Opie Bosson celebates (another) Stakes winner for Fortuna Racing – this time on ZAFAR winning on debut – Riccarton 2nd May 2026 – along with a jubilant strapper, Naomi Warrander
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Headline News
Bellatrix Star to Bel Esprit Stakes at Caulfield 30th May
Bellatrix Star to Bel Esprit Stakes at Caulfield 30th May
NZ Racing Desk
Comeback mare Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) took a step closer to a return to racing when stepping out in a track gallop between races at Seymour on Thursday. The Mark Walker-trained mare is preparing for the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on May 30 after only one start in 18 months.
In January 2025 Bellatrix Star suffered a potentially career threatening injury when she reared up when walking back to her stable, fell over, and fractured vertebrae in her neck. Making a remarkable recovery, the multiple Group winner and Group One placed mare had just one run when last of nine in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield in November 2025, pulling up with a fetlock chip, which was then removed, but the Fortuna-owned four-year-old has pleased building into a new campaign.
“She is here for a good hitout today,”Assistant Trainer Ben Gleeson said.“She has had the two jumpouts and we are very pleased that Seymour let us come here for a track gallop. She will have a good hitout ahead of kicking off in the Bel Esprit Stakes on Saturday week at Caulfield. She has done so well in the feed bin. She is a big heavy mare now and a real sprinting type. It is great to have Luke Currie aboard so we can get some good feedback as to where she is at prior to her resumption.”
Ellerslie elevated – ‘A’ grade Auckland Racing Club venue key as NZTR’s reclassifies all Kiwi racecourses
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has revealed the details of its controversial three-tier restructure, elevating Ellerslie above every other New Zealand racecourse as the regulator reshapes funding, prize money and the future of the domestic racing landscape.
Ellerslie will become New Zealand’s top-ranked racing venue under a regulatory restructure that will provide for five metropolitan-status tracks. (Photo: Auckland Thoroughbred Racing)
Ellerslie will become New Zealand’s premier racecourse and one of five metropolitan venues under changes unveiled by the thoroughbred industry regulator. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) provided an update to its clubs on Tuesday, revealing that Te Rapa, Hastings, Trentham and Riccarton would all be viewed as metropolitan status racecourses. There will be 18 provincial tracks – including Pukekohe, Matamata, Tauranga and Otaki – while there will be 11 community venues next season, including the country’s three synthetic courses at Cambridge, Awapuni and Riccarton.
In a further reclassification of New Zealand’s racecourses, metropolitan and provincial tracks will also be split into A and B category race clubs. Ellerslie, based in New Zealand’s most populated city of Auckland, is the only metropolitan venue to be fit into category A with the four other metropolitan clubs deemed to be B venues. Eight of the 18 provincial tracks are classified as A level clubs, with 10 classified as B.
“Category placement for next season has been determined on a number of factors including geographical location, proximity to other racing venues, population, race meeting volume, wagering turnover, access to horse populations, and quality of horses racing at the venue,” the document sent to clubs by NZTR said. “This work is about ensuring the industry is in the strongest possible position at the conclusion of the current five-year minimum funding guarantee period and aligning a model that supports long-term sustainability beyond that timeframe. The revised venue structure is expected to improve programming outcomes for all participants, enabling horses more regular opportunities for the betterment of turnover.”
In seeking clarification about what the A and B categories for race clubs and tracks means, NZTR general manager of racing Mitch Lamb confirmed to The Straight on Tuesday night that the three categories and A and B levels would determine the minimum prize money levels provided to clubs by the regulator.
“It will play into our club and stakes funding model. We’re still working through, obviously, the finalisation of what those levels will look like next year but essentially those A and B categories will fit into the races that are run at those venues and the minimum stakes tied into them,”Lamb said.“It’s the same with our club funding model (where) certain actions are taken within the club funding model. Those A and B level categories will tie into the funding received by clubs that are attached to those venues.”
NZTR has not yet been able to confirm its prize money levels for next season as it is locked in negotiations with TAB NZ about what its guaranteed funding will be. It comes amid predictions by some industry people from outside the regulator that it is facing a financial black hole of up to $16 million next season.
On Friday, NZTR chief executive Matt Ballesty played down budgetary concerns or that stake money may have to be heavily slashed.
“Our preference has always been to maintain or grow (stake money) and that’s where we’ve really focused and think that’s shared by the TAB and Entain, of course,” Ballesty told this publication last week. “It would be a welcome outcome for all participants and I don’t have any reason to believe it won’t be, but we just don’t know until we’ve got a clearer idea of what funding we’ve got to work with. Our focus is making sure we’re running NZTR in the best way possible, working on our costs and our outputs.”
The focus on Ellerslie, as New Zealand’s premier track and highest-ranked venue for wagering turnover, is set to take on even greater prominence for the regulator next season. The tracks favoured most by punters are also likely to be the big winners when it comes to the release of the race date calendar on Wednesday.
“A key objective of the model is ensuring the best available horses are racing at the most appropriate venues, at the right times of the season, to maximise industry performance,” NZTR told clubs. “NZTR will continue to prioritise investment into high-performing wagering venues, supporting reliability and optimal utilisation of racing infrastructure. Data and performance trends will continue to inform future decisions, and the new framework is intended to provide greater flexibility and precision in how those decisions are made.”
Greetings John, Fortuna followers and Friday Flash readers.
Interesting news this week from our governing body, NZTR, regarding the new national venue categorisation framework. If you haven’t caught up with it the venues will be placed into three categories, Metropolitan, Provincial or Community. For the stakes and club funding process both the Metropolitan and Provincial levels will be split into “A” and “B” venues. As part of the new framework the current descriptions of Premier, Feature and Industry racedays will be removed.
INCENTIVISE THE CLUBS THAT DO WELL
It’ll be interesting how the funding process is distributed. Clearly there’ll be stakes deductions for some clubs. I hope those clubs/venues who do well are rewarded down the line irrespective of their status. It should all come down to how their turnovers end up.
This business must be measured by betting more than anything else. Of course crowds on course are important but getting these occasional racegoers a taste of the punt is key and it’s the clubs themselves that should take ownership of this every time in tandem with the TAB. If a club’s turnover doesn’t measure up to the expected levels and its main races aren’t showing growth with betting the funding should be addressed accordingly at the completion of each season.
It will be an interesting first season with the new framework and the pressure is on I dare say with the metropolitan clubs rather than the provincial or community.
In my humble opinion I don’t mind the Metro, Provincial and Community sub titles but I’m not a fan of the “A” and “B” splits. As the only “A” in the Metro category Ellerslie will get the big money races and working on what is best for the industry and not just one club surely is the way forward. Imagine the outcry of those in charge in Australia gave say, Flemington the “A” tick but assigned Caulfield, Moonee Valley, Randwick and Rosehill “B” ratings?
If they have to accept the ruling, no stone will be left unturned by all racing clubs who feel aggrieved to ensure they deliver what they can to ensure they protect what they’ve got and go even harder despite some obvious tough challenges ahead.
WELCOME BACK HASTINGS
It was so good to see Hastings return in a limited programme on Thursday after an 18 month break. But in order to get through the day I get the feeling over zealous watering was the reason the track played adversely around the heavy 9. Just 16 mils of rain in the run up to the meeting over the previous days!!
Although they may not admit it – irrespective of the disappointing surface – I’d humbly suggest that not only the authorities would’ve been holding their breath with the 6 race programme but so, too, the industry, especially those in the CD. This industry needs Hastings. It’s one of two, alongside Trentham, that’s been given the Metropolitan status tick by those in charge.
In due course we also need to see Hastings take the next step and return to its spring brilliance by hosting the Triple Crown group one races again. These races have been tossed around at alternative venues in the last two years while Hastings has been nursed back to health and to be frank things just haven’t been the same. Whether those in charge will allow this to happen or not remains to be seen.
HOW VERSATILE WERE THEY IN “BUZZ” LEGGETT’S DAY?
As we crack into the jumping season it’s sad to read of the passing of one of the best of his era, RJ “Buzz” Leggett, aged 83. Buzz was versatile. He rode successfully over fences as well as the flat with the 1965 Great Northern double on the mighty Smoke Ring arguably the stand out. Typical of jockeys of his era, Buzz also switched to flat racing whenever he could and his most memorable win on the flat was on Tatua in the Queen Mothers Cup in 1966 in front of the visiting monarch.
Buzz’s passing brings to light other great jockeys who may well have been recognised mainly as jumps jockeys but did win a premier race or two on the flat. Here’s a list of 10 who fell into this category in no particular order with a significant flat race win in brackets. There may have been even bigger wins on the flat but those shown are the ones that readily come to mind.
Some of these jockeys were better known in racing circles on the flat but I’ve passed on a scant reminder by naming a jumper that proved their versatility.
1 “Baggy” Hillis ( 1957 NZ Cup, Great Scot)
2 “Sandy” Walsh ( 1959 Avondale Cup, Fair Filou)
3 Fred Blackburn (1957 Mitchelson Cup, Fettle)
4 Brian Anderton ( 1966 Southland Guiness, Captains Command)
5 Toby Autridge ( 2nd on Dandeleith in the 1978 Melbourne Cup)
6 “Jock” Harris ( 1955 Auckland Cup, Tesla – 1955 Wellington Steeples, Aligarh )
7 Herb Rauhihi ( 1963, Grand National Hurdles, Cretan – 3rd on Fans in 1969 Melbourne Cup
8 Jim Hely ( 1955 Cornwall Handicap, Elixir)
9 Alwin Tweedle ( 1977 Waikato Steeples, Arctic Heights – 1974 Wellington Cup, Battle Heights)
10 Rodney Heaslip ( 1979 Railway Handicap, Al Donte – 1979 Australian Grand National Steeples, Somoy)
These jockeys and others of their era multi tasked on the flat and jumps front through either personal weight issues or simply because the flat scene was tough and they were missing out on sufficient mounts against so many talented riders. The number of race meetings throughout the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s were fewer, too, we have to remember and pickings were often slim. Outside of the public holidays they had the occasional Wednesday meeting but mainly Saturday racing only was available for them.
Tough as teak they were in their day. Absolute legends! Buzz” joins some great names who maybe gone but will never be forgotten.
ELLERSLIE IMPROVERS
POKURU GOLD: held up slightly near the 200m. The final sectionals were the quickest. From 4 starts between May and June last year he won twice as was placed twice from soft 5 to heavy 8.
TO THE MAX: Lost ground at the start. He’s had slightly bad luck in two starts on this campaign. There’s a win that’s not far away.
MY FAIR LILY: that was a better run. The wide draw didn’t help but she hit the line with real purpose and a 1600m race looms as a likely winning distance next time.
