Fortuna has one runner this weekend – in NZ
Gore – Sunday
MAROKOPA FALLS contests the Listed Gore Guineas over 1335m – Race 7 at 4.42pm with Bruno Queiroz to ride from Barrier 2 – battled away last start at Wingatui after drawing wide – has thrived since and improved performance expected with top rider aboard and great draw – TAB says “Sure to be thereabouts” – Showing Odds of $8/$2.70 ======================================================================================
Trackwork highlights – Fortuna Runners
Tuesday 27th Jan
Matamata –
Legend Of Kings (O Bosson) galloped over an easy 1000 metres in 1.08.0, home in 38.0.
Emma Twigg (T Melvin) galloped at three quarter pace over 800 metres in 57.0, home in 42.0
Lara Antipova (O Bosson) worked at three quarter pace over 800 metres in 59.5, last 600 in 44.6.
Riccarton –
Cranbourne –
Titahi Bay (F Diard) galloped over 800 metres in 56.1, last 600 in 38.7.
Thursday 29th Jan
Matamata –
Lara Antipova (O Bosson) galloped over an easy 800 metres in 56.1, last 600 in 40.6.
Cranbourne –
West Indies (S Duric) galloped over 1000 metres in 1.06.7, last 600 in 38.9.
Legend Of Kings wins jumpout at Matamata Thursday 29th January
LEGEND OF KINGS is a 5yo son of the Epsom Derby winning Camelot whom we acquired as a one win “tried horse” from the Inglis Digital platform last December. Arriving in NZ from Australia mid December, he has absolutely thrived, putting on 25 kgs and loving his new environment. He went to the jumpouts yesterday on the course proper at Matamata, ostensibly to have a “quiet hitout”, but he was determined to make a statement and finished up winning his jumpout – Click HERE to see footage of that – he jumps from the inside barrier – he will now head to the Ellerslie trials 10th Feb and safely through that, he will make his NZ debt over 1600m in R65 Grade – Still a few shares left in this lovely Staying type that we are aiming toward the NZ Cup in November – Click HERE to read all of his details and shares can be purchased off this link
LEGEND OF KINGS ============================================================
Fortuna acquires a Circus Maximus Yearling Colt from Karaka Book One
Jessica and I inspected this handsome Colt at Phoenix Park Farm yesterday – click HERE to see footage
And read all of his details below
Fortuna Racing acquires a genuine Derby/Cups Type by the emerging Sire of Stayers, Circus Maximus
Background
Pre Sale Mark Walker, David Ellis and I had hatched a plan to buy a genuine Staying type at this year’s Karaka Sale, a type with the pedigree behind him or her, backed up by strong physical attributes. The Te Akau selection team had picked out Lot 283, the Colt by Circus Maximus out of the Fastnet Rock Mare, Asama Blue and we had set a budget of $100k to buy him. As always, we don’t bid on a horse until it is “on the market” and, noting that he was passed in @ $70k, we followed up with the Vendor, the Sir Peter Velaowned Pencarrow Stud and we successfully negotiated a sale at just $60k, well within our budget
Physical Type
A strong, well developed yearling with a lovely free flowing walk, this Colt is not going to be an early 2yo, but has the scope and the pedigree to develop into a powerful 3yo, with raceday targets such as the NZ 2000 Guineas in the Spring of his 3yo year and the NZ Derby for 3yo’s in the Autumn as logical targets and then as an older horse, the 3200m Cups races such as the NZ Cup, the Wellington Cup and the Auckland Cup, would be logical targets
Our new Colt is by Circus Maximus, himself a son of the mighty Galileo. Circus Maximus was a champion miler and triple group one winner who after displaying group one form as a two-year-old trained on to beat the best of his generation as a three-year-old in the group one St James Palace stakes at Royal Ascot over a mile. He franked this form in the autumn of his three-year-old season against the older horses when winning the group one Prix-de Moulin at Longchamp also over a mile. At four Circus Maximus was successful again at Royal Ascot in the Queen Anne Stakes over a mile joining the champion Frankel as a son of Galileo to have won both of these prestigious Royal Ascot races
Circus Maximus is a shuttle Stallion who stands at Windsor Park in the Southern Hemisphere breeding season – he joins a long line of successful shuttle Stallions that have stood at Windsor Park, including Tale Of The Cat, Montjeu, High Chaparral, Mastercraftsman and Rip Van Winkle. The dam of our new colt is the Fastnet Rock Mare, Asama Blue – bred in the UK, she was a winner there before coming to NZ, where she won again and was good enough to run 2nd in the Group 3 Anniversary Handicap at Trentham – the 2nd Damsire is the mighty Sadlers Wells and notable that Sadlers Wells is also the 2nd Damsire of Circus Maximus. This is a very strong International Pedigree page.
The oldest progeny of Circus Maximus are now 3yo’s and currently he sits in 2nd place on the 2nd season Sire table with 5 individual winners (6 wins) and has already had a 3yo Stakes winner, the Te Akau trained Towering Vision, who is the current equal favourite for the $1m NZ Derby run on the 7th March
Selector David Ellis comments
“Congratulations John in securing this lovely Colt at a great value price – I really loved this horse at inspections and my notes say “definite Derby, Cups type” – he has a wonderful pedigree page being by an emerging Sire, who was a high class racehorse and a son of the Champion Stallion, Galileo – and his damsire is Fastnet Rock, another champion and the 2nd damsire is Sadlers Wells, you cannot get better blood than that”
Copyright Angelique Bridson
The Yearling Colt by CIRCUS MAXIMUS out of ASAMA BLUE
Trainer Mark Walker comments
“John, as you know, pre sale you and I identified Circus Maximus as a Stallion that we wanted to target at this Sale as he is a Stallion that we have taken a lot of notice of late, not only with winners on the track but also good trial performers as well and we think he has the potential to be the next Zabeel here in NZ. We have one of his sons, Towering Vision in the Stable – already a Stakes winner, he is one of the faves for the NZ Derby in a few weeks time. Just incredible that you were able to secure this horse for just $60k – we admired him at inspections with his lovely walking action and his physical type – he has all of the attributes to develop into a powerful staying type and Sam and I are really looking forward to getting him under way in the Stable”
Racing Plans
This Colt is now at Phoenix Park near Ohaupo and we will parade him at our Owners Day 8th February at Matamata Racecourse. After a decent paddock break, he will be broken in and then have a short initial preparation at the Matamata Stables before another paddock break and then a 2nd, more comprehensive preparation which may well lead to a trial in the Spring, that dependent on Trainer assessment of his his physical maturity and development. He will be registered for the Karaka Millions Series – the 2yo race in January of 2027 may well be beyond him but the 3yo Karaka Classic over 1600m in January 2028 for $1.5m would be a genuine target – sold through a NZ Sale, he is also eligible for the NZB Kiwi for $4m in March of 2028
10% share $11,000, 5% share $5,500, 2.5% share $2,750, 1% share $1,100 – with ongoing costs from 1 April 2026 @$50 per month per each 1% share
Initial Capital includes Purchase Price, GST, Promoters fees, Karaka Million Fee, Insurance to 31 Jan 2027 and working capital of just over $10k
Monthly ongoing costs from 1st April 2026 – from that date ongoing costs are – 10% share $500 per month – 5% share $250 per month – 2.5% share $125 per month – 1% share $50 per month.
Monthly ongoing costs can alternatively be paid up to 12 months in advance as an option for subscribers by Bank Payment or Credit Card
Terms available over 3 months – 1/3rd deposit, 1/3rd after 30 days, final 1/3rd after 60 days – just ask us how you obtain these terms
Purchase a share in CIRCUS MAXIMUS today from the link HERE or contact us for more information.
Applications can only be made after Investors have perused and executed the NZ Thoroughbred Racing approved Disclosure Statement. This can be seen at the link above or obtained from the Syndicate Promoter, Fortuna Ltd (Director John Galvin) HERE
Fortuna Ltd is an Authorised Syndicator in accordance with the Code of Practice administered by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (Inc) established under The Financial Markets Conduct (Equine Bloodstock) Exemption Notice 2016. Details of this Offer are contained in the Disclosure Statement relating to the Offer
Magic Millions Purchase – the Pierro Yearling Filly proving very popular
Now arrived safely in NZ and spelling at Phoenix Farm at Ohaupo, where we inspected her yesterday – click HERE to see footage of that inspection – note that we will be parading “Angel” at our Owners Day 8th February
The Yearling Filly by PIERRO out of ANGEL HELENA
10% Share is NZ$18k
5% Share is NZ$9k
2.5% share is NZ$4.5k
1% share is NZ$1.8k
Monthly ongoing costs from 1 April 2026 are NZ$50 per month per each 1% share
All information including the Disclosure Statement and Syndicate Agreement can be viewed on the Fortuna website HERE and orders can be made directly from this link – call/text John 021 921 460 if you seek additional information
============================================================ Fortuna Owners Day – Sunday 8th February 2026 – Special Guest Des Coppins – Des is a great speaker and raconteur and we look forward to his observations on the current state of NZ Racing and the ongoing challenges
Venue “The Gazebo” – Matamata Racecourse
Sunday 8th February
Time 1pm to 4pm
Refreshments Served
All of our Matamata based horses will be paraded on the day including the recent Yearling Sale acquisitions
Please register your attendance – we do need to know if you are coming for catering purposes – you can register by emailing jessica@fortuna-nz.comwith numbers attending – and if you are traveling from outside the Waikato, note that Saturday 7th is “Legends Day” at Te Rapa with the Herbie Dyke Stakes and the BCD Waikato Sprint, both Group One feature races on the day, so you could make a weekend of it
Weren’t both the Ellerslie Karaka Millions Race Day and the subsequent Yearling Sales magical?
It’s best wishes to you John and your team as you start working through the ownership drill for the lovely Circus Maximus Colt you purchased with the assistance of the tried and true Te Akau team.
Of course the Karaka sales came on the back of some wonderful racing, spearheaded by the talk horse of the moment, Well Written. I’ve been in racing professionally for over 50 years and the turn of foot she showed after she hit the front half way up the straight was as dazzling as I’ve seen since maybe La Mersome 50 years ago. It’s hard to imagine how they will beat her in the $4m Kiwi. Even this far out, some 5 weeks away, she appears to hold a mortgage on our richest race. I just had a browse through the TAB odds, $1.20!!
It’s exciting for us all and like our great champions of the past both here and in Australia, Well Written will continue to draw not only the racing fraternity in but those with an ounce of interest as well. Well known political podcaster Sean Plunket of The Platform fame had a 10 minute chat with me this week about the filly. Sean’s a self proclaimed “ not even a once a year racegoer” but wanted to share with his audience the story of the horse that’s stealing decent headlines and what it means to the racing industry having a star like this around. I think we all know what it means but it’s so special when racing is spoken about in a positive way in on racing media. It does us, our industry, the world of good.
CUP NUMBER 54 FOR ME
This week the spotlight falls on Trentham with the prospect of sunny weather and a perfect racing surface.
It’s Wellington Cup Day and I’ve been fortunate to have never missed the race since seeing the giant killer Simon de Montfort steal the prize in 1972. Cup number 54 on Saturday got me rattling the grey matter to share some thoughts surrounding a race that’s been around 1874, 152 years. Holy heck I’ve seen more than one third of them.
Here are some spur of the moment observations I’d like to share.
THE TIME IS SPOT ON FOR ANOTHER 100 TO ONE
COULD this be the year of a rank outsider winning the Wellington Cup? Simon de Montfort won it in 1972 and paid $184. Twenty seven years later in 1999 Miss Bailey won at odds of 143 to won and 27 years later? Well, that’s this weekend so just maybe the cycle lands on another 100 to one bolter!
And lets not forget that just three years ago, the Fortuna Racing Iron Horse, LEADERBOARD, stunned the pundits into silence winning the Cup at odds of $51!!! – I had the honour of hosting the birdcage presentation and handing over the Wellington Cup to a very proud “boy from the Hutt”,John Galvin
FORGOTTEN THREE PEAT HERO
MOST of us know about the three Wellington cups each won by Great Sensation and Castletown
There’s another who compares favourably with these two Trentham favourites. Way back in 1890-91 and 92 Cynista also achieved a three-peat. A fun fact for you, Cynista got her name from the first ancient Olympic woman to win a gold medal. She did so in a 4 horse chariot race. Cynista was part owned by the first stud book keeper and a former NZ Racing Conference president and NZ Racing Hall of Fame inductee in Sir George Clifford.
KEEPING THE FAMILY TRADITION ALIVE
KIWI is the only NZ trained galloper to win the Wellington Cup and Melbourne Cup in the same year, 1983.
Thirty seven years later Jamie Lupton, the grand daughter of Kiwi’s owner trainee Snowy Lupton, prepared Solsefei to win the Cup.
FROM OBSCURITY TO THE PROUDEST MOMENT
MISSY MOO ran second last in the 2017 Wellington Cup, won by Gorbachev and was some 25 lengths in arrears. She never raced again but of course is the mum of the best bred NZ sprinter ever, Ka Ying Rising.
BATTLE HEIGHTS UP THERE WITH KIWI
IT could be argued that although Battle Heights never won a Melbourne Cup – he was luckless in the rain drenched Van Der Hum event – he achieved greatness in Australia by winning the Sydney Cup and the Cox Plate after winning the Wellington Cup, all in the same year, 1974.
MIXED BAG FOR MARES BUT STARS DO SHINE
IS it worth risking a tenner on a mare in this years Wellington Cup? The odds don’t stack up. For the record in the last 100 years only 10 mares have won it. Mind you the last mare to win was Mary Louisejust two years ago.
It should also be noted that the 6yo mare Daria’s Fun clocked 3.15.59 for the 3200m in 1988, a NZ record at the time which has never been broken at Trentham in the big one.
Mares make up one third of this years race.
As an aside’ the fastest Melbourne Cup at Flemington is accredited to Kingston Rule who registered 3.16.3 in 1990.
ROSSO IS BORN IN THE RIGHT YEAR
FOR the record the most popular age of winners from44 the last 100 years is 5 with 5yo geldings the stand out. Some 33 x 5yo geldings have won the Cup in this period. Incredibly there’s only one 5yo gelding in the race this year, the warm favourite Rosso.
WEIGHT SCALE MAY BE AGAINST THE “ TOPPY”
THERE’S an old saying in racing that weight stops trains and top weights don’t have the best record in the race. One Bold Cat is a wonderful stayer but he certainly has the record book to beat. He must carry 59kgs and no horse has been asked to carry anything near that weight to success except Castletown (58kgs, twice); Good Lord (58kgs) Il Tempo (59kgs) and Great Sensation (60.5kgs) in the last 60 years. They are exceptional two-milers. One Bold Cat is not in their class but he’s a genuine favourite with many and as another saying goes, records are there to be broken.
One thing in his favour as opposed to these greats of the past is the fact they were competing in their era with 7 stone or 7 stone 4 pound minimums ( 44 to 46kgs) whereas on Saturday the minimum is 53kgs ( 8 stone – 4 pounds).
ELLERSLIE THREE TO FOLLOW FROM LAST SATURDAY
MARY SHAN: is a class mare and she turned on a quirky run I thought in the first. She appeared to be flat footed at the top of the straight when the leaders kicked and then in the last 100m she attacked the line in cramped quarters. She’s as honest as they come and another big win is on the cards in the autumn if not before.
KA RON: didn’t disappoint in the Karaka feature for two year olds. He was keen in the running and got on heels too. I’d keep him in mind for the Sires Produce at Trentham in the autumn.
MOXIE: was terrific in the Aotearoa Classic behind Tuxedo and company. SHe ran 6th but nothing ran to the line as quick as she did from the 800m. She’s won 4 of 9 and she is sure to bag further spoils as her career continues.
In closing, I’m in a generous mood.
FREE TIPS FOR TRENTHAM AND ELLERSLIE
TO celebrate the conclusion of a Big January at Trentham with the iconic Wellington Cup Day on Saturday I invite you to my email tipping service.
FREE tomorrow only!!
You may find the need after Saturday to join the growing list of subscribers on a semi permanent basis.
Let’s see how we go.
Cost: one month February only $100 ( gst inclusive) for all NZ gallops meetings, or
Three months : $240 ( gst inclusive Feb,Mar, April
Tips for Trentham and Ellerslie as well as the Best Bet and Value Bet arrive before 8.30am Saturday via email.
You’ll need to notify me via email before 7.30am Saturday to get this FREE once only offer.
Finally, I am really looking forward to attending the Fortuna Owners Day on Sunday week and catching up with all of those attending
