Friday evening New Zealand time sees the 5yo’s VON SNITZEL and EATONS GOLD competing. VON SNITZEL has been freshened and will contest a Kranji Stakes D race ( Race 4) over 1000 metres on the Polytrack; he will be ridden by Jose Verenzuela and jumps from barrier 1.

Later in the evening, the very well performed 5yo, EATONS GOLD ( three wins and over $150,000 in prize money) resumes after a spell in a Kranji Stakes C event ( Race 7) over 1000 metre on the Polytrack. Drawn 4 and with the talented Barend Vortser in the saddle, EATONS GOLD could run a very cheeky race in his fresh state.

Sunday evening NZ time, sees the 4yo, LUCKY GUY ( Lucky Unicorn-Giuliana), make his raceday debut in an Initiation Plate event ( Race 4) over 1000 metres on the Polytrack. LUCKY GUY has been coming along well in his first Singapore preparation, will probably need more ground than 1000 metres, but should be finishing off nicely at race end. He has brawn barrier 6 and will be ridden by the very experienced Australian jockey, Danny Beasley.

MANNY PACUIAO, the six year old Gelding by Pins out of Georgiana, broke through for his first win at his 9th start in Singapore tonight. Ridden by Te Akau Racing’s Apprentice Willy Tan, who brought a 3kg apprentice allowance to the event, the pre race plan did not go to plan at all. The plan was to use the light weight, 49.5kgs and the nice barrier draw and to race on the speed. MANNY PACUIAO did not start well however and raced near the rear and then suffered a check in the running when trying to improve before the turn. However, just as his large group of owners had all given up hope, MANNY PACUIAO commence a compelling run as they straightened for home and sustained a strong finishing gallop all the way to the line, prevailing by the barest of margins.

MANNY PACUIAO is trained by Singapore’s leading trainer, Mark Walker and is raced by the Fortuna No 11 Syndicate, an ownership group comprising 23 people.

Click HERE  to watch a replay of the race

Connections of the promising Fortuna Syndicates 2yo, OUR RIVER DANCER, were justifiably satisfied after their charge ran a very encouraging 3rd place when making his raceday debut in Singapore on Friday night. Racing in Initiation Grade over 1100 metres on the Polytrack, OUR RIVER DANCER, settled just off the speed and traveled nicely throughout the run and finished off strongly in the straight. While no match for the winner, DANIEL, who won as he liked by over seven lengths, it was still a very encouraging debut run by the gelded son of DANEHILL DANCER.

Jockey Barend Vorster said after the race that the horse acquitted himself well, would take a lot of improvement from the run and would be better suited over more distance. Trainer, Mark Walker, commented post race, ” this horse will win more than his share in Singapore”.

Click HERE to see race replay.

On Saturday at Te Rapa, the nicely bred 2yo, KING SAVINSKY (by Savabeel out of Lynisky, a Stravinsky mare), has his 2nd race day start in Race 1, a Maiden 2yo event over 1200 metres. On debut at Te Rapa earlier in July, he powered home for a 4th placing from a wide barrier draw. He has drawn out again on Saturday, so will need some luck,  but would have taken a lot of improvement from his debut run and his work has been first class. A strapping type (16.2 hands and 560kgs), KING SAVINSKY has the makings of a very nice staying type as a 3yo. He will be ridden by Rory Hutchings as Matt Cameron has elected to ride at Awapuni this weekend.

OUR RIVER DANCER, a lovely Grey 2yo Gelding makes his race debut in Singapore 26th July. “Hunter” as he is nicknamed, is impeccably bred, (by Danehill Dancer out of Distinctly, a Sadlers Wells mare).  Last week, he confirmed his recent very good track work by winning a 1000 metre trial in Singapore. Owner by the Fortuna Our River Dancer Syndicate, a group of 25 people, he races in an Initiation Plate event ( Race 4 11.20pm NZ Time) over 1100 metres for prizemoney of S$65,000 and will be ridden from barrier 5 by the very experienced Barend Vorster.

OUR RIVER DANCER pictured at Cambridge Trials March 2013

3yo Filly, KAYLEEN, raced by the Fortuna (No 25) Syndicate, races in a Maiden 1200 event, Matamata, Friday 19th July. To be ridden by apprentice Brendan Hutton, KAYLEEN, who has an excellent record of running into minor placings, will attempt to get her Maiden win on the board. Click HERE to see the race field

Derby Day in Singapore this coming Sunday and while neither of the two FORTUNA runners are in the big event, their owners are nevertheless looking forward to their raceday outings with a lot of anticipation.

VON SNITZEL steps out in Race 1, a Kranji Stakes D event. Down in class from his last start, VON SNITZEL should be competitive in this race, but does have a wide barrier draw to contend with in the 1200 metre event. Will be helped by ths 3kg claim of Te Akau Racing’s Apprentice, Willy Tan.

3yo READY FORTUNE fronts up in Race 4, an Initiation event over 1600 metres on the Turf. Will this be his night, after having run three seconds so far in his Singapore career, but not yet winning? Drawn barrier 2, the 1600 metres is a perfect distance for him, he likes the Turf surface and has a 2kg weight allowance courtesy of Senior Apprentice rider, Shafiq Rusof.

A busy few days for the FORTUNA team with MANNY PACUIAO (Friday night) LORD ROBERTO (Sunday evening) in Singapore, while on Monday, the consistent (but still Maiden), KAYLEEN starts at Matamata and then on Wednesday at Te Rapa, the very promising 2yo KING SAVINSKY makes his race day debut.

Four FORTUNA runners will strut their stuff in Singapore this weekend. First off the block is the 5yo Gelding, MANNY PACUIAO, who has yet to win in Singapore but has been running nice races. He will contest a Class 4 event over 1200 metres on the Polytrack surface at 11.20pm NZ time, Stable Apprentice Shafiq Rusof to ride , claiming 2kgs.

Later on Friday evening Singapore time, in race 6, the well performed LORD ROBERTO, a two time winner in Singapore, will contest a Benchmark 67 event over 1700 metres, with Alan Munro aboard at 12.50 am early Saturday morning NZ time

On Sunday evening, the excitement continues with 3yo READY FORTUNE aiming to go one better than the three seconds he has managed to accumulate to date in Singapore, in a 1400 Maiden event on the Turf track. Champion jockey, Joao Moreira, takes the mount form the handy draw of 4, in race 5 at 6.35pm NZ time.

In the last race of the evening, 4yo VON SNITZEL only has to carry a featherweight of 50kgs in a Class 4 event over 1200 metres on the Turf Surface, with Stable Apprentice, Willy Tan in the saddle. Race time is 10.30pm NZ time

The “SOLD” signs are up for the DARCI BRAHMA-SPIN N GRIN Colt and the DARCI BRAHMA-SWEET DREAMS BABY Filly, Fortuna Director, John Galvin announced today. “We have had a very pleasing response from the public to these two offerings with more than half of the shares in each horse going to brand new clients,” said John Galvin, ” the Filly is particularly forward, having completed her first preparation and now enjoying a mini break before commencing her second preparation the first week in July. Meanwhile the Colt is coming to the end of his breaking in phase and shortly will commence his first stables preparation under Te Akau Trainer, Jason Bridgman’s care.”