Headline News
BELLATRIX STAR will contest the Group 3 Quezette Stakes for 3yo Fillies over 1100m at Caulfield Saturday 17th August at her Australian debut
Aaron Kuru wins the Tommy Corrigan Medal, Victoria Racing’s Award for its Champion Jumps Jockey – repeating his 2023 acheivement
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Fortuna has five runners over the weekend, one in Victoria, two in NZ and two in Singapore Caulfield – Saturday
BELLATRIX STAR contests the Group 3 Quezette Stakes over 1100m – Race 6 @3.25pm Aus time (5.25pm NZT) – Mick Dee to ride from Barrier 9. One of the leading 2yo’s in NZ last season and the winner of the Group Two Eclipse Stakes at Pukekohe on New Years Day – has had a perfect preparation for this race, but meets a very strong field of 3yo Fillies, most of whom have had good Australian 2yo form – drawn wide, but has the talented Mick Dee to ride and forecast rain will help her chances – won’t be easy, but with luck in the running, is capable of featuring in the finish – TAB says “Place” – Showing juicy Fixed Odds of $21/$4.80
New Plymouth – Saturday
RAGAMUFFIN – races in the iconic ITM Interprovincial, a Rating 75 event over 1600m – Race 7 @ 3.50pm, with Billy Jacobsen to ride from Barrier 7. A very consistent galloper who hardly knows how to run a bad race, he is right in the mix here – represents a good each way chance – TAB says “In the finish last time and is a player” – Showing Fixed Odds of $7/$2.50 – Note, Ragamuffin will sport the “Southland” colours in this race
Rotorua – Sunday
KHAFEEF contests the Maiden Steeples over 3500m – Race 4 @ 1.25pm – Joshua Parker to ride. Has been an “in and out” galloper in his career, but has good jumping ability and ran 2nd Open Hurdles at Waverley last start – has been well prepared for this and a win would not surprise – TAB says “Top chance at his best” – No Odds posted yet
Singapore
ROCKY contests the Class 4 1400m Turf event – Race 8 @4pm Sing time (8pm NZT) with Carlos Henrique to ride from Barrier 6 – strong run for 3rd 1200m 4th August when resuming off a long break – will appreciate the step up in trip and has fresher legs than many of them here – can feature in the finish – TAB says “Worth consideration” – Odds not showing yet
ELLIOT NESS resumes off a six month break in the Class 4 1100m Poly event – Race 10 @ 5pm Sing time (9pm NZT) with Singapore’s leading rider, Manoel Nunes, to ride from Barrier 10 – won this trip at his last start in January and holds the track record as well – difficult draw, but light weight and a top rider – can take this out with luck – TAB says “Definite winning hope” – No Odds posted yet
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Matamata Trackwork – Fortuna runners
Matamata – Wednesday 14th
Court Of Appeal (J Allen) worked over 1000 metres in 1.15.2, home in 40.2
Cranbourne – Polytrack
Bellatrix Star (L Winks) worked over an easy 800 metres in 59.7, home in 41.2.
Singapore Trackwork
No timed Fortuna trackwork this week
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OTHER NEWS
BELLATRIX STAR will contest the Group 3 Quezette Stakes for 3yo Fillies over 1100m at Caulfield Saturday 17th August at her Australian debut
Te Akau Australia assistant trainer Ben Gleeson was happy to receive a vote of confidence from in-demand jockey Michael Dee ahead of three-year-old-filly Bellatrix Star‘s (Star Witness) Australian debut at Caulfield on Saturday in the Gr.3 Quezette Stakes (1100m). Dee has ridden the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained filly in a jumpout and at trackwork at Cranbourne on Tuesday and he has given the stable’s Melbourne-based manager Gleeson a positive assessment.
“He’s been very pleased with her and wants to stick with her, which says a lot,” Gleeson said. The Te Akau Racing filly had five starts in New Zealand as a two-year-old for two wins, including the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes over her highly rated stablemate Move To Strike at Pukekohe and subsequent Karaka Millions winner, Velocious.
At her most recent start she finished fourth in New Zealand’s biggest two-year-old race, the Karaka Millions, behind Velocious. “She’s a lovely filly and she brings arguably the top New Zealand two-year-old form being around Velocious and Move To Strike,” he said. “She ran an unlucky fourth in the Karaka Millions and before that she defeated the winner. She’s got great form and it will be interesting to see how that stacks up here.”
Gleeson said Bellatrix Star had been with him at Cranbourne for close to a month since coming over from New Zealand. “She’s had plenty of time to settle in and has done really well. She had one jumpout in New Zealand and then the one jumpout here. The bulk of her work was done with Mark and Sam,” he said.
Gleeson said early in Bellatrix Star’s career she tended to over-race, but she has learnt to settle better. “She’s settling now. Touch wood she does that on Saturday and if she does, it could open the door for 1400m,” he said.
Bellatrix Star is raced by Fortuna Racing, and was purchased by David Ellis CNZM and Fortuna Racing at the 2023 NZ Bloodstock Karaka Sale for NZ$80,000
John Galvin will be present at Caulfield along with 13 Syndicate Members and Guests
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Aaron Kuru wins the Tommy Corrigan Medal, Victoria Racing’s Award for its Champion Jumps Jockey – repeating his 2023 acheivement
Aaron Kuru retained the Tommy Corrigan Medal he won for the first-time last year, after he was again judged to be Victoria’s leading jumps jockey across the 2023-24 racing season. Kuru, whose list of achievements included a third straight success in the Ecycle Solutions Two Rivers Steeplechase (3800m) in partnership with Elvison, polled 15 votes to finish five ahead of his nearest challenger, Will Gordon. Aaron combined with Fortuna’s Leaderboard plus the Te Akau syndicated jumpers, Prismatic and The Mighty Spar, to win six races and several other placings for Trainer Mark Walker
Talking of Mark Walker, he was nominated for the Most Outstanding Training Performance at the Victorian Racing Awards evening, courtesy of his great achievements with Imperatriz, with this award going in the end to Anthony/Sam Freedman for their Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double hero, Without A Fight
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Guest Selector – Des Coppins
Gee, Des has been having a great run of success in recent weeks with his full tipping service, with a host of winners tipped out, some at pretty good odds also and I have had some nice feedback from Fortuna clients who are subscribers to his punting service – Des can be contacted @ dcoppins@xtra.co.nz if you would like to get detail on how to subscribe
Here is what Des has to say this week
Hi John and the Fortuna Team
After watching Berry the Cash and West Coast carry on their winning way in the Nationals last week it’s hard not to realise that jumps racing is a captivating time honoured pursuit that forms a vital part of NZ racing’s rich heritage. We should never forget this in light of what both equine heroes last Saturday at Riccarton gave us and what The Cossack did at Trentham a month earlier on the Figure 8.
While on and off course punters may often shy away from betting regularly on decent jumps races and are more likely to have a dabble on the flat races the awareness these jumps stars bring to the race day may well motivate punters to bet even more on the undercard. A bit of reverse psychology you might say.
In reality here’s a good example that may back up that theory. A coach load of punters came to Trentham at the recent winter meeting to watch The Cossack race. They are slightly less than regular punters who enjoy a day out at Trentham around carnival time. They played the exotics on both races but were more open and betting freely with the undercard. Two of the group told me they probably wouldn’t have bothered with the day if the jumps racing – Wellington Hurdles/ Wellington Steeples and especially The Cossack wasn’t there!
Let’s get to this Saturday.
There are some nice horses resuming at Ruakaka on Saturday where the track reading should be in the soft 5-6 range but the weather looks “iffy” at New Plymouth and it’ll be heavy I’d imagine if the weather forecasters are close to the mark.
I’ll give you three horses at Ruakaka to have a slight nibble on but understand that while all three are capable of paying a dividend on Saturday they’ll reward you in due course.
In race 6 I liked the way When Stars Align trialled at Te Rapa.
He hit the front without too much stress and held his ground to the line to finish second to Karaka Millions star, Velocious.
He looked the part last season and time was always going to be his friend.
He’s an early Guineas type.
Also keep a close watch on The Odyssey and Nereus in race 5.
Nereus was in hot form over the last 12 months, especially in the summer. He won 4 times in 6 starts and coincidentally ran second to The Odyssey in the inaugural $350,000 Remutaka Classic at Trentham over the Cup carnival.
Connections of both will be looking for early form and both hold a nomination for the Livamol Classic on October 12.
Good punting!
Des
