Opie Bosson awarded the NZ Order of Merit in King’s Birthday Honours list
Planned closure of Singapore racing reverberates around the racing world
================================================
Fortuna has two runners this weekend – one in NZ, one in Singapore
New Zealand
Ruakaka – Saturday
DANCARINA contests the R75 1100m event – Race 3 @1.15 with Joe Kamaruddin to ride. This lightly raced 4yo with just 7 career starts to her name was last seem at Riccarton in November and has since had knee surgery and a period of rehabilitation. Was a strong trial winner at Waipa 26th May 1150m, leading start to finish and never off the bridle. Talented galloper who has won on the track and represents a strong each way chance here – showing $6/$2.30 Fixed Odds
Singapore
TRIDENT runs in the Group 3 Silver Bowl over 1400m – the 1st leg of the Singapore Triple Crown for 4yo’s – race 11 @ 5pm Sing time (9pm NZT) and will be ridden by the evergreen Benny Woodworth from the ace draw. This 4yo son of Deep Field has a strong record in Singapore with 3 wins, 3 2nds and a 3rd from 11 race day starts – notable that all 3 wins have come at 1400m. Meets a strong field here and won’t find it easy, but has the ace draw and an astute rider aboard. Can feature in the finish here at odds
==========================================
Fortuna Track work – Matamata
No Fortuna timed trackwork this week
Fortuna Track work – Singapore
Saturday 3rd June
TRIDENT (YUSOFF)1000/600-;38
Tuesday 6th June
TRIDENT (YUSOFF)800/600-39;
=======================================================================
Other News
Opie Bosson awarded the NZ Order of Merit in King’s Birthday Honours list
In a week of significant breaking news with major announcements out of Singapore and with Te Akau’s planned expansion into Australia it was also delightful to read the news that Opie Bosson had been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit – certainly a very well deserved honour indeed for the Champion rider.
Opie and I have a two decade long association – he rode his first winner for me in October 2003 on the 2yo Kapsdan and I have lost count of how many winners since, although he rode Melody Belle to win 6 of her 14 Group One wins and his most recent winner for us was on Angel’s Wings at Cambridge 29th May.
Click HERE and HERE to read two great stories from the Te Akau website on the Champion rider
========================================
Planned closure of Singapore racing reverberates around the racing world
Shock, disbelief, incredulity and anger have been the principal reactions from virtually every corner of the racing world to this week’s announcement that the Singapore Government has made a decision to end almost two centuries of a proud Thoroughbred Racing tradition in the Lion City. On so many fronts it just does not make any sense and the impact it has had on all of the participants in Singapore Racing, be they Trainers, Riders, Stable Staff, Owners, Turf Club staff and their families is deep and far reaching. Race Club closures are of course not uncommon but for a Government to unilaterally close down a whole recreational/sporting operation without any dialogue or communication with its participants is unprecedented – the closest analogy anyone can seem to find is when the Communist Party took over China in 1949, they closed racing down and shot 3000 horses!!!
Notable that when the CEO of the Singapore Turf Club made the announcement at a Trainers meeting, she said she would only take 3 questions – and she was true to her word on that, taking the 3 and then walking out of the room!!!
Over the past few days, we have been inundated with messages of sympathy and concern from so many of our clients and we thank those of you who have done so. Many of you have enquired about Donna Logan and what her plans will be. Donna and I have spoken several times during the week – Donna and her husband Peter Woods are real troopers of course and as the news broke their very first thought was not of themselves, but their hard working and loyal staff – they immediately called a staff meeting and endeavoured to reassure their staff, that despite the announced closure, it was going to be “business as usual” in terms of racing and training activity, that they all had ongoing responsibility for their equine charges and that they (Donna and Peter) would be the last to leave and would turn the lights out as they left!!!
For the record, Donna tells me she has had several offers from various parties and jurisdictions to extend her training career, which is heartening, but for now she and Peter have a sole focus which is to manage the Singapore situation as best they can between now and the planned closure in October 2024.
From a Fortuna Racing perspective, while it has been a huge shock, we are doing OK. We have loved our time racing in Singapore since 2010 and it has bought so many of our clients so much pleasure, particularly on the prize money front. From a personal perspective, I have been an entrepreneur and risk taker for most of my working life and have been fortunate enough to have had many “wins” but have also had to deal with the occasional “hiding” from time to time, have learned to “roll with the punches” and so Jessica and I are taking this massive blow on the chin.
And so now it is time to focus on the task at hand and that is to manage the racing futures of our Singapore based horses in the very best interest of their Ownership Groups. Over the next few days, we will be putting out individual updates to each syndicate on how we see an ongoing plan for each syndicate horse. The Turf Club have announced a S$700 per month subsidy for each horse from now through to their departure from Singapore – these subsidies will come off the training bill and they have also announced that they will fund 90% of the “exportation” cost of each horse to any jurisdiction in the world as from October 2024. While we would prefer not to be in this situation, these subsidies will play an important role in our management process.
===============================================
Guest Selector – Mayne Bax
Mayne is going well after two weeks in the role – no outright winner as yet, but two good placings and I calculate that those who have outlaid the 1 unit to win, 3 units a place on Mayne’s two selections have collected 13.5 units for their 8 unit outlay
This week Mayne is heading to Ruakaka, race 8 no 3 Deep Beauty. This 6yo son of Deep Field does not win out of turn with just 2 wins from 28 starts, but has run in the first four 14 times. Hie last start on the synthetic was a bit of a shocker but prior to that his form was very consistent. Trained by an astute training team (James/Wellwood) he gets a nice draw (4) and Kozzi Asano takes the ride – has won at the trip and gets a surface to suit. Showing good each way value at $5.50/2.10 fixed odds. Mayne says “stick with the 1 unit to win/ 3 units a place strategy”
===========================================
