A busy few days for the FORTUNA team with MANNY PACUIAO (Friday night) LORD ROBERTO (Sunday evening) in Singapore, while on Monday, the consistent (but still Maiden), KAYLEEN starts at Matamata and then on Wednesday at Te Rapa, the very promising 2yo KING SAVINSKY makes his race day debut.

Four FORTUNA runners will strut their stuff in Singapore this weekend. First off the block is the 5yo Gelding, MANNY PACUIAO, who has yet to win in Singapore but has been running nice races. He will contest a Class 4 event over 1200 metres on the Polytrack surface at 11.20pm NZ time, Stable Apprentice Shafiq Rusof to ride , claiming 2kgs.

Later on Friday evening Singapore time, in race 6, the well performed LORD ROBERTO, a two time winner in Singapore, will contest a Benchmark 67 event over 1700 metres, with Alan Munro aboard at 12.50 am early Saturday morning NZ time

On Sunday evening, the excitement continues with 3yo READY FORTUNE aiming to go one better than the three seconds he has managed to accumulate to date in Singapore, in a 1400 Maiden event on the Turf track. Champion jockey, Joao Moreira, takes the mount form the handy draw of 4, in race 5 at 6.35pm NZ time.

In the last race of the evening, 4yo VON SNITZEL only has to carry a featherweight of 50kgs in a Class 4 event over 1200 metres on the Turf Surface, with Stable Apprentice, Willy Tan in the saddle. Race time is 10.30pm NZ time

The “SOLD” signs are up for the DARCI BRAHMA-SPIN N GRIN Colt and the DARCI BRAHMA-SWEET DREAMS BABY Filly, Fortuna Director, John Galvin announced today. “We have had a very pleasing response from the public to these two offerings with more than half of the shares in each horse going to brand new clients,” said John Galvin, ” the Filly is particularly forward, having completed her first preparation and now enjoying a mini break before commencing her second preparation the first week in July. Meanwhile the Colt is coming to the end of his breaking in phase and shortly will commence his first stables preparation under Te Akau Trainer, Jason Bridgman’s care.”

FORTUNA will be represented by two runners in Singapore Sunday 2nd June. First away will be 3yo READY FORTUNE ( More Than Ready-Bahira) in Race 6, an Initiation event over 1600 metres. Desperately unlucky not to win his first race in Singapore two starts back, READY FORTUNE is well placed in this race and has the services of Shafiq Rusof to ride, who will claim a 2kg allowance.

READY FORTUNE in Singapore

In Race 7, a Class 3 event over 1200 metres, the well performed EATONS GOLD ( Jet Spur-Road Ranger) will be searching for his 4th win in Singapore. It is a strong field, but EATON will only carry 49.5 kgs courtesy of the allowance provided by Stable Apprentice, Weili Tan.

EATONS GOLD winning March 2013

On Friday 24th May, I traveled to Te Akau Stud in the western Waikato specifically to visit the DARCI BRAHMA-SPIN N GRIN Colt that we acquired at the Karaka Sales earlier this year. I have not seen him for about six weeks and in that time he has developed and matured significantly. He literally took my breath away as Dana, the Te Akau staff member who looks after him for us, paraded him. He reminded me so much of his illustrious Sire, DARCI BRAHMA, himself when he was the same age. His colouring, his conformation, the way he walked, there was such strong similarity. Click HERE to view Video footage of this Colt recorded on Friday last.

David Ellis, who selected this Colt for Fortuna at the sales, said to me (as he has done a few times already) that this Colt was the “smartest” Colt he bought at this year’s Sales.

Our objective with this Colt is to try and make a Stallion of him. Out of a Group winning mare in SPIN N GRIN ( Eight Carat Classic), he certainly has the pedigree and if he can be a winner of Group races himself and be kept as a Colt, then he would have a grand show of getting a Stallion opportunity.

Just $6500 initial costs for a 5% share with $150 per month for ongoing expenses, this represents remarkable value for a Colt with of his quality. Contact me now HERE or call me directly 021 921 460 if you would like to know more.

FORTUNA 4yo’s JETSET MAN ( Golan-Jetset Doll) and LORD ROBERTO ( Encosta de Lago-Prized Glory) both compete in Singapore tonight. The strapping JETSET MAN, who won one race in NZ before going to Singapore, steps up to the 1700 metre distance in Race 3 tonight (11.20 pm). He is having just his 3rd race day start in Singapore and will be ridden by Te Akau Racings NZ resident jockey, Mathew Cameron. Mathew is in Singapore to ride at the two race meetings there this weekend and takes the mount on the Mark Walker trained ALPHA CENTAURI in tonight’s Singapore Guineas.

In Race 8 (2.20am NZ time), the equally strapping LORD ROBERTO resumes over 1400 metres after a short spell. LORD ROBERTO has won twice in Singapore already and is developing into a really nice staying type. He will be ridden by Te Akau’s Singapore apprentice, Shafiq Rusof, who takes 2kg’s off the horses back courtesy of his apprentice allowance.

FORTUNA has three runners in Singapore Friday 10th May. First out of the blocks will be 3yo UNICORN EXPRESS ( Lucky Unicorn-Felenic) in Race 2, who will be having just his 2nd race day start in Singapore. On debut in April, he ran a fair race for 6th placing over 1000 metres but has trained on nicely since and will appreciate the longer distance of  1200 metres in Initiation Plate grade tonight. He has drawn nicely and has the service of the leading Apprentice Rider in Singapore, Harry Kasim, who takes 3kgs off the horse’s back with his apprentice allowance.

UNICORN EXPRESS in Singapore

In Race 6, 6yo RIO FORTUNE ( Captain Rio-Bahira) attempts to improve on some indifferent form of late. He does meet a relatively weak Class 5 event, has drawn well and has the services of the vastly experienced Alan Munro in the saddle, a rider for whom RIO FORTUNE has gone well in the past.

RIO FORTUNE winning in Singapore

Later in the evening in Race 7,  the well performed 4yo EATONS GOLD (Jet Spur-Road Ranger) takes on some stern opposition in a Kranji C Stakes event over 1200 metres. EATONS GOLD has already won three times in Singapore and has Stakes winnings of close to $160,000. Tonight he has drawn very well at 3 from the barrier and has the services of Champion jockey Joao Moreira , who is riding in white hot form at the present time, in the saddle.

EATONS GOLD winning Singapore March 2013

Two runners for FORTUNA in Singapore Sunday 5th May. the 5yo MANNY PACUIAO contest race 1 at his 4th start in Singapore and will be ridden by Te Akau Racing Stable Apprentice, Shafiq Rusof. In race 3, JETSET MAN, who made a big impression when closing off strongly for 3rd on his Singapore debut, steps up to 1400 metres tonight. He will be ridden by Singapore Champion Jockey, Joao Moreira.

EATONS GOLD, the FORTUNA Syndicated 4yo, attempt to win his 4th race in Singapore this Friday evening when tackling a Kranji Stakes event over 1200 metres. Desperately unlucky when badly checked in the run home in a similar event at his last start, EATONS GOLD has drawn well at barrier 4 and has the services of Te Akau Apprentice jockey, Shafiq Rusof, who claims 2kgs.

RACE DETAILS:

·        RACE NUMBER & TIME: Race 3 at 7.20pm (11.20pm NZ time)
·        HORSE NUMBER: 11
·        RACE DETAILS:  Kranji C Stakes Set Weights of $75,000
·        DISTANCE & TRACK: 1200m on the Polytrack
·        JOCKEY: App R Shafiq
·        WEIGHT: 56.5kgs less 2kgs
·       BARRIER: 4 of 14 (12 starters)

PRE RACE COMMENT FROM TRAINER MARK WALKER:
“I am pleased with Eaton’s Gold heading into Friday night’s race. He has trained on well since his unlucky last start (following which the jockey that caused the interference got a 3 days suspension). Overall our apprentice Shafiq has the best record on Eaton’s Gold so we have him on board again on Friday night. He has drawn nicely in barrier 4 of 12 and Shafiq’s claim will help make him more competitive in what is actually a strong field. With any luck I think he can finish somewhere in the first 4 mix for us in this race.”
 

FORTUNA four year old gelding, LORD ROBERTO ( Encosta de Lago-Prized Glory), produced an all the way win in a 1700 metre, Open Benchmark 65 event in Singapore yesterday. Going straight to the lead from a wide barrier draw, LORD ROBERTO was beautifully rated by Apprentice jockey, HARRY KASIM and strode to the winning post two lengths clear of the second horse.

Fortuna Director, John Galvin, is well pleased with his charge, ” LORD ROBERTO has been running consistently in recent weeks and yesterday’s win was not unexpected. He is a lovely staying type who will run in the Singapore Derby if he makes the field, but I also think he would be a great candidate in the Singapore Gold Cup to be run in November. He has now had ten starts in Singapore for two wins and has won over S$100k in prizemoney.”