Friday Flash – 17th July 2026

Published 17 July 2026


Bellatrix Star winning the Schillachi Stakes at Caulfield – Oct 2024 – Craig Williams aboard

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Headline News

Bellatrix Star is back!!!

Lara Antipova trialed at Caulfield 16th July

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Fortuna has one runner this week

Coleraine – Sunday

ZEDWILLDO contests the Maiden Hurdle over 3300m with Cillan Leonard to ride from Barrier 1 – Race 1 @2.40pm NZT –  is a promising jumper who has won two hurdles trials this preparation, but has had a frustrating run of getting balloted out of hurdles races, but this time he has made the field, he jumps well and had a flat run over 2400 m during the week at Sandown so is very fit – bit hard to line up the form, the market will provide clues to his chances – TAB has no comments or Odds showing yet

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Trackwork highlights – Fortuna Runners

Tuesday 14th July

Riccarton 

Marokopa Falls (H Durrant) worked over 800 metres in 58.2, last 600 in 39.6.

Court Of Appeal (T Solomon) worked  over 800 metres in 57.3, last 600 in 40.1.

Cranbourne

Tuesday 16th July

Riccarton

Marokopa Falls (R Rae-Wood) worked over 800 metres in 58.7, last 600 in 39.4.

Court Of Appeal (T Solomon) worked over 800 metres in 57.1, home in 38.3.

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Other News

Bellatrix Star is back!!!

We made little secret of the fact that the return of Bellatrix Star to the racetrack at Caulfield last Saturday was very much a “make or break” point in her racing career – a solid performance would warrant continuing onto higher honours, but a below par performance would lead to retirement from racing and being being onsold as a broodmare prospect

It had been a long and hard road for the rising five year-old racemare, following a shocking incident back in January 2025 when she took fright and reared over backwards when returning to the stable from having a swim and suffered significant neck fractures as a result – the initial vet reports were gloomy about the prospect of her ever racing again, but the horse’s own resilience and careful management of a lengthy rehab program meant that she was able to return to racing at the end of November in 2025, however she was very plain that day at Caulfield, but subsequent x-ray revealed that she had a fetlock chip – that was subsequently removed and again she went through a period of rehab and then a preparation which led to a resuming run at Caulfield on the 30th of May but once again, bizarrely, fate intervened and a pre-race vet check by the Victorian Racing Vet revealed that she was suffering from fibrillation, even though she was at rest – this of course required an immediate scratching and then a series of protocols over the next couple of weeks before she was given the green light to return to racing.

So you could not blame the training team or the connections for feeling rather apprehensive about this latest return on July 11th in the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes over 1100m and how she would handle a Group 3 race after being away from the racetrack for such a long time. Mark Walker and his assistant trainer, Ben Gleeson, could not fault her physically in any way and 12 days before race day she had won an 800 meter jump out at Cranbourne in impressive fashion with Craig Williams aboard

Craig had given her a good thumbs up after the jumpout and was keen to ride her on race day, however she did draw an outside barrier for the 1100 meter trip and so the challenges were still ahead

On race day, she was certainly in the market on about the fourth line of betting paying $8.50 on fixed odds – she jumped a bit slow and settled at the rear of the field and, turning for home, she was still in the rear group and a long way from the leaders,  however once Craig got her balanced up, she really let down and made up huge ground in the straight to finish 2nd, beaten just under half a length and had the fastest closing 600 m and 200 m sectionals
Click HERE to see the race replay

Clearly, this was a wonderful resuming result for the Mare and the training team, the ownership group breathed a huge sigh of relief, the doubters were silenced and positive ongoing plans could be made –  she has now gone to the paddock for a week and then will resume racing later in the spring – her planned schedule up until early November is below. And a lot of Kudos needs to be given to Mark Walker and his training team and our very good vet at Cranbourne and all the stable staff and trackwork riders who have assisted in her rehabilitation and return to training, with a special mention of course her large ownership group who have backed the rehab program all the way through

Racing Schedule for Bellatrix Star

24th August  – Cranbourne Jumpout

5th Sept – Group One Moir Stakes 1000m at Sandown for A$750k

27th Sept – Group One Manikato Stakes 1200m at Caulfield for A$2m (note this is a Sunday)

24th October – Group Two McEwan Stakes 1200m at Flemington for A$300k

7th November –  Group One Champion Sprint 1200m at Flemington for A$3m

Clearly an ambitious plan but with everything she has been through and given her remarkable recovery, she deserves every opportunity to have a crack at these big events.

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Lara Antipova trialed at Caulfield 16th July

We have another “Star” at Cranbourne of course, and that is the unbeaten two year Filly, Lara  Antipova who took all before her in New Zealand during her two year-old season, being unbeaten in four races including two at Group 2 level and one at Group 1 level – she transferred to the Cranbourne facility late in May, has come along steadily since and yesterday, she had a trial at Caulfield was that man again, Craig Williams, in the saddle – this was her first public outing since she had won the Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie  in early March and she performed well running a close-up 3rd over the 800 meter trial and is bound to take a lot of improvement from that

Rider Craig Williams gave a positive post trial report – click HERE to see that report and Click HERE to see the trial replay..

She will now go to a jump out at Cranbourne on Monday, the 3rd of August and safely through that, she will probably kick off in the Group 3 Quezette Stakes over 1100m at Caulfield August 15th

Lara Antipova is also the hot vavourite to win the NZ Two Year Old of The Year prize at the NZ Thoroughbred Awards evening to be held in Auckland on September 6th


LARA ANTIPOVA winning the Group One Sistema Stakes – Ellerslie March 2026 – Mick Dee aboard

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Guest Commentator – Des Coppins

Greetings John and the Fortuna Friday Flash readers.

You ownership group must have been over the moon with the way Bellatrix Star resumed off a long injury break last Saturday. Her final  sectionals were very quick and hopefully her way forward won’t be hindered by any future setbacks. She’s had her share of misfortune and if any horse racing in top company in Australia  deserves a big win we can’t go past Bellatrix Star

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