Friday Flash – 14th March 2025

Published 14 March 2025

Court Of Appeal – 2nd career victory – Taupo 26th February 2025 – Masa Hashizume aboard

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Headline News


Champions Day – huge success on all fronts

Stallion making opportunity – the half brother to Bellatrix Star – and his Hong Kong based full brother, Country Dancer, has now won twice there

Leaderboard wins jumping trial at Cranbourne in dominant fashion

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Fortuna has one runner this weekend


Yarra Valley – Sunday

WEST INDIES will contest the BM 64 1950m event – Race 6 @3.45 pm Aus time (5.45 pm NZT)  with stable apprentice Sage Duric, claiming 3kgs, to ride from Barrier 9 – acquired by us 10 days before the VRC Derby in November, this beautifully bred son of Fastnet Rock finished 13th in that event, but was then immediately spelled and has shown significant physical development since – he has had three jumpouts to prepare for this resuming run and has won his last two jumpouts in impressive fashion – will go close.  Showing $7/$2.25

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Trackwork – Fortuna Runners

Matamata – 11th March
Court Of Appeal (S Hussain) worked over 1200 metres in 1.19.6, home in 36.2.

Riccarton – 11th March

Angels Wings (H Durrant) galloped over 1000 metres in 1.05.6, last 600 in 37.2.

Porcia Catonis (D Rose-Tait) galloped over 1000 metres in 56.7, home in 36.9.

Cranbourne  – 11th March

Dreamflight (C Wilson) 1200 1.27.2, last 600 in 38.1

Matamata – 13th March

Mitre Peak (A Azrul)  galloped over 1000 metres in 1.08,4, last 600 in 38.5.

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Other News

Champions Day – huge success on all fronts

Sell out crowd, great racing, perfect weather, huge increase in betting turnover, significant Australian presence with horses, riders and attendees – this day marked another milestone in the current renaissance of NZ Racing, attracting significant interest from Mainstream media and significant International exposure as well.

I see the TAB figures every week and the most striking was the increase in the number of people making a  bet – on a typical Saturday Premier meeting the number is usually around 30,000, but Champions Day saw over 54,000 place a bet, with 37,000 placing a bet on the NZ Kiwi, making it the most popular betting race in the past 12 months – and our good friends at Te Akau Racing made it a day to remember winning the Group One 2yo race with Return To Conquer and then taking out the NZ Kiwi with Damask Rose, who won the race holding the Te Akau Slot

Below is the summary from the TAB

Champions Day, with four Group Ones, the Group 2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup and two Group 3s, returned impressive figures across the board. In all, 54,500 customers placed a bet through TAB or betcha on the meeting, the highest ever number of active customers through digital channels on a New Zealand meeting since these records began. As a comparison to last year’s Auckland Cup meeting (which also included the Bonecrusher NZ Stakes and the Sistema Stakes), 66% more customers engaged with this year’s meeting than 2024.

Turnover reached almost $8 million for the 10-race card, topping out at $7.98m. This was a 77% increase on last year’s total of $4.5m and installs the meeting as the top NZ meeting by turnover in the past 12 months, and the second highest NZ meeting ever.

Turning to the four Group Ones, all four races recorded increases in both active customers and turnover. The Trackside NZ Derby and Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes recorded 7% and 8% increases in turnover respectively, while the HKJC World Pool NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes performed well after being moved from the 30 March meeting last year with a 38% increase in turnover. The Sistema Stakes performed particularly strongly, with turnover of $693k, up 74% on 2024 with 11 starters this year compared to eight last year.

There is no direct comparison for The NZB Kiwi, but the race’s high profile through media and marketing activity attracted more than 37,000 active customers – the most for a thoroughbred race in New Zealand in the past 12 months. Turnover of $1.38m places The NZB Kiwi at 3rd on the top 10 NZ races by turnover since this time last year.

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Stallion making opportunity – the half brother to Bellatrix Star – and his Hong Kong based full brother, Country Dancer has now won twice there

There is quite a bit of excitement in the Fortuna camp with our new acquisition, the Nicconi – Alanana’s Party Colt, the half brother to Bellatrix Star  – excitement because he is a Colt, is going to be an early runner and because he is so forward, he went straight from the Sales grounds to our breaker, Matt Lacey and has just completed his first week there – HERE is some footage of him at the breakers

Excitement also because he has a 4yo full brother in Hong Kong, Country Dancer, who has won two races up there – Click HERE to see footage of him winning his 1st race there. This is a 1000 meter race and he is the horse in the red and black colours out the back in the early running – as you will see he has an amazing turn of foot closing stages – very reminiscent of the way that Bellatrix Star has been able to finish her races off – and Click HEREto see win #2

Here are some key points about this opportunity below – should not be missed – shares filling steadily but still available

  • Strong, powerful, well developed Colt who will run early
  • Potential Stallion at Stud prospect
  • By a well proven Stallion in Nicconi, the sire of the Multiple Group One and Everest winner, Nature Strip – Nicconi in his long career at Stud has thrown 70% winners to runners including 29 Stakes winners
  • A half brother to the brilliant Bellatrix Star, the winner of 5 races including 4 Stakes races, three of those in succession in Melbourne, – with two wins at Group 2 level, one at Group 3 and one Listed as well as running 2nd to Switzerland in the Group One Coolmore Stakes at Flemington
  • Will be prepared for racing by Mark Walker out of the Te Akau Racing Cranbourne facility in Victoria
  • His Breeders have retained 25% and so this Colt will race in a Partnership with our Fortuna Syndicate holding 75% of the horse and the Breeders 25%
  • Despite the partnership arrangement, he will race in the Fortuna Silks and Fortuna (John Galvin) will be the Racing Manager with full powers over the partnership as per the Syndicate Agreement

He will be nominated for the very lucrative Inglis Race Series (including the Pink Bonus) – Click HERE to read full details of that Series

Click HERE to see his presale parade.

 

Yearling Colt by Nicconi out of Alana’s Party

 

  • Shares available right down to 1%.
  • 10% share $23,000, 5% share $11,500, 2.5% share $5,750, 1% share $2,300 – with ongoing costs from 1 May 2025 @$50 per month per each 1% share
Click HERE to read full details on the Fortuna website and orders can be made from this link

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Leaderboard wins jumping trial at Cranbourne in dominant fashion

 

The veteran 10 year old Leaderboard showed his rivals a clean pair of heels over 2800m at the Cranbourne Jumping trials Thursday 13th February – Click HERE to see the trial replays (he is in Heat 7) – note you may need to login to racing.com to see this, but logging is is free

The 2023 Wellington Cup winner had an impressive debut jumping season in Victoria in 2024, never out of the top 3 in seven races over the jumps and winning twice. He has been very well prepared for this jumping season with 4 jumpouts and two flat races and will now have his first race for the new jumping season over the big fences at Warrnambool 28th March, then heads to Pakenham 13th April before heading back to Warrnambool for their iconic 3 day carnival (29th April – 1st May) where he will contest the Brierly Steeples on Day One and back up into the Grand National Steeples on Day 3

Leaderboard – winning at Warrnambool – June 2024

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Guest Selector – Des Coppins

Des certainly made the day for those of our readers who latched onto his Auckland Cup tip, Trav, last week with Trav paying $21 on the tote and delivering some juicy multiples as well

Here is what Des has for our readers this week and note also that he provides some preliminary info on what will be his 36th Melbourne Cup Tour this year

Greetings John and your many readers.

I say this because I reckon a half dozen came up to me at Ellerslie on Saturday and paid a decent compliment on highlighting Trav as the one to beat on last week’s big day at Ellerslie in the column last week.

My subscribers to my racing tipping service gained plenty, too, on a day where quality of racing  matched the tips. Hoping for more of the same in the weeks ahead spearheaded by Oaks Day on Saturday week and the Sires Produce day at Trentham at the end of the month.

Before giving you  three to follow this weekend allow me to announce that while our Sporting Tours Melbourne Tour details will be released shortly I can confirm that champion jockey Lisa Allpress will be my co tour leader this year.

The Sporting Tours group is finalising the final costings which should be available within the next couple of weeks  but if you’d like to be contacted with these details send me an email dcoppins@xtra.co.nz and our experienced tour operators will contact you in the first instance ( simultaneously with our regular clients).
I’m looking forward to my 36th Melbourne Cup tour with wonderful people but naturally excited to have Lisa as part of the team. She’s a true champion both on and off the track.

Three to follow:

Still Bangon race 8 Tauranga

On paper she has looked disappointing this season but I reckon after a freshen up following 4 average runs last spring her two runs lately haven’t been that bad!
She was checked out of the barrier and was off stride here at the end of January but was less than three lengths from the winner and from an awkward draw at Matamata on March 1 she raced three wide at times without cover.
Let’s not forget that she was third in black type company behind subsequent first and second runners in the Oaks; won the Eulogy and ran second in the group two Sir Patrick Hogan. She’s more than capable of turning her form around on Saturday.

Tanganyika, race 3 Tauranga

When running 7th at Ellerslie at the end of the month it marked the first time a top 5 position wasn’t registered.
An average draw may have cost him a length or two and the fact he only finished 2.7 lengths from the winner is proof his ultra consistent record should continue in a race like this where the blinkers are added.

Jolted, race 6, Tauranga

This horse is another who has been floating under the radar with handy but not winning runs lately but I feel this is the sort of race she can spring into action with a bit more purpose.
She’s arguably racing on her favourite track where the record reads a first, second and a third in just three starts. She ran an unlucky third here about this time last year.
Stepping up from 1600 last time to 2100m will suit. I don’t think she will be ridden as close to the pace as she did last time. Clearly she races best when allowed time to find her feet.

Finally, anyone wishing to subscribe to my email tipping service for a special rate of just $150 gst inclusive let me know by email before 8pm Friday and I’ll pass on details.
dcoppins@xtra.co.nz
The $150 will include all this month and April and May with race by race tips and the Best Bet and Value Bet for each meeting. That’s a total of 62 meetings!!
Good punting!

Des Coppins 
021 448 052
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