Six starts in Melbourne during the spring, all at Black Type level, producing three wins and a Group One second and over A$700,000 in prize money, was the outcome for this wonderful sprinting daughter of Star Witness. A sub par performance in the Group One Champions Sprint last Saturday, where, unfortunately, she was not ridden to suit her racing style, did little to tarnish her record, where she won in emphatic fashion on all three of the Melbourne Metro tracks, with two clear highlights being her defeat of the older horses at WFA level at Caulfield in the  Schillaci Stakes, running the fastest sectionals of any runner on the day and her scintillating 2nd to Switzerland in the Coolmore Stud Stakes on Derby Day, where she ran 4 lengths better than benchmark down the Flemington chute. Thoroughbred Racing Review, reflecting on that event, commented as follows

There were only two horses that finished above benchmark for the final 200 metres in the Coolmore and that was Switzerland and Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) – both high-class sprinters.

“ALI” as she is known to her 70 strong ownership Group, has now gone to the paddock for a short, but well deserved break – she will be back in the Autumn for an ambitious, four race programme, all at Group One level – see her proposed campaign below.

• 20th of January Cranbourne jump outs
• 3rd of February, Cranbourne jump outs
• 15th of February – Lightning Stakes Flemington Group One weight for age 1000m – $1 million
• 8th of March – Newmarket Handicap Flemington Group One handicap 1200m – $1.5 million
• 22nd of March William Reid Stakes Moonee Valley Group One weight for age 1200m – $1 million
• 5th of April TJ Smith Stakes Randwick Group One weight for age 1200m – $3 million.

Still a few shares in the Fortuna six year old racemare Hayate (by Maurice out of half sister to a Caulfield Cup winner) on very favourable terms – she has a very strong pedigree – her race day form has been moderate but she has collected four wins and nine places from 28 race day starts and her last two wins have been at 1550m and 2000m  with the win at 2000m being particularly strong. Click HERE to view that race replay. She campaigned at Riccarton during her last preparation but in her only race beyond 1600m she had to carry a big weight in an amateur riders race and simply got too far back to be able to feature

She has enjoyed a recent long spell at  Te Akau Stud,  but is now back in training at Matamata and set to go to the trials in early December –  our plan is to get her up in trip as soon as we can because we  believe that she is a genuine staying type who will appreciate getting over more ground. Interestingly enough, when she was at Riccarton, Mark and Sam introduced quite a bit of schooling over the good sized hurdles at Riccarton into her routine and she proved to be quite adept at that,  so while she will continue to pursue flat racing options during her next campaign, we plan to give her a hurdles trial in the autumn and maybe a race or two over the jumps during the jumping season just to see how she takes to it. –  she is Pearl Series registered and thus eligible for the Pearl Series Bonuses (20k to the winner, $4k for 2nd and $2k for 3rd for any Pearl Series race

Click HERE to see her at trot ups earlier this week

Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st November sees the very popular New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run sale held at Karaka – Fortuna has had great success at this sale in recent times, with each of our purchases in the last four years being Ragamuffin, Inca Belle, Vivacious and Our Paramour having greeted the judge on several occasions – David Ellis, Mark Walker and I have been working together to draw up a shortlist for this year’s sale  and we have some really nice types on our list – as always we will be buying to budget, but seeking a quality thoroughbred or even two this year.

I have around 40 names on our “expression of interest” list and if you are keen to be added to that list, just let me know – what this means is that all parties on that list will have the opportunity to see our purchases before we advertise them publicly, but with no obligation to proceed –  so just drop me a note if you are keen to be on the list and I will add you to it

Here is what Des has to say this week for our readers

Hi John and the Fortuna Team

No sooner than seeing the curtain fall on 4 great days at Flemington we are wasting no time in swinging into action at Riccarton with Cup week in Christchurch ending on Saturday. Some fantastic racing lies ahead.

My NZ Cup pick is Beavertown Boy:

I liked the way he attacked the line in the traditional lead up and he appears to have peaked for the two mile test at the right time.
Winning the NZ Cup is nothing new to jockey Kelly Myers. She won it in 2016 ( Pump Up The Volume); 2008 ( Hoorang) and of course 2014 with Mungo Jerry, who, like Beavertown Boy, is trained by the Bull family.
And hasn’t Adrian Bull been so patient with the 8-y-o who amazingly will having just his 15th start tomorrow?
The son of the Melbourne Cup winner, Shocking, has never been further back than 4th in all 5 middle distance starts.
He has to be one of the hardest to beat.

Saint Bathans,
Race 6 Tauranga

This big fellow hasn’t had much luck this season and we are heading back to the well after tipping him in this column in the past.
This looks his easiest task of the season and I think the way the track will play in he should be perfectly suited.
Saint Bathans wasn’t happy with  on again off again pace at Ellerslie last time but he  battled bravely to finish around three lengths from the winner. What’s worth noting is that he’s never been out of the money in 3 starts at Tauranga.

Our Jumala, race 7 Trentham (Friday)

This handy galloper from Robbie Patterson’s yard had no luck the other day at Trentham and found more blockages than inner city Wellington.
She’s fit with just that one run under her belt this season and she is certainly not only up to winning this race on Saturday but is worth following while tracks are on the easy to heavy side throughout the season.
She ran second on a soft track at Trentham in May at group 3 level and while she will be best suited over a little more ground she also has a placing over 1600m on a heavy track about this time last year at Trentham and while she’s reasonably fresh this is a perfect distance for her.

Stop Press:
As John mentioned the runs have been coming thick and fast and some decent value to boot. If you’d like to subscribe for this Saturday and up to and including all the great racing between now and through to the end of December ( 45 race days) the cost to Fortuna followers is a generous $150 gst inclusive. Simply email me
dcoppins@xtra.co.nz and all will be revealed. Selections arrive to individual emails no later than 8.30am.
Good punting folks!

Des Coppins