Fortuna Friday Flash – 04 September 2026
Tolaga Bay – 2nd Career Win – Sandown – 2nd Sept 2026
Mick Dee aboard
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Headline News
TOLAGA BAY wins again – now two from two – and on a path for the G1 1000 Guineas at Caulfield
Entain Edition – featuring the newly appointed Managing Director for NZ – Chris Haig
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Fortuna has no runners this week
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Trackwork highlights – Fortuna Runners
Tuesday 1st September
Matamata
Riccarton
Cranbourne
Lara Antipova (L Winks) worked solo over 1000 metres in 1.09.5, last 600 in 38.7.
Thursday 27th August
Matamata
Geneva Queen (T Melvin) galloped solo over an easy 800 metres in 53.8, last 600 in 37.8.
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Other News
TOLAGA BAY wins again – now two from two – and on a path for the G1 1000 Guineas at Caulfield
See the story below from the Fortuna Website
Resuming on the right note and now unbeaten in two starts, Tolaga Bay (3 f Alabama Express – Camila Lucinda, by Lope de Vega) won the $50,000 Sportsbet BlackBook Benchmark 64 1300 metres on 2 September at Sandown (Melbourne). Tolaga Bay provided the third win from three presented in four days by Te Akau trainer Mark Walker, after Astari (Starspangledbanner) won on Sunday at Echuca, and Sheanadh (Night Of Thunder) delivered fresh-up on Tuesday at Wodonga.
Having recorded a stylish debut win over 1200 metres in her sole start as two-year-old, Tolaga Bay signaled readiness to resume when closing strongly for second in a jump out on 17 August at Cranbourne, with Kiwi jockey Michael Dee aboard, and the pair combined again on race day. Ridden positively to situate outside the leader in a small field, Tolaga Bay travelled sweetly before quickening to advantage mid-straight and had both the fortitude and momentum to see off equal favourite Somethings Burnin’ (Too Darn Hot), who arrived too late after being pocketed.
It was a lovely ride by Dee, to effectively help control the pace from his vantage point before letting the good-sized filly work through her gears and only asked to extend over the final 200 metres.
“She’d trialled up enormous on soft ground, but she’s handled on top of the ground today. She absolutely flew and she had the race in keeping a long way from home” Dee commented post race. “She got to the front, had a look around, and it got a bit tight there late, but she had plenty more to offer. She’s got a lovely big action and strides along, but probably better chasing. She’s got great ability and definitely going to go on with it now.”
Click HERE to see the race replay
Paraded in terrific condition, Tolaga Bay ran 1300 metres in 1:18.9, last 600m in 33.9, on Soft5 footing and paid $4.30 & $1.80 on the NZ TAB tote.
“It was a really good fresh-up performance to win like she did and good to see the tactical speed she showed to get up outside the leader and relax so well,” Walker said. “It was only a small field, but also a good field. It was a good ride of Mick’s (Dee). She had a good kick at the end and she’ll improve a lot, so it’s quite exciting, especially once we get her to a mile. When we first saw her at the Classic Sale, we loved the fact that she was out of a Lope de Vega mare and she’s a big, scopey, filly, which is why we only ran her once as a two-year-old. She’s an exciting filly and she’s got it all ahead of her.”
TOLAGA BAY – 2nd Career Win – Sandown 2nd September 2026 – Mick Dee aboard
Purchased by Sir David Ellis and Fortuna Racing (Mgr: John Galvin) for A$100,000 at the 2025 Inglis Classic Sale, from the draft of Yulong Stud, she is owned by Fortuna Tolaga Bay Syndicate.
By C F Orr Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) winner and proven Group One producing sire Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice), the sire of Te Akau stakes winner Discretion Rules and most notably quadruple Group One winner (1400m – 2500m) Treasurethe Moment, Tolaga Bay is out of four-time sprint winner Camila Lucinda (Lope de Vega). Tolaga Bay kept alive a smart producing record by Camila Lucinda, with each of her three foals now winners, including Perfect Beth (Grunt) and Bama Slama (Alabama Express). Dam sire Lope de Vega (Shamardal) is a fantastic influence, along with having Redoute’s Choice and the Danehill sire line. A Champion Sire, Lope de Vega shuttled for four seasons from Ireland to Australia, is the sire of 25 individual Group One winners among 169 stakes winners, and not only a sire of sires, but also a great broodmare sire with 34 stakes winners from his daughters.
Following her debut win as a two-year-old, John Galvin said the stable had a high opinion of Tolaga Bay and given her physicality as a “big, strong, powerful filly” that she should continue improving as a three-year-old. Galvin said that following a conversation with trainer, Mark Walker, after the win today, Tolaga Bay would aim towards the $1.5m Thousand Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) on 17 October at Caulfield, via either the A$300,000 Manhari Thousand Guineas Prelude (Gr. 2, 1400m) on 19 September at Caulfield, or the $175,000 Jim Moloney Stakes (Listed, 1400m) on Sunday 27 September at Caulfield.
“It was a lovely result and very pleasing that she’s now two for two,” Galvin said. “She’d done everything right since resuming training and she’d got the better of Seize The Day in a track gallop last week at Cranbourne, so we were expecting a reasonable result. Mark (Walker) has a strong opinion of her and although we won’t get ahead of ourselves, she looks to be well up there and now deserves a crack at black type. We think a mile in the spring should be ideal at this stage, but the stoutness in the pedigree indicates she could get further and develop into a 2000-metre filly in the autumn.”
Galvin also pointed out that in addition to the two wins providing significant stake earnings, Tolaga Bay had received VOBIS bonuses in each of her wins to the tune of $36,400. She is owned by the Fortuna Tolaga Bay Syndicate (Mgr Jessica Galvin), an ownership group consisting of 55 individuals
Meanwhile, Fortuna Racing owned stable-mate Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution), an unbeaten Group One winning two-year-old last season in New Zealand, is scheduled to contest the $175,000 Michael Moroney (Listed, 1400m) on 12 September at Flemington.
Tolaga Bay was strapped by Hailey Morton
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Entain Edition – featuring the newly appointed Managing Director for NZ – Chris Haig
See below the very latest Entain Edition – very encouraging to read of the increasing wagering figures and the increased number of “actives” i.e people placing a bet – also good to read Chris’s comments on the reasons to be positive about the future
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| Welcome to the Entain Edition for August 2026
Firstly, let me introduce myself, having taken over the reins as Managing Director New Zealand from Sam Moncur. Sam officially farewelled Entain last week following a combined 13 years with Entain, TAB NZ, RITA and the NZ Racing Board. He leaves with our best wishes and deepest respect for everything he has delivered during his outstanding journey with the four organisations.
Michael Guerin caught up with me when I was appointed to the MD NZ role, but in short, I grew up on the North Shore, attended the University of Auckland, before spending almost 20 years in Australia.
I moved back to New Zealand with my family two years ago having joined Entain in 2023, and am really energised about continuing to build on the progress Entain has made in the first three years of the partnership.
Anyone with even a passing interest in the New Zealand racing industry will know it’s been a noisy few months, with the TAB NZ Racing Advisory Committee report released in June, the release of Project Stamina in late July, and warnings of structural deficits.
Read the headlines and you’d think racing was facing an insurmountable crisis.
It isn’t. The case for optimism is at least as strong as the case for alarm. Even after the Minimum Guarantee period ends in 2028, the industry is much better off than the future it was facing in early 2023. Distributions were $125m in FY23, climbing to ~$198m by financial year 2028 via Entain.
The Advisory Committee is right that FY29 dips without the guarantee; our modelling shows ~$175m. But that trough is still 40% above FY23, and the trend resumes upward, back to ~$195m by FY2033 – 56% up on the counterfactual of 2023. That’s not so much of a funding cliff, as a step down to a much higher permanent floor, with years to plan for it.
Many pieces of the wagering puzzle are falling into place – you’ll read more about the success of the World Cup later in this edition – but there’s still improvement to be made, especially in the domestic racing sector where about a quarter of our NZ business is drawn from.
A sustainable footing isn’t a stretch. Racing supports more than 50 tracks with administration and infrastructure costs that have outgrown activity. Right-sizing that footprint cuts cost, and fixes knock-on issues like meeting abandonments, and the Advisory Committee reached the same conclusion. The good news is this is a solvable problem.
This is about making those changes that will unlock capital that is doing very little today. Add TAB NZ’s own reserves of over $200m, and this is a sector with real financial firepower.
Sir Peter Vela summed it up perfectly recently when he said: “New Zealand racing has not struggled because people don’t care. It has struggled to reform because the structure asks each part of the industry to look after its own, and leaves no one accountable for the health of the whole”.
Hard decisions still remain to ensure the health of the whole. There have been extremely encouraging steps made in the last two weeks, but for too long in New Zealand, those hard decisions have been put to one side, and now is the time to make them.
For a summary of the present and future, I would encourage – if you haven’t already watched – to view the two special episodes of the Guerin Report from earlier this month – the first on the racing code funding discussion, and the second on Project Stamina.
Please share or forward this newsletter to anyone in the industry who you think might like to read this. They can sign up to receive the Entain Edition directly by contacting communications@entaingroup.co.nz. |
| Thanks for reading.
Chris Haigh,
Managing Director – New Zealand
Entain Australia and New Zealand |
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| World Cup hits new marks
There were a lot of factors that suggested to us that the 2026 Football World Cup in North America was going to be incredibly popular with TAB and betcha fans.
The time zones were almost tailor-made for Kiwis, the presence of New Zealand and Australia in the tournament created more interest from the casual football follower, there were 40 more games in this year’s tournament, and we’ve had plenty of football lovers join us since the change to betting laws last year. In all, about 173,000 Kiwis placed a bet on the World Cup, with about 22,000 joining up to either TAB and betcha to be part of the action.
Despite all these factors, the response was overwhelming. Our excitement ebbed and flowed a little, especially when stars like Mbappe and Kane scored multiple goals and their teams won, leading to punters definitely getting a few results over us. But, at the end of the six weeks, Spain lifting the trophy evened things up a little. |
| End of an era for NZ greyhounds
Friday, July 31, marked the end of greyhound racing in New Zealand. It was an emotional week for greyhound racing participants, which was captured in this Trackside montage reflecting on the closing days, months and years of the code in New Zealand. |
| The Greyhound Transition Agency is now in operation, and is tasked with rehoming the greyhounds, supporting participants, and overseeing the closure of the industry. To find out more about the agency’s role, visit: greyhoundrehoming.org.nz/about. |
| Bookies outfoxed by Kiwi golfer
Facing a big liability is nothing new for us when Ryan Fox lines up in a golfing major. On the other hand, paying out that liability was a very new and painful experience for our bookies when he produced a perfect 72nd hole to win The Open at Royal Birkdale in England last month.
Being a Kiwi, and a talented golfer at that, Foxy carries more than his fair share of support when he takes his place in most tournaments, but particularly in the majors, and this year’s edition of The Open was no different.
As you may have seen in various news stories on Stuff or NZ Herald, Entain ended up paying out about $2m to Kiwi backers of Foxy, with $200 and $400 bets at odds of $151 accounting for $90,000 alone. We also took a hit in the Top 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 markets, especially with multis running through these options.
Before you feel too sorry for us, you may have seen one punter opted to cash out a $1500 bet at $151 when Fox was eight shots off the pace after the second round, so instead of paying out $225,000, the $200 cash out was a much more palatable result for our traders. The newly minted major champion even had some advice for that punter – ‘trust your instincts‘. |
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News in brief:
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- Cancer is something that affects so many Kiwis, either directly or indirectly, which is why we continue to support Daffodil Day each year. The Daffodil Day silks will be on track again on Proisir Plate Day at Ellerslie on September 5, and Entain will donate $1000 for every win by a horse carrying the silks (and $2000 for the Group 1 spoils). If you would like to donate to the Cancer Society, visit cancer.org.nz.
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- The NZ Horse Ambulance Trust (NZHAT) is a true trailblazer in the world of equine sports, and celebrated its 10-year anniversary this month. The annual Here For The Horse appeal runs throughout August, and Entain was proud to support the appeal with $50 each way on the runners wearing the NZHAT silks at Te Rapa on Saturday, 8 August, donating $591 thanks to three winners and two thirds at the meeting. Learn more about the history of the NZHAT in this RNZ story and donate at horseambulance.co.nz.
- One of the most rewarding projects for both Entain and TAB New Zealand in the past few years is the archiving of more than 7,300 broadcast tapes spanning to the early 1950s. It was a complex project, but one with an outstanding success rate, with 95% of the tapes – featuring more than 70,000 races – able to be digitised. Find out more at content-technology.com.
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Entain Australia & New Zealand, Datacom Centre | Level 10 – 55 Featherston St,
Pipitea, Wellington, 6011, NZ |
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Guest Commentator – Des Coppins
Greetings John and Friday Flash readers
We are well and truly into the “electric energy” status with the launch of spring racing. Whether it’s in NZ or Australia the high class racing is unmatched at this time of the year and what a gem of a field that’s assembled at Ellerslie in the Proisir Plate. While the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield last week took centre stage the second group one at Sandown on Saturday, the $750k group one Moir, is overshadowed by our Prosir Plate in my opinion.
Good luck with your investments.
PROISIR PLATE FUN FACTS
1. It’s the 50th anniversary on Saturday with the race that was introduced to Hastings in 1976. The winner was the amazing, Grey Way, a five year old and ridden by Bob Skelton. It was Grey Way’s 31st win and the Washdyke Wonder went on to win 51 races.
2. When Grey Way won the race it was known as the Hawkes Bay Challenge Stakes. It’s had several name changes.
In 1984 it was renamed the Wishart Classic. One year later and for the next 5 years until 1990 we knew it as the Byerley Thoroughbred Stakes. In 1991 it was renamed the Russell’s Toshiba Stakes before 1993 it became the Russell’s Akau Television Stakes. In 1994 the new name was the Enerco Stakes and in 1999 Mudgway Partsworld Stakes. This sponsorship stayed until 2011 and the Makfi Stakes took over until 2016 before the launch of the Tarzino Trophy while the Proisir Plate entered the fray last year.
3. Today it’s a very strong group one event and it’s shown tremendous growth throughout the years. From Grey Way in 1976 to Silver Liner in 1978 it was just a stakes race. In 1979 when Vice Regal won it was elevated to group 3 status but in 1984 (Fothers) it was downgraded to listed level but Rough Habit’s 1991 result had it back to group 3 and progressed to group 2 in 1994 (Snap) before hitting group one for the first time in 2002 (Sunline) and hasn’t looked back since.
4. Testimony to the Proisir Plate is the fact that 6 winners have been inducted into the NZ Racing Hall of Fame (Grey Way, Rough Habit, Sunline, StarCraft (2004) Mufhasa (2011) and the most recent, Fortuna’s pride and joy, Melody Belle (2018 -19).
5. Horlicks, who is also a NZ Racing Hall of Fame inductee,was promoted to first over Flying Luskin in the 1990 running. However, on appeal, Flying Luskin was reinstated.
6. Rough Habit was ridden by Michael Boyce, an unheralded Queensland jockey who didn’t feature too often in NZ but rode “Roughie” to win the group 3 as it was then at Hastings ( beating Surfer’s Paradise in 1991) and also rode him once more at New Plymouth in the Mason Appliances Stakes ( group 2). He rode 199 winners but didn’t get a group one.
7. Burletta, who won the race in 1983 in the hands of Maree Lyndon, was a two year old and carried just 44kgs. She was a multiple group one player whose strike rate said it all, 16 wins from 33 starts.
8. James McDonald’s dad Brett, combined with Catering King, in 1986. He was such a versatile type who handled all track conditions and raced successfully from two years old until 10 and won 24 times.
9. Over the years the race has also helped the heroes to win the Horse of the Year titles, some multiple times (Sunline, Xcellent, Sea Change, Mufhasa, Ocean Park, Melody Belle, Poetic Prince, Surfers Paradise and Rough Habit).
10. Well Written scripts (excuse the pun) will emanate from Saturday’s great race. The pin up girl Well Written is hoping to maintain her unbeaten record and bank the half-million dollar bonus for the first group one win post the “Kiwi” last autumn. Alabama Lass is hoping to grab a well deserved group one and there won’t be a dry eye in the house if she does. Rich Hill Stud, the sponsor, bred and part owns the group one contender She’s A Dealer.
NZ racing couldn’t ask for a better way to introduce its first group one of the season.
Again so much is happening in racing and most of us are never short of material to talk about.
MY 10 QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK
Q1 If sentiment is permitted for Saturday’s Proisir Plate, if potential super star Well Written is beaten, don’t we all hope Alabama Lass can do it for Bev Kelso? RIP wonderful lady.
Q2 Who would’ve thought that 50 years ago NZ trained gallopers in the Melbourne Cup finished first (Van Der Hum); third, Kythera, 5th Happy Union; 8th Mer ‘Cler, 10th Perhaps, 11th Battle Heights, 14th Captain Peri, 18th Fair Warning, 19th Sulieman, and that’s 9 runners? This week the nominations closed and just 2 NZ trained gallopers are on the list, Wolf Gang and Manzor Blue?
Q3 Of the 101 horses nominated champion trainers, Ciaron Maher and Chris Waller hold 25 percent; Maher (13) and Waller(12). Both have won the race in recent times, Maher last year with Half Yours and Waller with Verry Elleegant.
Q4: On the subject of the Melbourne Cup did you know that it’s the 11th anniversary this week of the passing of the genuine GOAT Bart Cummings who trained 12 Melbourne Cup winners to go with 7 Caulfield Cups, 4 Golden Slippers, 13 Australian Cups and 5 Cox Plates?
Q5: In light of the AJC Metropolitan Handicap downgrade from group one to group two Bart Cumming’s suggested a few years before his passing the shift toward international horses in major races like the Melbourne Cup will eventually shy NZers and Australians away from breeding stayers. He also mentioned there will come a time when the Melbourne Cup is run for the benefit of international horses only.
He isn’t far from the truth is he?
Q6: One of the major frailties from the FY26 performance indicator just released is the column that reads 396 races had less than 8 starters; 44 more races than the season before. These types of races generally put a handbrake on betting. To maximise betting the industry must target average field sizes of at least 10 but it’s a catch 22 isn’t it when the foal crop size keeps falling?
7. While a collaborative relationship between RACE and the Wellington Racing Club continues it has been agreed that RACE and the WRC will separate. This was unanimously approved at a special members meeting at Trentham last week. This will provide the WRC the opportunity to independently present its position following the release of the Project Stamina report. In light of Awapuni not racing for an indefinite period and Trentham being tentatively targeted for closure yet still being the preferred venue for Manawatu’s feature race days this all makes sense don’t you think?
9. Wasn’t that a wonderful tribute by Chris Waller’s Satyajeet Khadkikar “SJ” after the experienced strapper of 19 years gained his first group one with Beiwacht in the Memsie Stakes. He never forgot how it all started and how former champion Nz trainer Mike Moroney would be so proud he was able to get his first group one. Of course Mike passed away in February last year after battling illness on and off. Clearly “SJ’s” emotion proves that not only was Mike a great horseman but a great employer.
10: Speaking with “ inspirational” and staying in Australia how amazing to hear that Bobby El-Issa will return to race riding on Saturday after a five year absence. He broke his neck at a jump out. He also once conquered acute myeloid leukaemia . “I’ve got one life and I’ve got to live it, “ he said this week. He’ll be riding at a provincial meeting on the Gold Coast on Saturday. He’s now 50. Stay well Bobby!
MY PROISIR TRIFECTA AND FIRST FOUR IN ORDER
Well Written: X-factor plus!
She’s A Dealer: a final furlong sectional star
Alabama Lass: will lead and will be hard to run down
Tardelli: the quickest to the line in the Foxbridge
Good Punting
Des Coppins
021 448 052
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