Friday Flash – 11th November 2022

Headline News;

Three Year Old Filly INCA BELLE wins strongly on debut at Pukekohe Park

LEADERBOARD to contest the NZ Cup 12^th November, KHAFEEF is in the field but on the ballot

Two Year Old Filly RUBICON CROSSING runs 2^nd in the Listed Welcome Stakes at Riccarton, earning valuable “black type” for her ownership group

NZ Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale to be held at Karaka 16^th/17^th November

Fortuna Annual Owners Day – Matamata Racecourse – Sunday 4^th December

Fortuna has six runners this weekend, four in NZ and two in Singapore

New Zealand  – Saturday 12^th – Riccarton

NAVALHA runs in the R75 1600m – Race 10 @ 4.29pm and will be ridden by visiting Australian rider, Josh Parr. Brings good form into this race with a strong 3^rd placing over 1400m this track 4^th November. Is ready for this trip and looks a good each way chance here

KHAFEEF is dual nominated – he is B3 in the NZ Cup race 11 @ 5.09pm but if he does not get a start in the Cup he will run in the R82 2500m event – Race 8 @ 3.19pm. Form has been up and down but finished strongly for 4^th 2500m this course 9^th November. Beaten 4 lengths in the NZ Cup in 2021 after giving his rider a torrid time, he will have taken big improvement out of Wednesday’s run and will get the 3200 if he gets a start in  the Cup, but will also run well in the 2500 if that is his fate. Will be at odds.

LEADERBOARD runs in the NZ Cup – race 11 @ 5.09pm and will be ridden by Josh Parr from a wide barrier. Lead up form is nothing to write home about, although his run in the Metropolitan last week on a very firm track was not without merit. Key to this horse is simple  – he needs it to rain – he ran a bold 3^rd last year in this event after morning rain and it looks like he may get a wettish track again. If the rain comes, he will stay the trip and will be a strong contender and good odds

Sunday 13^th – Hastings

HAYATE runs in the R65 1200m – Race 4 @ 2.20pm and will be ridden by Craig Grylls from an inside barrier. After a strong debut win at Matamata in May, she disappointed on resuming in the new season, producing two very average efforts. Freshened briefly, she produced a dominant winning trial at Matamata 3^rd November. Appears to have a lot of class – is set to bounce back to winning form here

Singapore – Sunday 13^th

KERMAJACK runs in the Class 4 2000 Turf – Race 8 @ 3.30pm Singapore time (8.30pm NZT) and will be ridden from a handy draw by Lis Beuzelin. Three Singapore starts for three tail of the field results – he is on notice here but is up in trip to 2000m which is what he needs – hard to have on form

OLYMPIA contests the Class 5 1000m Poly – Race 10 @ 4.30pm Singapore time (9.30pm NZT) – Fadzli Yusoff will ride from a good barrier – doesn’t win out of turn, but very rarely out of the money – loves this trip. Hasn’t had all favours in recent runs and this is a winnable race for him at odds

Fortuna Track work – Matamata

There was no timed Trackwork for Fortuna runners this week

Fortuna Track work – Singapore

Saturday  5th November

Rocky (Bayliss) – 1000/600 38;

Tuesday   8^th November

King Arthur (Awah) – 800/600 38; Rocky (Jake) – 1000/600 40; Deception (Kok) – 800/600 38.5;

Other News

Fortuna 3yo Filly INCA BELLE wins on debut at Pukekohe Park 8th November 2022
Published 8 November 2022
Given an economical trip by Champion Te Akau apprentice Joe Kamaruddin, Inca Belle (3 f Per Incanto – Belle Vie, by Darci Brahma)recorded a debut victory in the $14,000 NZB Ready To Run Sale 16 & 17 Nov Maiden 1100 metres on 8 November at Pukekohe.

Good through trials stage and having finished strongly for second in a trial on 4 August at Te Rapa, the placement and timing by trainer Mark Walker was exemplary and the race set up perfectly.

Slightly slow away from a mid field gate (9), Inca Belle improved on the inner while a five-wide rush in front passing the 700 metres helped matters. On straightening, she accelerated quickly into contention at the 400m and saw the race out like a filly capable of further, despite drifting out very wide in the run home

Click HERE to see the race replay

Trainer, Mark Walker, down at Riccarton ahead of Coupland Mile day was very pleased with what he saw, “It was a lovely ride by Joe, saved all the ground and then came out and it was a good effort on debut,” he said “She hadn’t trialled since August but did go to the jumpouts last Friday, which shows the benefit of our jumpout system at Matamata.  It’s great when you can use them on the home track like trials. I think she’ll improve for both the experience and the run and gain confidence as well.”

On Good 4 footing, Inca Belle ran 1100 metres in 1:03.8, last 600m in 33, and paid generously ($11.10 & $2.80) on the NZ TAB tote.

The win also continued a rich vein for Little Avondale Stud leading stallion Per Incanto (Street Cry) whose mare Roch ‘N’ Horse became his higher earner after winning the $3m VRC Classic (Gr. 1, 1200m) last Saturday at Flemington. Inca Belle’s dam Belle Vie is a descendent of the famous “Belle” family, founded by James and Annie Sarten and perpetuated by their daughter, Marie Leicester, with the most famous Members of the family being the 14 time Group One winner, Melody Belle.

The family has been nurtured by Pencarrow Stud since (Sir) Peter and the late Philip Vela bought her fourth dam, Heidi Belle (Copenhagen 11).
Fortuna Director, John Galvin, was on course with a few syndicate Members and was very pleased with the outcome, “She was slightly fractious in the barriers and jumped a bit slow, but Joe didn’t panic and gave her a lovely soft run,”  he said  “He got her out to the middle of the track and I was sure she was going to finish second, but she responded to urging over the last 50 metres and got the job done. She’s a neat, tidy, filly and she’s very athletic. Congrats to Mark Walker, who took the punt that she was ready to race despite just having the jumpout last Friday”

Inca Belle was purchased by David Ellis CNZM and Fortuna Racing for $50,000 at the 2021 NZB Ready To Run Sale, from the draft of Phoenix Park, and is raced by the Fortuna Inca Belle Syndicate, an Ownership Group consisting of 49 individuals, mainly from NZ but also with Australian and Hong Kong based Members,

LEADERBOARD to contest the NZ Cup 12^th November, KHAFEEF is in the field but on the ballot

A real sense of “deja vue” hangs over the Fortuna runners in the 2022 running of the NZ Cup – firstly, our two runners from last year are in the field (but Khafeef needs 3 scratchings to get a run). Secondly, Leaderboard is out of form, but then again he was in  2021 also and lastly (and certainly not leastly), rain is being forecast late Friday and early Saturday – an important consideration for supporters of Leaderboard as rain will improve his chances significantly. For the record, Leaderboard ran 3^rd last year, after hitting the front in the run home and then run down closing stages, while Khafeef finished 7^th, beaten 4 lengths, after a topsy turvy run. Both horses have significant cross ownership amongst their syndicate Members and each are trained by different trainers. Khafeef Members will be praying for the 3 scratchings while Leaderboard Members are already down on their knees praying for a bit of rain

Two Year Old Filly RUBICON CROSSING runs 2^nd in the Listed Welcome Stakes at Riccarton, earning valuable “black type” for her ownership group

Victory was denied to this classy daughter of Rubick at Riccarton on 9^th November but lost no admirers going down by ¾ length to her equally classy Stable mate, Sky On Fire. Drawn Barrier 8 whereas Sky On Fire had drawn closer to the rail, “Cube” as she is nicknamed, flew the gates in the hands of Lisa Allpress and crossed most of the field, eyeballing Sky On Fire as they screamed down the Riccarton chute. She briefly headed the Te Akau syndicated filly but had to concede closing stages.

Rubicon Crossing was picked out of the Magic Millions yearling sale in January 2022 by Mark Walker and was a A$120k purchase by David Ellis/Fortuna Racing. Interestingly enough Sky On Fire was also purchased at the same sale by David Ellis for A$400k, again picked out by Mark.

Both fillies are on their way back to Matamata where they will have a freshen up and may meet again in the Matamata Breeders Stakes at the end of February

NZ Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale to be held at Karaka 16^th/17^th November

Yes, it’s that time of the year again and after the 2020 and 2021 editions were impacted by Covid, Vendors and NZ Bloodstock will be overjoyed to welcome back a full International buying bench. David and Mark with the usual assistance of Joe Walls and Marcus Corban have been conducting inspections and have drawn up a short list, which be trimmed down by sales day with final inspections and vetting.  Fortuna will “in the market” trying to buy another Inca Belle – watch this space!!!

Incidentally, Donna Logan and Peter Woods will be attending this sale

Fortuna Annual Owners Day – Matamata Race Course – Sunday 4^th December

Yes, it is that time of the year again and after two Covid affected years with attendances affected due to lockdowns, the powers that be have been kind enough to give us our freedoms back!!! and we are looking forward to hosting our usual 100 plus attendees.

Venue – Epsom Lounge – Matamata Race course
Date – Sunday 4^th December
Time – 1pm to 4pm
Format – Meet and Greet, light refreshments, Review of 2022 Calendar Year, Parade of all of the Fortuna Matamata based horses
Special Guest – Mark Walker