Well, what a great sporting week it was last week for the Fortuna and Galvin families.

Sunday 13th August saw the promising, 3yo Fortuna galloper, Shamrock (Helmet-Shamobelle), make his race day debut over 1000 metres Singapore. Racing prominently throughout, he was squeezed for room (probably illegally) at the 500 metres mark and had to be restrained and come off heels, but still ran a very strong race for 2nd – there will me more to come from this boy!!!

Monday 14th August saw the Matamata Racing Club  hold its annual Awards night – this consists of a variety of Awards featuring Matamata based Trainers, Jockeys and Horses. As you would expect Te Akau Racing scooped most of the pool with various Awards, but Fortuna Filly, Melody Belle, collected the Two Year Old of The Year Award, beating off Summer Passage and Gold Fever – Melody Belle had a sensational season by any standards, winning 4 times from 7 race day starts – those wins including the Karaka Million, The Group One Sires Produce Stakes at Awapuni and the Group Two Sires Produce Stakes at Eagle Farm ( Brisbane) and collecting almost $900,000 in prizemoney along the way. The 32 Members of this Syndicate have certainly had a great racing experience.

Then on Thursday, it was school cross country day at Te Totara Primary – James Galvin, aged almost seven, ran a creditable 9th place in his Year Two event and than Jasmine Galvin, aged five, collected the Gold Medal in her Year one event. Jessica and John were bursting with pride as you may imagine.

Friday night in Singapore saw the Fortuna NZ Stable to the fore, with the very progressive 5yo Gelding, HIDDEN PROMISE, record his 3rd Singapore win from just eleven starts

Saturday morning saw John and James Galvin attend James weekly Junior Soccer match – James plays for the Hamilton Wanderers Vipers Team. This Team is unbeaten this season and James, never one to let his younger sister upstage him, scored a goal, made two goal assists and defended stoutly, a performance that saw him collect Player of The Day – his 3rd such Award of the Season so far

Certainly a week to remember.

Behind the scenes that Te Akau Training Team remained hard at work preparing most of the Fortuna Team for upcoming trials over the next few weeks. Of most immediate interest will be Chance to Dance trialing at Avondale on 22nd August – his first official trial in New Zealand – he is being set for the Group One Livamol Stakes at Hastings 7th October.

Five Year Old Gelding HIDDEN PROMISE (Postponed-Promissory) continued to demonstrate his ability when notching career win number three in the Kranji D Stakes event over 1600 metres at Singapore’s Kranji race course Friday 18th August. Drawn the outside barrier at the tricky 1600 metre starting point on the Kranji Polytrack, Rider R Zawari elected to go back and had HIDDEN PROMISE loping along in relaxed fashion at the back of the field. Moving up into the race from about the 800 metre mark, HIDDEN PROMISE was widest into the straight, but once Zawari hit the accelerator at the 300 metre mark, “Bart” responded with an impressive turn of foot gathering in most of the field at that point and while second place getter, Big Banker was in for the fight, HIDDEN PROMISE went to the line as winner with a 3/4 length margin.

Click HERE to see race replay

Fortuna Director, John Galvin, expressed great satisfaction at his charge’w win. “This horse really had us scratching our heads late in 2016, not showing us a lot in his trials but apart from his first race where he failed to win prize money, his 10 subsequent starts have seen him win three times and earn prize money in the other seven of those starts. He clearly is a slow maturer and is shaping up as a nice staying type,” he said.

Trained by leading Singapore Trainer, Mark Walker, HIDDEN PROMISE is raced by the Fortuna Hidden Promise Syndicate, an ownership group comprising 29 individuals and was purchased on behalf of Fortuna Syndications by Te Akau Racing supremo, David Ellis, at the 2014 Ready To Run Sale for $65,000 from the draft of Westbury Stud.

The stallion, DARCI BRAHMA, a champion race horse on the track and a top performer in the breeding barn has simply excelled with his progeny in Singapore over the past four seasons and in the current season in particular. In the current season he has presented 33 runners to the races for 16 individual winners and a total of 26 wins, with almost S$2m in prizemoney earned, just over half way through the Singapore season. 4yo ALIBI has been his best performer winning the first two legs of the Singapore 4yo Series and running 4th in the 3rd leg, banking almost S$700,000 in prize money along the way.

The Fortuna NZ Stable has contributed to these 2017 season totals as well with MAJOR TOM (3 wins) and PRINCE DARCI (1 win), both 4yo sons of DARCI BRAHMA

Fortuna now offers for Syndication an opportunity to share in this outstanding success by the DARCI BRAHMA progeny with a strong powerful Three Year Old Gelding (turned three on 1st August 2017) – nicknamed “Sonny”. Earmarked as a Singapore prospect early in 2016, this horse has been taken along steadily in his stable preparations, here in New Zealand, to date. An impressive physical individual (16.1 hands high and 530kgs in weight) Sonny completed his most recent preparation with a strong jump out trial on the course proper at Matamata and his NZ handlers, Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards, declared him ready to travel to Singapore.

Sonny has passed all of the mandatory Veterinary tests for entry to Singapore and will travel to Singapore late September. Once there he will join the stable ranks of Singapore’s leading Trainer, Mark Walker and should be ready to make his race day debut by the end of 2017. Significant prizemoney increases for the 2018 season are about to be announced by the Singapore Turf Club with all Group One races predicted to go to $1million minimum and all Group Two races predicted to go  to $500,000 minimum. Restricted Maiden Grade (which Sonny will be eligible for on arrival) is going to $85,000 – pretty good prize money for Maiden gallopers.

This is an excellent opportunity for potential syndicate Members to acquire a share in a lovely, strong son of a Stallion who has been dominant in Singapore these past four seasons.

Be quick, Fortuna’s last syndication offering sold out in 14 days.

Shares available right down to 1%  

10% share $11,200 – 5% share $5,600 – 2.5% share $2,800 – 1% share $1,120 

Share price includes all Initial Costs – Purchase price, Promoters Fees, Insurance through to 31st January 2019, all transport costs to Singapore and working capital of over $6,000

Monthly Ongoing costs from 1st September 2017 – $340 per month per 10% share – $170 per month per 5% share – $85 per month per 2.5% share – $34 per month per 1% share

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), by emailing John CLICK HERE or calling John 021 921 460. Visit www.fortuna-nz.com

 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

PEDIGREE

Rising seven year old gelding KING SAVINSKY (Savabeel- Lynisky) proved himself to be somewhat of a globe trotter when winning for the first time in Malaysia on Saturday 29th July. Already a winner in New Zealand as a 3yo and then a three time winner in Singapore, he has now added Malaysia to his list. Contesting the Class 5 1700 metre event at the Penang Turf Club, his 5th start since transferring to Malaysia earlier in 2017, a bold ride by senior jockey S Salee saw KING SAVINSKY rocket out of the gates to take the lead. Challenged mid race by another runner, the pace was hot, but  turning for home THE KING did not flinch and maintained a strong gallop to the line, staving off all challengers to win by half a length. KING SAVINSKY is trained at Penang by ex pat Kiwi conditioner Sharee Hamilton.

Click HERE to see race replays – (Race 3)

KING SAVINSKY was selected and acquired by David Ellis on behalf of Fortuna Syndicators at the 2012 Karaka yearling sale for the sum of $95,000 and is raced by the Fortuna King Savinsky Syndicate, an ownership group of  29 individuals

Well, it took him 12 starts to greet the judge but with some solid recent form behind him, 3yo Gelding, PRINCE DARCI (Darci Brahma-Obsession), in the hands of leading rider, Vlad Duric, was not to be denied and broke through for his first victory on Friday 28th July. Drawn the widest of nine runners in the Class 5 event over 1800 metres, PRINCE DARCI was three wide for much of the race, but Duric didn’t panic, giving the horse a quiet run before easing him into a challenging position as they turned for home and once there PRINCE DARCI was strong in the run to the post to score by 3/4 of a length. Prince Darci is trained in Singapore by Premiership leading trainer, Mark Walker

Click HERE to see race replay

PRINCE DARCI  was acquired at the Karaka 2015 Premier Sale by David Ellis on behalf of Fortuna Syndicators for the sum of NZ$60,000 and is raced by the Fortuna Prince Darci Syndicate, an ownership group of 19 individuals, under the banner of the Fortuna NZ Racing Stable in Singapore

This news item has been sourced from the Te Akau Racing website

Champion Two-Year-Old and Horse of the Year finalist Melody Belle has completed one hell of a season.

From debut winner to Group One winner of a Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in New Zealand and Brisbane, and a stunning Karaka Million (Listed, 1200m) victory in between, the filly purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $57,500 at the 2016 NZB Premier Yearling Sale has been a revelation.

By *record-breaking sire Commands (Danehill) from first crop Iffraaj (Zafonic) mare Meleka Belle, Melody Belle was bred by Marie Leicester, prepared for sale by Haunui Farm, and purchased by David Ellis for the Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin).

Her season record of four wins and a third from seven starts earned $865,444 in prize money.

“It’s not easy to compare horses, and I have bought and we have trained Champion Two-Year-Olds Darci Brahma, Maroofity, Warhorse and War Affair, but the way Melody Belle won those three big races (Karaka Million and two Sires’ Produce Stakes) said to me that in thirty years of buying, syndicating and training horses that she’s as a good a two-year-old as we’ve ever had,” Ellis said.

“Melody Belle was the only New Zealand two-year-old to win this season at Group level in Australia, when she won the Sires’ Produce (Gr. 2, 1400m) in Brisbane, and we are particularly proud of what she achieved in her first season of racing.”

In the saddle for a majority of her wins, Te Akau stable rider Opie Bosson was also suitably impressed with the filly.

Following her win in the Karaka Million, Bosson said: “She’s a really laidback filly. The blinkers went on today, which helped. She was really sharp on the bridle and turning for home I couldn’t believe how well she was travelling”.

And after winning the Sires’ in Brisbane: “She was just travelling turning for home and when I let her down she gave me a huge sprint,” Bosson said.

“She has impressed me hugely in every start this season,” Bosson said. “She is professional in everything she does, has a great attitude, and a dazzling turn of foot when asked. She’s shown her class on both sides of the Tasman, which is never easy as a two-year-old, and I can’t wait to ride her again next season.”

Ellis said that Melody Belle is currently enjoying what he suggested would be a ‘good’ spell at Te Akau Stud, and with trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards had mapped out a plan for her three-year-old season.

“Her first target is likely to be the Group Three Concorde Handicap in early December at Ellerslie, as a lead up to the Group One Railway there on New Year’s Day. Both of those races are 1200 metres and we feel she is the right sort of filly to then step up to the million-dollar Karaka 3YO Mile at the end of January next year,” he said.

“Following that she could look to major races like the Coolmore Classic at Randwick, Sydney if she was happy getting over a bit more ground.”

Autridge said: “She’s such a versatile and easy filly to train, that can act fresh, so we have plenty of options going into next season, but the main thing now is that she has a lengthy spell after achieving so much as a two-year-old”.

“She did nothing but keep stepping up and you’ve got to remember that after the Karaka Million it was eight weeks before she raced again and won the Group 1 Sires’ at Awapuni. And then she did the same thing again, virtually, before winning the Sires’ in Brisbane, so she’s one very athletic filly and there is a real depth of talent in that family.

“I thought she showed good natural ability and plenty of grit to win her only trial before we sent her to the races at Ruakaka and that day she actually beat the stable-mate Summer Monsoon, who we like too but she retained the rail and just kept going to win easily by two lengths with her ears pricked.

“She did a fair bit during the season, so that’s why we’ve decided, no Christchurch or Melbourne in the spring, and to give her a decent spell so that she has the best opportunity of doing it next time at three.

“With what she’s done, she’s up there with any of the better two-year-old fillies I’ve had anything to do with and this filly I’ve got to say is as good as I’ve ever had as a two-year-old filly,” he said.

*Commands set an Australian record of 155 individual winners in the 2010-11 racing season.

3yo Gelding MAJOR TOM (Darci Brahma – Spin N Grin) made short work of his race day rivals when resuming at Singapore’s Kranji racetrack after a prolonged absence from the track. Starting as top weight in a Class 4 event over 1200 metres on the Turf, MAJOR TOM settled back in the running, with rider R Zawari starting to edge him closer from the 600 metres – he was the widest runner as they turned and over four lengths from the leader, but made a compelling run in the race to the post and won in stylish fashion by half a length at the line in a time of 1.11.o8 on a rain affected track.

Click HERE to see race replay

Fortuna Director, John Galvin, expressed satisfaction after watching the race from his New Zealand home, “We have always had a lot of time for this horse, he seems to be a bit special and unfortunately he went shin sore after his last race, a race that was a lead up to the Singapore Guineas and while disappointing for his ownership team that he missed the Guineas, the break away from racing since the end of March has allowed him to develop and strengthen and as we saw tonight he won with authority over a trip too short for him. He does seem to be a type destined for much greater honours,” he said.

Acquired in a private sale for NZ$80,000 by John Galvin after the horse was recommended to him by Te Akau Racing Stables supremo, David Ellis, MAJOR TOM is owned by the Fortuna Major Tom Syndicate, an ownership Group comprising 28 individuals and races in Singapore under the Fortuna NZ Stable banner – he is trained by current Premiership leading trainer, Mark Walker. Major Tom has now won three of his seven starts with only one unplaced run and has accumulated over S$130,000 in prize money.

In very good news today, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing reports a significant boost to stakes in the new season!

More than $2 million will be added to stakes for the Feature and Premier 2 thoroughbred meetings in New Zealand next season.

The boost for Feature meetings, together with other increases for the 2017-18 season, were announced today by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR).

It will lift the minimum stake for non-maiden races at all Feature meetings to $22,500 and means that the $22,500 non-maiden minimum will apply to virtually every Saturday meeting in the new season.

The increases are part of a $6.5 million lift in funding for stakes for the thoroughbred code, from the New Zealand Racing Board, for each of the next two seasons.

This will produce a 13 per cent increase in budgeted NZTR-funded prize money for the 2017-18 season, which begins on August 1.

It had already been announced that NZTR had committed $3.25 million of the $6.5 million towards funding the $10,000 minimums for the code in the 2017-18 season.

NZTR consulted widely with its stakeholders prior to finalising the stakes schedule and there was widespread support for the proposal to focus on Feature meetings.  There are 94 Feature meetings, including 69 on a Saturday, scheduled for the new season.

“The boost in stakes for the Feature meetings will reward our most progressive horses,” NZTR chairman Dr Alan Jackson said. “These are the horses who will be our future stars and we also want to encourage these horses to target our best meetings.”

The open handicaps at Feature meetings will have a minimum stake of $35,000, up $5000 from the present level, and Rating 85 races will rise from $25,000 to $30,000. These increases will apply to around 180 races.

The minimum stake for three-year-old races at Feature and Premier 2 meetings will rise from $20,000 to $25,000 and the minimum for Rating 75 races at Feature meetings will also be lifted to $25,000.

Rating 65, special condition and two-year-old races at Feature and Premier 2 meetings will be lifted from $20,000 to $22,500.

There will also be a lift in the Iconic Race funding for the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas and the New Zealand Oaks and increased funding support for the Karaka Million and the Karaka Million 3YO Classic, which will both have a $1 million stake in 2018.

In addition, each of the 17 heats in the Dunstan Feeds Stayers Championship will increase by $5000 with the final to have a stake of $100,000, an increase of $20,000 on this season, bringing the total increase across the series to $105,000. This is part of the NZTR initiative to boost interest in racing and breeding stayers.

The stake for Pearl Series races at Feature meetings will rise by $2500 and the minimum stake for Rating 75 races at Industry meetings and Tier 2 Feature meetings will be $11,000.

Fresh from a dominant winning display on the Penang track Saturday 3rd June, 5yo mare SECRET SPICE (Sahkees Secret-Caparison) backed up Sunday 11th June, this time over 1700 metres and franked her very good recent form with an all the way win, with jockey S Salee making the most of her ace barrier draw.

Click HERE to see the race result and Video replay (Race 2).

A three time winner in Singapore, SECRET SPICE is now fashioning an excellent record in Malaysia, five race day starts for three thirds and two wins

4yo Gelding HIDDEN PROMISE (Postponed-Promissory) scored his 2nd win in Singapore Sunday 4th June with a gutsy win in the Kranji D Stakes event over 1600 metres. Wanting to be handy, rider Shafiq was pushed three wide initially, but took the initiative and pushed forward to sit outside the leader, ZAC ACE, during the run. Turning for home, Shafiq pressed the button on HIDDEN PROMISE and he went to the post a clear winner with a margin of one length back to the second horse.

Click HERE to see race replay.

Now a two win horse in Singapore, HIDDEN PROMISE is fashioning a very good record with two wins and five other prizemoney winning placings from his eight starts

Todays victory capped a golden run for the Fortuna Syndications operation, with four winners in the last 15 days, notably in four different racing jurisdictions, HIGHLY LIKELY in NZ Saturday 20th May, MELODY BELLE in Australia 27th May, SECRET SPICE in Malaysia 3rd June and HIDDEN PROMISE in Singapore 4th June

HIDDEN PROMISE was acquired by David Ellis on behalf of Fortuna from the draft of Westbury Stud at the 2014 Karaka Ready To Run Sale for $65,000 and is raced by the Fortuna Hidden Promise Syndicate, an ownership Group of 29 individuals.