Fortuna’s January Newsletter is here

FORTUNA NEWSLETTER
18th January 2015

• Fortuna Ready To Run Purchases almost sold

• Fortuna 2yo Filly, WINDBORNE, to chase Million Dollar Glory in Karaka Million at Ellerslie 25th January

• Karaka Yearling Sales just around the corner

• Karaka Open Day for Syndicators planned for Wednesday 4th February – after the Karaka Sales

Ready to Run Sales Purchases

At the Ready to Run Sales in late November Fortuna acquired two outstanding individuals, one to race in NZ (Stratum-The Party Stand Colt), the other (Postponed-Promissory Gelding) to race in Singapore. Two quite different types; the Stratum Colt, whom we have nicknamed “Billy” is a real get up and go sprinting type who will probably make his race day debut toward the end of February, while the Postponed Gelding (nicknamed “Bart”), being out of a Zabeel mare, has been acquired to contest staying races in Singapore.

Billy is now 92.5% sold, so you would need to be quick if you wanted to participate. He has had one jump out already, doing a second this coming week and then will trial in early February ahead of a planned late Feb race day debut. By a Golden Slipper winning Sire and out of a Group One winning mare, he has great credentials and is a really flashy looker as well. $7200 for a 5% share with $160 per month ongoing costs commencing 1st February 2015 and we will do a 2.5% share for $3600 and $80 per month ongoing.

Bart is a different type of horse altogether. Imposing at 16 hands tall, he throws very much to the Zabeel side, long and lean with a typical stayer’s physique. He was spelled immediately after the sale and commenced a fresh preparation at Matamata on 5th January. He will be aimed for a couple of trials during the autumn with a plan to get him up to Singapore late May, which will give him plenty of time to acclimatise ahead of his 3yo season up there. Identified by Mark Walker as one of his four top selections at the sale, based on the breeze up gallops, he has a lovely low to the ground galloping action and his 10.6 second breeze up time was very impressive for a horse still some way short of maturity. Bart is now 75% sold and a 5% share in him is $6200 with $160 per month ongoing commencing 1st Feb 2015, with a 2.5% share just $3,100 and $80 per month ongoing. Not a lot of money for a horse who will be racing for S$75K in prize money at his first start in Singapore.

Contact John Galvin by email HERE  or call/text 021 921 460 if you would like to be involved in either of these two lovely 2yo’s.

WINDBORNE heads to the Karaka Million.

You know, it is incredibly difficult to get any 2yo to this Million Dollar event. Literally everything has to go right from as far back as about June. The slightest setback such as bit of shin soreness can rob connections of the valuable time they need to make the event. Limited to 2yo’s who were acquired at the Karaka 2014 sale, just 14 will run and the starters are determined by an Order of Entry based on prize money won in the current season.

Fortuna’s 2yo Filly, WINDBORNE (by Darci Brahma out of Sweet Dreams Baby) made a flying start to the season winning her first two starts (Ellerslie and Avondale) on her ear, before being slightly disappointing when 5th in the Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie on New Years Day. Our post race analysis of that run indicates she did go a bit too hard early and so our aim in the KM race is to ride her a little colder and have her unleash her trademark turn of foot at the end of the race. WINDBORNE is currently 3rd on the order of entry for the race. Click HERE to see that Order of Entry.

Congratulations to all of the 29 Members who share in her Ownership, what a great thrill it must be for you all to be involved with a horse that is to contest NZ’s richest race and win, lose or draw, the memory of that will never fade.

Karaka Yearling Sales

Yes, it is that time of the year again with the Premier Sale session of Karaka 2015 kicking off Monday 26th January, followed later in the week by the Select and Festival Sales sessions.

As always Fortuna will be active aiming to acquire four to six quality yearlings. Regular followers of this newsletter will know that Fortuna likes to but in the “sweet spot” range of between $50,000 and $150,000, a price range that enables the acquisition of well conformed, nicely pedigreed thoroughbreds. It is notable that Fortuna’s best performer this season to date, the Listed winner and Group One placed, Darci’s Dream, only cost $45,000 at the 2013 sale. Her Karaka Million bound full sister Windborne, cost a bit more at $100,000 in 2014, but still great value given what her residual broodmare value would be currently. At the 2014 Premier Sale, we also bought the Iffraaj-Naturo filly for just $27,500 and while she has yet to go to the races, her recent trial’s performance would indicate that she has the makings of a lovely filly.

We already have short list in place with a final cut being made during this coming week. Some on the list will sell for a lot more than our budget, with others we get lucky and acquire them for less. All going well, by the end of the Select Sale (we don’t usually buy at Festival), we will have our four to six horses. At least one. maybe two, will have been acquired to race in Singapore and there will be a mixture of sprinting and middle distance/staying types. Ideally at least one of them will be contesting the 2016 Karaka Million!!

We have become very keen on fillies over the past two or three years, because the racing patten here in NZ certainly tends to favour the fairer sex and if you can get a good one, the market for well performed broodmares is very buoyant indeed.

In this age of super fast technology, our acquisitions are usually up on our website within a couple of hours of being bought. If you would like “first preference” of any of our acquisitions then email me HERE or call/text me 021 921 460 and you will receive an email giving details of any acquisition BEFORE it goes up on the Fortuna website. Finally, if you are planning to attend any of the sales sessions, please don’t hesitate to make contact with me; I will always make time to catch up with existing or potential clients.

Karaka Open Day Invitation

New Zealand Bloodstock in conjunction with NZ Thoroughbred Racing are sponsoring an Open Day for Syndicators at the Karaka Sales Centre on Wednesday 4th February between 5pm and 8pm.

Fortuna will be participating in this event which will include parades of selected yearlings and interviews by the MC with Syndicators.

All are welcome, including your friends, family and work colleagues, so if you would like to attend just email us  HERE. We look forward to seeing you there.