The Fortuna Syndications 9yo Gelding, CHANCE TO DANCE (Teofilo-Crystal Ballet) gets his 2018/19 season under way in the John Turkington Bulls Cup at Awapuni Saturday 24th November. One  of the highest rated gallopers in NZ at 103 rating, he has been allocated 63kgs in the 1500 metre event and drawn Barrier 1 in a field of 8 runners.

Chance To Dance returns to scale after winning the OMF Stakes (Group 3 ) at Ellerslie November 2017

The winner of nine races (seven in Ireland and Australia) and two in NZ (both at Stakes level) from just 33 career starts, CHANCE TO DANCE has been not seen at the races since mid January 2018 – Fortuna Director, John Galvin reports “He ran into some soundness issues early in 2018 – this led to him having a long break, but he has now trialed well in recent weeks and it is time to get him cracking – he is talented at best, but is an older horse now, so we will just take him along quietly one race at a time and see where we get to with him. Proven over the 3200 distance, the Auckland Cup shapes as a nice race for him.”

Allocated 63kgs by the Handicapper, Te Akau Stable Apprentice, Nik Bakar, claiming 4kgs, will ride

John Galvin’s Top 4 Selections  with Fixed Odds prices are

1. Avilius – $12
2. Yucatan – $6
3. Best Solution – $11
4. Youngstar – $15

Jessica’s Selection is Zacada – $71

Best of luck

Click HERE to view John’s suggested Strategy

Fortuna Director, John Galvin, pulled off a long standing ambition during the early hours of the morning of 30^thOctober when he secured the purchase of the three year old gelding, LEADERBOARD, who has an outstanding Northern Hemisphere pedigree, being by Super Sire Street Cry, the Sire of the mighty Winx, who has now won 29 races in a row and out of a winning Dynaformer mare, Flower Fairy. Well known International Bloodstock agent, Hubie de Burgh, engaged by John to act for him at this sale, had signalled this horse to John as one that would be ideal as a staying type for NZ/Aus conditions.

“It is very apparent that European bred Stayers have the edge presently on their Southern Hemisphere counterparts,” says John, “so instead of taking “coals to Newcastle” we have gone to Newcastle (well in fact Newmarket) and bought the “coals”, acquiring a lovely staying type of horse who has recent winning form in Ireland over 2400 metres. This horse has a great pedigree being by the late Street Cry, who quite apart from being the Sire of Winx and the mighty Zenyatta, who won 19 times from 20 starts, has cemented himself as one of the world’s leading Stallions in recent times with over 120 Stakes Winners. He wants for nothing either on the Female side of his pedigree, with his dam, Flower Fairy, being a winner and her two foals to the races to date both being winners. Flower Fairy is by Dynaformer, a tough USA bred stallion who himself had over 130 Stakes winners, including the winners of a Kentucky Derby (Barbaro) and a Melbourne Cup (Americain)”

LEADERBOARD, while still a Colt had five starts as a Two and Three Year Old, with modest results, but after being Gelded in June of 2018, hit a purple patch of form, running 2^nd fresh up over 2000 metres, 3^rd placings in his next two races before winning over 2400 metres on 12^th October after maintaining a long run from the back of the field. Click HERE to see that replay.

A strong type with plenty of size and scope, LEADERBOARD  stands at 16 hands high and weighs 530 kgs. Click HERE to see Video Clip of him parading and at the trot

“LEADERBOARD” – the Three Year Old Gelding by Street Cry (Sire of Winx)

The plan for this lovely horse is that he will arrive in NZ on 10^th December and will then get a good long spell (eight weeks or so) in a big grassy paddock at Te Akau Stud. He will then go to the Te Akau Racing Stables at Matamata where Fortuna’s NZ Trainer, Jamie Richards, will then get to know the horse, bring him up to fitness, trial him in the Autumn of 2019, get him to the races in the late Autumn with an objective of winning a race or two to get him up in the ratings, then freshen ahead of a Spring campaign in the South Island with his principal target being the Group One New Zealand Cup (3200 metres) being run at Riccarton in mid November 2019. Other targets for him will then be the Wellington Cup (3200 metres) run at Trentham in January of 2020 and the Auckland Cup (3200 metres) at Ellerslie in March 2020.

Depending on the quality of his NZ form in those staying races, an Australian campaign for their major staying races would clearly be a target in subsequent seasons.

Fortuna’s NZ Trainer, Jamie Richards, was very effusive in his praise of LEADERBOARD. He says “John, I love the look of this horse – he presents as the classical European staying type – he has size and scope and I loved his walking action. I have also studied his replays and his racing action looks nice and relaxed and his win was full of merit, circling the field before the turn after being back in the running, widest into the straight but strong to the line. I don’t get to train this type of horse very often and I am really looking forward to him being in my barn.”

This sort of opportunity (i.e. to get involved with a staying type of horse with a proven winning record) does not come along very often. This horse is young (foaled in May 2015) so he is only three (but on arrival in NZ he will be regarded as a four year old, because he is bred to Northern Hemisphere time), has had an ideal grounding (i.e trained and prepared in Ireland where they certainly know how to prepare stayers) and has impeccable staying credentials, both on pedigree and race day form to date.

Shares are available in this horse at $2,400 for each 1% with ongoing expenses commencing 1^st January 2019 of $34 per month for each 1% share. This includes the purchase price of the horse, all fees, transport to New Zealand, Insurance cover through to 31 Jan 2020 and working capital of over $8,000.  Click HERE to obtain application material or call/text John Galvin directly 021 921 460

Applications can only be made after Investors have perused and signed the NZ Thoroughbred Racing approved Disclosure Statement. This can be obtained from the Syndicate Promoter, Fortuna Ltd (Director John Galvin), HERE or by calling John 021 921 460.

Fortuna Ltd is an Authorised Syndicator in accordance with the Code of Practice administered by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (Inc) established under The Financial Markets Conduct (Equine Bloodstock) Exemption Notice 2016. Details of this Offer are contained in the Disclosure Statement relating to the Offer

Fortuna horses racing this week are JET SET on debut at Waipukurau Thursday, HIDDEN PROMISE Friday evening Singapore, last start winner OUR RIVER DANCER at Penang on Saturday, SECRET SPICE and EATONS GOLD at Penang on Sunday

The 8yo grey gelding, OUR RIVER DANCER (Danehill Dancer-Distinctly), showed his younger rivals that he still has a bit to offer when taking out the Class 5 1100 metre event at the Perak Turf Club in Malaysia Sunday 20th October. Relishing the wet track “Hunter” as he is nicknamed, sped to the lead in the hands of Senior rider, S Salee and while headed briefly in the last 200 metres, fought back to win by a head over the fast finishing Butch Cassidy, who was also racing in the Fortuna NZ Stable colours.

Click HERE to see  Race Video Replay 

OUR RIVER DANCER returning to scale with victorious rider, S Salee, aboard

Fortuna Director John Galvin comments, “That was fun to watch – give this horse a wet track and the lead and he is very difficult to beat. He is as tough as they come and has been a great servant for his loyal group of owners.”

OUR RIVER DANCER, who boasts a stout European pedigree (by Danehill Dancer out of Distinctly – by Sadlers Wells) has now had seven career wins, two in Singapore (trained by Mark Walker) and five in Malaysia (trained by Sharee Hamilton). He was acquired by David Ellis on behalf of Fortuna Ltd at the 2012 Karaka Premier Sale for the sum of NZ$105,000 and is raced by a NZ based Syndicate of nineteen individuals.

Fortuna has secured the successful Sydney four year old galloper, RED ROVER, and he will now be sent to Singapore to race in the care of Fortuna’s Singapore Trainer, Mark Walker.

RED ROVER winning at Rosehill Gardens – Sydney 2nd April 2018

RED ROVER is beautifully bred, he is by the Champion racehorse and Stallion, O’REILLY out of the successful racemare, PIN UP.

RED ROVER has had three starts in New South Wales for one win (Rosehill) and a third placing and presents as a strong sprinting type who will be set for the major sprint races in Singapore

Shares are available in RED ROVER at NZ$650 per 1% share and NZ$34 per month ongoing costs from 1st January 2019

READ MORE HERE

Watch RED ROVER winning at Rosehill Here

Subscribe for Shares in Red Rover Here

John Galvin, Director of Fortuna Ltd, has made a submission to the NZ Government (Department of Internal Affairs) on the Messara report on New Zealand Racing. Click on link below to read this submission

Submission to the Department of Internal Affairs from Fortuna Ltd

Click HERE to access the full Messara report

A debut winner in May, Meteoric Lass (4yo Mare by Stratum out of Benatar) made it two from two with a fresh-up victory in the $10,000 Higgins Taupo Rating 65 1200 metres on 10 October at Taupo.

Similarly to her win over 1200 metres at Waipukurau, Shafiq had Meteoric Lass travelling sweetly in second before slipping clear to a handy advantage at the 400m, as the leader ran wide, and she required little more than a hand ride to hold the closer, Motivation (Bosson), over the concluding stages.

“She jumped well and travelled very strongly and the last 300m when I asked her to go she just took off,” Shafiq said.

On footing rated Good2, that had a good sole of grass and drew ‘happy’ comments from riders throughout the day, Meteoric Lass ran the 1200 metres in 1:09.7, last 600m in 34.8, and paid $3.30 & $1.60 on NZ TAB tote.

Click HERE to see Race Replay Video

Meteoric Lass – Win No 2 – Taupo 10th October 2018

The fifth individual winner from Benatar, and sister to dual stakes winner Meteoroid (Northern Meteor), scoring eight times over 1200m/1400m in Australia, Meteoric Lass was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $50,000 on behalf of Fortuna at the 2016 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Kitchwin Hills, and is raced by the Fortuna Meteoric Lass Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), an ownership group of 36 individuals.

“She has been a bit slow to mature, but at the end of day she is a hell of a nice horse and as always David (Ellis) has done a good job in selecting a nice horse for us, within our budget range,” Galvin said.

“We were a little nervous about the track with it being a Good 2, but she had worked very well over the past week and Jamie (Richards) kept saying that she is getting stronger and stronger, all the time.”

It was win number 23 this season for Richards, including five stakes victories, at a strike rate of 3.3, and gives him a seven win buffer early on in the 2018-19 trainers premiership.

“You can’t do better than win races and Jamie is certainly flying,” Galvin said. “Fortuna has had five runners so far this season with Te Akau, winning four and a second, and Suppy (Shafiq) in his time here (since March) has ridden seven horses for Fortuna, with six wins and a second. So we’re making a great team: selector, syndicator, trainer, and jockey.

“It’s always good to win a race at Taupo. Darci’s Dream won here for us on her way to winning the Canterbury Belle Stakes, and another nice horse, Prince Henry won here as well as one of the very first horses we ever syndicated, Volkarrie.”

In other quite phenomenal stats, owners in Meteoric Lass and great supporters of Te Akau, Mick & Wendy Willock celebrated their sixth winner in a row: two with Meteoric Lass, two with Swing Note (Encosta De Lago), Grand Ariana (Snitzel), and Queen of The Air (I Am Invincible).

Stable representative Teina Walters said, post race: “We’ve had quite a good opinion of her and Shafiq gave her a pearl of a ride. We’re very happy for the owners and quite a few have popped out to see her, so we’re thrilled.

“She had trialled well, now starting to work things out and I think she’ll make into a pretty handy mare.

“It was also a great run by Motivation. The last 200m was obviously very promising and he’s a progressive type that can hopefully go on with it, as well. He can only improve from here, as he steps up in distance, and it was a great ride from off the pace by Opie.

“John (Galvin) and Fortuna has been a long time supporter of Te Akau. It’s good to see their colours get over the line and win and we are very happy for the team.”

Meteoric Lass was strapped by Teina Walters.

MELODY BELLE brilliant in Windsor Park Plate – now highest rated galloper racing in NZ