Friday 30th September

LORD ROBERTO –  Class 4 1200 on the Polytrack. The winner of two races in Singapore and over $100k in prize money so far, this big strong 5yo resumes after a spell will be ridden by Te Akau Racing’s Apprentice Willy Tan from barrier 7 in race 9 @ 2.20am Saturday morning NZ time.

Lord Roberto winning in Singapore

Sunday 1st September

EATONS GOLD – Kranji Stakes C 1100Turf Track. The winner of three races in Singapore to date, he is second up from a spell after resuming in this same grade over 1000 metres recently. Will be ridden by Champion jockey, Joao Moreira from barrier 8, Race 5, 6.50pm NZ time.

OUR RIVER DANCER – Initiation 1400 Polytrack. Two strong third placings from his first two runs in this grade at shorter distances indicate that this handsome grey 3yo is a horse with no little ability. The 1400 metres will suit him and he gets a run on the Turf track for the first time. Nicely drawn at barrier 3, a featherweight of 51.5kgs and to be ridden by the very talented Manuel Nunes, OUR RIVER DANCER could be very competitive in Race 2 5.50pm NZ Time.

READY FORTUNE – Maiden 1200 Polytrack. Four seconds from nine starts, but no wins yet for this handsome 4yo son of More Than Ready. He is resuming after having been gelded and gets his chance from barrier 7 in a field of 14; will be ridden by Singapore’s leading apprentice. Harry Kasim in race 7 @ 7.55pm NZ time.

MANNY PACUIAO had the long shot punters sprinting for the payout windows with his stirring last to first victory last time out. This Sunday he gets another go in the same grade  ( Class 4) and at the same distance (1200 metres) but will carry 3kgs more (52.5kgs). To be ridden by Te Akau Racing Stables apprentice Shafiq Rusof, who claims 2kgs.

VON SNITZEL starts Race 3 Sunday evening; a bit disappointing of late, he gets into this small Class 4 field with a featherweight; this could be his chance to knock up another Singapore win. He will be ridden by Apprentice Willy Tan, who claims 3kgs.

FORTUNA has two runners starting in Singapore this weekend, both to be ridden by Joao Moreira. First away in Race 2 Friday evening at 10.55pm NZ Time is OUR RIVER DANCER ( Danehill Dancer-Distinctly), a handsome grey 3yo who is having just his second start after running a bold 3rd on debut on the 26th July. He has drawn 8 in a field of 10 in an Initiation Plate event ( prizemoney $65k) over 1200 metres on the Polytrack.

Sunday evening at 7.55pm NZ time sees 4yo UNICORN EXPRESS ( Lucky Unicorn-Felenic)  contest a 1600 metre Maiden event on the Polytrack. UNICORN EXPRESS, who has been running well without winning at shorter distances, should be well suited by the step up in distance and has drawn a nice barrier (4) for the race.

Trainer Mark Walker is very happy with both of these runners and believes they are both strong Each Way chances in their respective events.

Friday evening New Zealand time sees the 5yo’s VON SNITZEL and EATONS GOLD competing. VON SNITZEL has been freshened and will contest a Kranji Stakes D race ( Race 4) over 1000 metres on the Polytrack; he will be ridden by Jose Verenzuela and jumps from barrier 1.

Later in the evening, the very well performed 5yo, EATONS GOLD ( three wins and over $150,000 in prize money) resumes after a spell in a Kranji Stakes C event ( Race 7) over 1000 metre on the Polytrack. Drawn 4 and with the talented Barend Vortser in the saddle, EATONS GOLD could run a very cheeky race in his fresh state.

Sunday evening NZ time, sees the 4yo, LUCKY GUY ( Lucky Unicorn-Giuliana), make his raceday debut in an Initiation Plate event ( Race 4) over 1000 metres on the Polytrack. LUCKY GUY has been coming along well in his first Singapore preparation, will probably need more ground than 1000 metres, but should be finishing off nicely at race end. He has brawn barrier 6 and will be ridden by the very experienced Australian jockey, Danny Beasley.

MANNY PACUIAO, the six year old Gelding by Pins out of Georgiana, broke through for his first win at his 9th start in Singapore tonight. Ridden by Te Akau Racing’s Apprentice Willy Tan, who brought a 3kg apprentice allowance to the event, the pre race plan did not go to plan at all. The plan was to use the light weight, 49.5kgs and the nice barrier draw and to race on the speed. MANNY PACUIAO did not start well however and raced near the rear and then suffered a check in the running when trying to improve before the turn. However, just as his large group of owners had all given up hope, MANNY PACUIAO commence a compelling run as they straightened for home and sustained a strong finishing gallop all the way to the line, prevailing by the barest of margins.

MANNY PACUIAO is trained by Singapore’s leading trainer, Mark Walker and is raced by the Fortuna No 11 Syndicate, an ownership group comprising 23 people.

Click HERE  to watch a replay of the race

Connections of the promising Fortuna Syndicates 2yo, OUR RIVER DANCER, were justifiably satisfied after their charge ran a very encouraging 3rd place when making his raceday debut in Singapore on Friday night. Racing in Initiation Grade over 1100 metres on the Polytrack, OUR RIVER DANCER, settled just off the speed and traveled nicely throughout the run and finished off strongly in the straight. While no match for the winner, DANIEL, who won as he liked by over seven lengths, it was still a very encouraging debut run by the gelded son of DANEHILL DANCER.

Jockey Barend Vorster said after the race that the horse acquitted himself well, would take a lot of improvement from the run and would be better suited over more distance. Trainer, Mark Walker, commented post race, ” this horse will win more than his share in Singapore”.

Click HERE to see race replay.

On Saturday at Te Rapa, the nicely bred 2yo, KING SAVINSKY (by Savabeel out of Lynisky, a Stravinsky mare), has his 2nd race day start in Race 1, a Maiden 2yo event over 1200 metres. On debut at Te Rapa earlier in July, he powered home for a 4th placing from a wide barrier draw. He has drawn out again on Saturday, so will need some luck,  but would have taken a lot of improvement from his debut run and his work has been first class. A strapping type (16.2 hands and 560kgs), KING SAVINSKY has the makings of a very nice staying type as a 3yo. He will be ridden by Rory Hutchings as Matt Cameron has elected to ride at Awapuni this weekend.

OUR RIVER DANCER, a lovely Grey 2yo Gelding makes his race debut in Singapore 26th July. “Hunter” as he is nicknamed, is impeccably bred, (by Danehill Dancer out of Distinctly, a Sadlers Wells mare).  Last week, he confirmed his recent very good track work by winning a 1000 metre trial in Singapore. Owner by the Fortuna Our River Dancer Syndicate, a group of 25 people, he races in an Initiation Plate event ( Race 4 11.20pm NZ Time) over 1100 metres for prizemoney of S$65,000 and will be ridden from barrier 5 by the very experienced Barend Vorster.

OUR RIVER DANCER pictured at Cambridge Trials March 2013

3yo Filly, KAYLEEN, raced by the Fortuna (No 25) Syndicate, races in a Maiden 1200 event, Matamata, Friday 19th July. To be ridden by apprentice Brendan Hutton, KAYLEEN, who has an excellent record of running into minor placings, will attempt to get her Maiden win on the board. Click HERE to see the race field

Derby Day in Singapore this coming Sunday and while neither of the two FORTUNA runners are in the big event, their owners are nevertheless looking forward to their raceday outings with a lot of anticipation.

VON SNITZEL steps out in Race 1, a Kranji Stakes D event. Down in class from his last start, VON SNITZEL should be competitive in this race, but does have a wide barrier draw to contend with in the 1200 metre event. Will be helped by ths 3kg claim of Te Akau Racing’s Apprentice, Willy Tan.

3yo READY FORTUNE fronts up in Race 4, an Initiation event over 1600 metres on the Turf. Will this be his night, after having run three seconds so far in his Singapore career, but not yet winning? Drawn barrier 2, the 1600 metres is a perfect distance for him, he likes the Turf surface and has a 2kg weight allowance courtesy of Senior Apprentice rider, Shafiq Rusof.