel for A$30,000 but we have done so and now Dreamflight is available for syndication see full details below

About DREAMFLIGHT

DREAMFLIGHT was acquired by Fortuna Racing at the Inglis Sept (early) 2024 Sale – this after John Galvin along with Mark Walker had conducted significant due diligence. Our objective was to find a proven staying type whom we thought would fit in well to the Te Akau Racing Stables operation at Cranbourne in Victoria and whom may also be a potential jumping prospect later in his career. After winning twice in France as a 2yo at Stakes level, both times @ 1600m,  DREAMFLIGHT was acquired by Sydney Trainer, Bjorn Baker, for 250,000 Euros (approx NZ$450k) and as with many of the European imports, he found it difficult to acclimatise and adjust to the Sydney Stable environment, hence why his Owners offered him for sale after 11 starts in Sydney. But our analysis of his form concluded that he would be much better suited to the Victorian racing scene and would also benefit from a change to his training methods and the facilities that are available to him at Cranbourne

Pedigree

Sire – Frankel – one of the great racehorses of the modern era, unbeaten during his 14 race career and now the number one stallion in the world with a stud fee of GBP350,000 (NZ$700k approx)

Dam – Dream Peace – 4 time winner in her career including a win at Group 2 level in France and a multiple Group 1 and Group 3 placegetter in France and the USA – Dam of 5 foals to race, including the 2023 Epsom Oaks winner, Soul Sister, Dreamflight and Herman Hesse, the Victorian based galloper trained by Ciaran Maher, who has won six times at trips from 2000m to 2800m – Click HEREto view Dreamflight’s pedigree

Physical type

DREAMFLIGHT is a strong athletic gelding standing 16.1 hands high and tipping the scales at 500kgs. He is sound at the walk and trot, has a pleasant, even temperament and scoped clean. Click HERE to see him parading at the Te Akau Cranbourne Stables.

Preparation and Racing Plans

Te Akau Racing Trainer Mark Walker says “Dreamflight was acquired for an incredible price by Fortuna Racing at the Inglis Digital Sale.  Obviously his European form was very good with two black type wins as a 2yo. He was initially purchased by clients of Bjorn Baker for €250,000 from a sale in France – we analysed his Sydney form and we do think he is a horse that will be better suited to Victorian racing where we have plenty of races at 2400m plus and we do think we’ll be able to place him a lot more carefully in Victoria at various race meetings – he is down to a 75 rating (after arriving in Aus with a rating of 90) and this will provide us with plenty of options to place him well.

So we are quite confident that we have a very promising type here – he was thoroughly vetted to Hong Kong Standards and passed with no significant issues. Our Cranbourne Stable suits a horse like this down to the ground, we have a magnificent sand dune track, where they can work in long straight lines and also work uphill – these staying types just love that and we can really get them rock hard fit – we also have a beach not far away and this is great therapy for our staying types. Leaderboard just loves being at the beach as do all of our runners when they go there.  I’m very confident that we can turn his form around and make him a very exciting prospect on the flat and after he’s finished on the flat he would also be a very good jumping prospect”

Syndicator’s view (John Galvin)

“Dreamflight has not been able to win in Sydney, but our view on that is that this is because he is a dead set stayer and simply hasn’t been allowed to get over enough distance. They have also tended to treat him as an on speed runner –  Mark and I have analysed all of his races and believe he would be much better ridden back. His best performance in Sydney was a second at Randwick on a Saturday where he led and was very brave to the line finishing in second place.” Click HERE to see that race replay

Terms

• Shares available right down to 1%.
• 10% share $7,500, 5% share $3,750, 2.5% share $1,875, 1% share $750 – with ongoing costs from 1 August 2024 @$60 per month per each 1% share
• Initial Capital includes Purchase Price, Insurance to 31 Jan 2025, and working capital of over $17k
• Monthly ongoing costs from 1^st November 2024 – from that date ongoing costs are – 10% share $600 per month – 5% share $300 per month – 2.5% share $150 per month – 1% share $60 per month.
• Monthly ongoing costs can alternatively be paid up to 12 months in advance as an option for subscribers by Bank Payment or Credit Card

Note that we are still finalising the syndication paperwork, so at this stage we are taking “expressions of interest” – currently we are 78% committed with expressions of interest already submitted, so only 22% left – if you were are to get involved please email me ASAP or call/text 021 921460

Vale ZED

Sadly, the “rags to riches story” that was the stallion, ZED, has come to an end with his passing during the week after suffering about colic – Fortuna has always had an affinity with this wonderful stallion because a few years ago we had syndicated his full brother Zabene (Zabeel – Emerald Dream), who counted the Metropolitan Gold Trophy at Riccarton among his successes and of course we currently have Zedwilldo in training with Brett Scott at Mornington in Victoria.  Despite his passing the Zed legacy will live on, because as we write this, he has many crops on the ground racing, two year olds being prepared for the new season, yearlings to be offered at upcoming sales, foals on the ground born in recent weeks or still in utero and this season he served many mares before his eventual passing – and as we know with the Zeds, they have great longevity, so we are bound to be hearing his name many, many times over the next decade or so

See story below from the NZ Racing Desk

Shares for Sale in the Fortuna Racemare HAYATE

We first posted this opportunity last week and there has been a solid take up of the shares available, but still 5% left – available at $50 now and $50 per month ongoing from 1 October for each 1% – so please make contact with me if you are keen to participate – see full details below

An opportunity has arisen for shares to be acquired in the Fortuna six year old racemare Hayate (by Maurice out of half sister to a Caulfield Cup winner) – she has a very strong pedigree – her race day form has been moderate but she has collected four wins and nine places from 28 race day starts and her last two wins have been at 1550m and 2000m  with the win at 2000m being particularly strong. Click HERE to view that race replay. She campaigned at Riccarton during her last preparation but in her only race beyond 1600m she had to carry a big weight in an amateur riders race and simply got too far back to be able to feature

She is now spelling at Te Akau Stud,  but when she resumes shortly, our plan is to get her up in trip as soon as we can because we believe that she is a genuine staying type who will appreciate getting over more ground. Interestingly enough, when she was at Riccarton, Mark and Sam introduced quite a bit of schooling over the good sized hurdles at Riccarton into her routine and she proved to be quite adept at that,  so while she will continue to pursue flat racing options during her next campaign, we plan to give her a hurdles trial in the autumn and maybe a race or two over the jumps during the jumping season just to see how she takes to it.

Recently we had some members who indicated that they would like to exit the syndicate so we went through an exercise where she was listed on Gavelhouse with a decent reserve in place – this in order to establish a market value. There was an opening bid of $5000 and no other bids on top of that, so for the purpose of those who are exiting the syndicate, value had been established at $50 for each one percent share – some of those shares have now been taken up by other syndicate members, but there are still a few left and we are now making those available to our wider ownership group.

So if you have interest in being involved in this lovely racemare on very good incoming terms, the opportunity exists to take up shares at $50 for each one percent share and $50 per month ongoing for each one percent share from the 1st of October – all you need to do participate in this is email me or alternatively call/text me on 021 921460

Our Paramour was a $75,000 purchase at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run  sale by David Ellis and Fortuna Racing – she showed a lot of promise in the autumn with two trials including a winning one at Taupo and had been identified by Mark Walker as a staying type Filly who potentially could contest the VRC Oaks at Flemington in November, hence why she has travelled to Australia to make her race day debut – certainly one to watch out for her next start

Matamata –

No timed Fortuna trackwork this week

Moonee Valley, Melbourne

Course Proper:

Bellatrix Star (H Coffey) galloped over 1000 metres in 1.02.4, final 600 in 36.3.

No timed Fortuna trackwork this week

Des Coppins 2024 Melbourne Cup Tour still has a few spots available but bookings close today – email Des directly dcoppins@xtra.co.nz or call/text Des 021 448 052 if you are keen to experience the 2024 occasion – see flyer info below

Te Akau’s Cranbourne expansion taking shape

VIVACIOUS  contests the R65 1000m – Race 2 @12.26 pm  – Wiremu Pinn to ride from Barrier 8. Resuming following a long spell. Showing  a lot of promise as a 3yo, this beautifully bred daughter of Dundeel is very forward and can make her presence felt in this, representing a strong each way chance – TAB says “ran on well in a trial this month – threat here“- Showing Fixed Odds of $4/$1.75

Singapore – Sunday

ROCKY races in the Class 4 1600m  – Race 3 @ 1.30pm Sing time (5.30pm NZT) – Carlos Henrique to ride from the ace draw. 3rd up from a long break, he is up to the mile – ready to strike here. TAB says “Should go well in this line up” – No Odds posted yet

Matamata Trackwork – Fortuna runners

Matamata – Tuesday 20th

Riccarton – Poly

Vivacious (D Cooper) worked over 800 metres in 54.5, home in 37.12.

Cranbourne – Poly

Bellatrix Star (L Winks) worked over 1000 metres in 1.08.2, home in 39.4.

Our Paramour (C Wilson) worked over 1000 metres in 1.06.7, home in 38.24.

Singapore Trackwork 

Tuesday 27th August

ELLIOT NESS(AWAH)800-38;

 OTHER NEWS

LEADERBOARD to spell in Victoria

Following his gallant second in the $400,000 Grand National Steeples at Ballarat last Sunday, Leaderboard will now go to the paddock and spell before commencing a new campaign for the 2025 jumping season in Victoria – originally the plan for him was to bring him back to New Zealand to spell, but to contest the Great Northern Steeples at Te Rapa on 15th of September before going to the paddock.  John comments as follows “After Leaderboard’s run at Ballarat on Sunday Mark Walker and I reviewed his run, took comment from Aaron Kuru as well and while he ran gallantly, it was clear that he was out on his feet over the last 400m and so, given that he would need to run a further 1900m in the Great Northern at Te Rapa with just a three week gap that included a trip to New Zealand, we decided that all of that was a bridge too far and that “Tiger” should go to the paddock for a well-deserved rest.” After a campaign where he started seven times in Victoria over jumping events collecting two wins (both at Warrnambool), plus running 2nd in the Australian Hurdles, 3rd in the Thackerey Steeples, 3rd in the Grand National Hurdles and second in the Grand National Steeples, fashioning a very consistent record in his first full season over the jumps, never finishing back further than 3rd while competing against the very best that Victoria had on offer

Trainer, Mark Walker says “Leaderboard is a true warrior in every sense of the term – he just loves training and racing, has always got his head in the feedbin and is the perfect gentleman around the stable. He is a genuine pleasure to train – we gave him a full going over by our stable vet on Monday after his big race the day before – this examination included x-rays and ultrasound and, remarkably for a 10 year-old, he is in great physical condition with no issues. Aaron Kuru, who is a great judge, predicts he will be even better in the 2025 jumping season in Victoria”

Leaderboard will be assessed by Mark and assistant trainer Ben Gleeson after he has had 6 to 8 weeks in the paddock and a decision made at that time about when he will return to training, but his initial target for the new jumping season in Victoria will be the Warrnambool carnival late April/early May where there are potentially two suitable races for him, the Brierly Steeples over 3450m on 29th of April or the Grand National Steeples over 5500m on the 1st of May

Te Akau’s Cranbourne expansion taking shape

Buoyed from their significant success in their first season of operation Te Akau racing is moving ahead at full speed with its construction of 40 more boxes.  Mark Walker has been criss crossing the Tasman  between the Matamata and Cranbourne bases, while assistant trainer at Cranbourne, Ben Gleeson, is a busy man, not only looking after the day to day duties associated with the Te Akau stable runners, but also overseeing the construction. Click HERE to see a video overview of the new developments with voiceover from Mark – this giving a good perspective of the expansion process