Headline News

Te Akau Racing secure another Trainers Premiership

TAB Turnover figures staying strong

Fortuna has two runners on Sunday, one at Sandown and one in Singapore

Sandown

LEADERBOARD contests the prestigious Grand National Hurdles over 4200m event for A$300k – Race 4 @ 2.15pm Aus time (4.15pm NZT) with Aaron Kuru to ride. Five jumps races to date in Victoria, in his first full season as a jumper, have yielded a 2nd, a Win, a 2nd, a Win and a 3rd  – back to the Hurdles here after two previous runs over the big fences, but gets to run over 4200m which will suit perfectly – rock hard fit, his trackwork has been very good – is ready for this -TAB says “Continues to make headway – top chance”” – Showing $6/$2 and is 5th fave

Singapore

ROCKY races in the Class 4 1200m Turf event – Race 10 @ 5pm Sing time (9pm NZT) with Calos Henrique to ride from Barrier 6 – not seen on race day since January – is resuming after a long lay off due to knee surgery – has been working well and trialed nicely recently – resuming at a trip short of his best but has placed when fresh previously, we are looking to see him run home strongly – TAB says “Has claims on best form” –  No Odds posted yet

Matamata Trackwork – Fortuna runners

Thursday 1st August

Court Of Appeal (C Grylls) worked over 800 metres in 55.5, home in 40.6.

Singapore Trackwork 

Saturday 27th July
ELLIOT NESS(AWAH)1000/600-39

Tuesday 30th July
ELLIOT NESS(AWAH)1000/600-39

 OTHER NEWS

Te Akau Racing secure another Trainers Premiership

The champagne corks were popping at headquarters Te Akau on Tuesday with the stable recording another Premiership win with 169 winners for the 2023/34. This premiership win was notable for the fact that it was recorded by the new training partnership of Mark Walker and Sam Bergeson which came into affect on the 1st of August 2023. What a great thrill that must be for Sam to win a training premiership in his very first year as a registered trainer.  For Mark Walker this was his seventh New Zealand premiership with the previous six being recorded in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2023 and in the years between 2010 and 2023, Mark recorded four Singapore Premierships in his time there, this giving him a career total of 11 Premierships altogether. Notable that the record for New Zealand training premierships is held by Graham Rogerson at 11 and so Mark has equaled that number of winning premierships, but over two different  jurisdictions

For Te Akau Racing, as well as recording the seven premierships mentioned above, they also enjoyed further three premierships, when the now Hong Kong based Jamie Richards was at the helm, making 10 NZ Premierships in total for the stable. Looking back in history Dave O’Sullivan recorded nine premiership wins, eight of those in partnership with his son Paul and you have to go back to the 1930s for further comparison, with Tommy George winning nine premierships between 1931 and 1942, although  Bill and Graham Sanders had a great run with five successive premiership wins  in the 1973 to 1977 seasons

It is also worth mentioning that as well as 169 wins recorded by the New Zealand stable the Te Akau Cranbourne stable, with Mark Walker at the helm as sole trainer, recorded an additional 24 wins which is quite remarkable in itself, given that they only had 20 boxes during the season and also notable that Mark’s strike rate in Victoria was over 21% putting him in second place behind Sam and Anthony Freedman on strike rate. I am sure that Mark would be giving his Cranbourne based assistant Trainer, Ben Gleeson, a lot of credit for this success

TAB Turnover figures staying strong

Thoroughbred turnover for June was up 32% on June 2023, Harness and Dog figures a bit soft, Sports betting up 17% on June 2023 (Warriors are a key factor here we think) and active Racing customers are up 13.7% year on year

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Guest Selector – Des Coppins
 

Greetings John and the Fortuna Team

In punting at this time of the year most of us have a clear understanding that heavy tracks vary from one track to another.

Indeed it’s  not always a case that a horse that handles a heavy 10 with more water around comprehensively on  one track will repeat the dose on another track that also reads 10 but on  a surface that’s lacking moisture and maybe even glue-like! Inconsistent winter form is something we’ve always had to live with.

For what’s it’s worth I’d much prefer to see a horse I’ve had a bet on running on a track that’s been rained on right up until race time, rather than one hasn’t had rain for a couple of days and is holding.

Sadly that doesn’t always transpire and that’s why we have  to utilise all the form avenues we can get our hands on to try and maintain some consistency on the punt especially at this time of the year.

Study and more study is the key for me and noting rain measurements close to start time.

While we all run into a brick wall and we don’t always get it right on these tricky tracks whether there’s rain or no rain  it’s worth a fist pump  when we do  and on that note it’s very pleasing to see  the  email selections firing this week like the suggested long odds value bet to run top 4, Five Bells, obliging. ( It was a 30 to one chance at Otaki on Saturday).

We also had nose defeat by 21 to one value tip, Hokitika Bell at Waverley on Sunday ( jockey slightly stopped riding when it lay in)  and on Wednesday the value bet at Tauranga Divine Essence (12 to one)thankfully  had a last stride win to give us a decent windfall.

I appreciate the  positive feedback from the Fortuna clients who have signed up with my email tipping service.

Let’s hope the run continues.

With the new season now under way and the real likelihood of improving tracks it’s a good time to come on board as a subscriber for the top tier tips for every race and a best and value bet on each NZ race day before 9am.

Simply email me for relevant details as soon as you can to

dcoppins@xtra.co.nz and  the sub of $240 ( gst inclusive) takes you right up until October 31 ( 3 months) equating to approximately $3.50 per race day.

I’ve focussed on the Grand National carnival for my three to keep an eye on this Saturday.

( From last week incidentally I’d be sticking with Oppenheimer. He didn’t get all favours at the start at Te Rapa and  he looks promising).

Donnybrook, r7 and r9.

Donnybrook is engaged in two races.

I’m hoping he runs in the Winter Cup. He’s the first off the ballot.

I backed it when the markets came out almost one month ago.

He’s an up and comer and has been judiciously placed.

He’s reasonably fresh and goes well in this state.

His run last month at Hastings under 59kgs in lower class was enormous.

He’s also in race 7.

Jestin Case r8

She’s  another promising type who doesn’t know how to run a bad race.

She should’ve won two starts ago and unfortunately she has a bad habit of doing things wrong at the start.

A feature of her races is always her ability to attack the line nonetheless.

She’s poised to win again.

Makabar, race 4

He was victorious at the winter  carnival twice last year carrying 60kgs in the rating 75 and winning this very race with 54kgs, exactly the same weight again!!

He’s a tough customer and his run last time was convincing enough to suggest win number 10 is on the cards.

Good punting!

Des