A busy weekend lies ahead for FORTUNA Director, John Galvin as he monitors the performances of seven of his charges over the weekend.

Friday night in Singapore, VON SNITZEL, JETSET MAN and MANNY PACUIAO take centre stage.

Saturday, at Ruakaka, the promising 3yo KING SAVINSKY makes his 3yo debut over 1400 metres.

Sunday in Singapore, it is the turn of three time winner EATONS GOLD, two time winner LORD ROBERTO and the yet to win, but promising,  OUR RIVER DANCER.

Promising Fortuna 3yo SIR DARCI ( Darci Brahma-Dominant) makes his much awaited race day debut in a Maiden 3yo event at Taupo  Race 3 @ 1.49pm) Monday 9th. SIR DARCI was a very impressive trial winner at Te Teko 6th August. Raced by the Fortuna Sir Darci Syndicate, SIR DARCI was acquired from the draft of the Oaks Stud at the 2012 Karaka Premier Sales. He has drawn the ace barrier and will be ridden by Kelly Myers; Trainer, Jason Bridgman, is very happy with his charge pre race.

Earlier in the day and dependent on some more scratchings in order to make the field, 4yo Mare, SING LIKE ELLA (Danasinga-Fitzgerelda) will make her first start as a 4yo in a Maiden 1000 metre event. SING LIKE ELLA, a 2011 Ready to Run Sale Graduate,  had four starts as a 3yo for one third placing. She has a difficult draw to over come on the tight Taupo track and will be ridden by Te Akau Racing’s new apprentice Michael Dee.

FORTUNA 2yo Filly DARCI’S DREAM ( Darci Brahma-Sweet Dreams Baby) showed a great turn of foot when making her trials debut over 600 metres at te Teko Tuesday 27th August. Drawn wide at the barrier, she flew the gates, went straight to the lead, railed the corner like a real professional and ran to the line untested by the opposition. “A real natural Two year Old with heaps of ability” declared rider Mathew Cameron after the trial.

DARCI’S DREAM was acquired at the 2013 Karaka Select Sale by Fortuna Director, John Galvin and is raced by the Fortuna Darci’s Dream Syndicate, made up of 28 Members.

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.