Yes, this lovey big rangy staying type crossed the Tasman on Wednesday and had his first piece of work, just a quiet canter, at Matamata yesterday – Click HERE to see him parading at the Matamata Stables yesterday afternoon – voiceover is from Sam Bergerson – as you will see, he is an imposing physical type, walks well, looks great in the coat – we won’t have to wait long to see this fellow on the track – he has retained good base fitness from his last campaign in Australia and we believe he may be ready to trial late January – read more detail on him below – just 21.5% shares left at incredible value for a horse who has all of the attributes to be a genuine “Cups” type galloper in 2026 and beyond
Don’t Miss this one – a beautifully bred European staying type – bred to get a decent trip and with the end of Leaderboard’s illustrious career in sight in Mid 2026, we sought to identify a “tried horse” who had the potential to be a “Cups” type horse in NZ, but also have the potential to be a jumper as an older horse – “Arthur”, as we have nicknamed this horse, ticks all these boxes and acquired for a lot less than our budget –
he represents great value
1% – $700
2.5% – $1750
5% – $3750
10% – $7000
and $50 per month per each 1% from 1 February 2026
5yo Gelding Legend of Kings (by Camelot out of Joshua’s Princess)
Click HERE to see LEGEND OF KINGS parading
Review all the above information and purchase a share in LEGENDS OF KINGS today from the link HERE or make contact with John 021 921 460 if you would like more information
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Waikato Thoroughbred Racing releases details of its proposed “Greenfields” Racing Centre to its Club Members
John says – note that the information below is a “proposal” and requires endorsement and approval by Waikato Thoroughbred Racing Members at a Special meeting possibly to be held early in 2026
MEMBERS’ UPDATE | Location of Waikato Thoroughbred Racing’s Greenfields Racing and Training Facility Announced
Season’s greetings to you all.
Thank you all for your patience as we have worked through options and due diligence to get to a preferred site for the proposed Greenfield racing and training facility.
The specific site is being publicly announced today as Pencarrow Road, Tamahere (between Hamilton and Cambridge). The size of this site is 150ha and has frontage to the Waikato Expressway, is bounded by the Te Awa River Ride cycleway on two sides and part of Duncan Road on the other.
See map below. To view a PDF version of the map, click here.
The Greenfields site is 24km from the existing Te Rapa Racecourse, 7kms from the Cambridge Jockey Club and 28km from the Waipa Racing Club. The site is 11km from the Hamilton International Airport.
While the site is located and contained within the Waikato District Council boundary, there is proximity to both Hamilton and Waipa District Council interests so all three will be included in our conversations.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) says…
Matt Ballesty, Chief Executive of NZTR, said that the Greenfields Project is about redefining what a modern racing and training precinct can be in New Zealand. It’s not just a local project; it has benefits for the broader New Zealand thoroughbred racing industry.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to design a venue that works for today’s participants and future-proofs the industry.
“The site offers a future racing and training precinct with a broad range of amenities – not just a racetrack. Multiple club members, local residents and the wider community will benefit from an enhanced, shared asset,” said Ballesty.
NZTR and WTR both remain fully committed to progressing this significant infrastructure project. We agree that this project will strengthen economic activity, support jobs, and deepen community connections in the region.
Community views
In addition to our commitment to keeping the wider WTR membership informed and across key stages of this project, WTR is also committed to ensuring stakeholders and the wider community understand and ultimately support this Greenfields project.
To this end, the Board and Project Control Group have so far covered meetings with local MPs, Waikato Tainui, the Mayors and CEs of relevant councils, and the Tamahere Community Committee. These will be ongoing.
An embargoed media briefing was also provided to local journalist Mary Anne Gill late last week. This story will appear in the Waikato Business News later today.
Also, last week we began visiting neighbouring properties to ensure they would be advised before reading about it in the local paper. A leaflet will also be delivered pre-Christmas to properties the immediate neighbourhood.
An open day for the community will be held on 31 January in partnership with the Tamahere Community Committee to share more information and any further details we have. Members will also be invited to attend this open day.
WTR has proposed establishing a Community Liaison Group to advise on aspects of the development project should it proceed to next stage.
What next?
Thank you again for your patience as we have worked through the challenging and complex process to get to a preferred Greenfield site option.
The final scope and timing will be shaped through further discussion and genuine stakeholder engagement, as outlined. Site investigations are underway for things such as traffic, access, ecology, geology, water and drainage. These are ongoing and will be used to inform the consent approach that is needed.
The commercial details of the land purchase are confidential and the WTR Board is addressing the land purchase as part of the overall funding of the project. All project cost and funding details will be further developed during 2026.
The final agreement requires the endorsement of WTR Members. To this end, a meeting of members will be convened, likely in the first quarter of 2026.
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Guest Commentator – Des Coppins
Greetings John and the Fortuna Team
As this is my last contact with you editorially until next Friday, Boxing Day, can I take the opportunity of wishing you John and family and Friday Flash readers a safe and happy Christmas. I’ve enjoyed passing on my weekly contribution throughout 2025 and equally I hope you’ve enjoyed reading them and I’m looking forward to riding the highs and hopefully not to many lows in the year ahead.
I’m also pleased to have a respectable number of Fortuna followers on board with my email tipping service with the Best Bets for this month of December tracking around the 50:50 success mark.
If you’d like to treat yourself or a close friend to the service as a Xmas boost simply drop me an email: dcoppins@xtra.co.nz
To celebrate these very satisfying profitable results I’m happy to ex gratis the rest of December should you decide to sign on for the next 3 months.
And wearing my Wellington Racing Club Director’s hat, a big welcome to you John and the Ownership Team in Lara Antipova as she contests the time honoured Wakefield Challenge Stakes on Saturday
I’VE BEEN THINKING
1. Did you know there are 32 jockeys who were riding this time last year but who are now currently suspended or on the injured list? Injuries crop up more often than we’d like to see and on occasions it comes down to an opposing misjudged ride. Is our standard of riding really slipping to the degree that sees 19 riders on the sideline not through injury but rather serious indiscretions on the track?
2. Some 14 years ago next month rock star hoop, our very own J Mac won the group one Telegraph at Trentham for his self proclaimed “second dad” Sir Peter Vela. For the record the horse was Guiseppina. Is there a chance history could repeat? Will the world champion be on course on January 3 and ride the pre post favourite for the TAB sponsored event, Tomodachi for Sir Peter? Watch this space.
3. We often talk about the best horse we’ve seen. Each to their own when it comes to the crunch but here’s my two cents worth.
Ka Ying Rising is the best bred SPRINTER NZ has ever produced.
Is he the best horse? I’m sticking with Phar Lap.
Is he the second best? I’m staying loyal to Balmerino.
But no question, he’s the best sprinter we’ve reared and easily the best overall we’ve bred this century.
4. While on the subject of Phar Lap, it’s the great icon’s 100th birthday next year and what better way to celebrate than having a race named in his honour at Trentham Telegraph Day. It’s the former Anniversary Mile and a champion horse needs a champion sponsor and in memory of the great owner Ron Stanley who passed away in October, the race will now be called the Ron Stanley Memorial Phar Lap Trophy. Ron was immersed in racing for 50 years, as an owner, punter, breeder, administrator, racing judge, treasurer secretary and all round good guy. His legacy in the ownership ranks included Wahid, Woburn, Carter, Grout, Shamus and Ladies Man who retired just last week.
5. Speaking of NZ breds, Sunday’s Hong Kong Sprint should be recognised as the greatest breeding triumph our proud racing heritage has ever seen. To not only see Ka Ying Rising ( Shamexpress – Missy Moo) romp in, the first 4 home are all NZ Breds. Raging Blzzard ( Per Incanto – Perfect Beat), Fast Network ( Wrote – Alberta) and Lucky Sweynesse ( Sweynesse – Madonna Mia) ran 2,3 and 4. That’s a massive result just 5 weeks from the curtain call on the 100th anniversary of the NZ Yearling Sales.
6. Did you know it was 25 years ago last Sunday when the mare of the world, Sunline, fought it out with the Hong Kong super star, Fairy King Prawn in the tooth and nail struggle in the race of the decade. I was fortunate enough to be sitting alongside Stephen and Trevor McKee that day and even though it’s been a while just thinking of the race still gives me goose bumps.
7. Staying with the Hong Kong high end racing on Sunday don’t you feel a bit let down in this day and age that tote betting only operates. The world pools are great, but a Fixed Odds market is how many of us are now approaching the win and place scenario and hopefully our friends at Entain will try have it all sorted for us all next year.
8. On the subject of punting how long will tote operators be around our tracks? I sincerely hope they’re never fazed out completely, especially on the big days but I wonder whether the simplicity of the TAB website on our mobiles and the newly appointed pods on every city tracks will eventually win over in the end.
9. The news that Awapuni could be off the scene for all of next year and maybe longer puts extra pressure on Trentham. It’s very much deja vu as you may recall with Trentham staging 6 race days in less than 2 months at the same time last year. Trentham’s track is running freely. Last year the surface was almost spot on for each of those 6 days and so far the rain has fallen in the right time during the week for the track curator Jamie Phillips to keep the standard high for stake holders to enjoy whi in turn have reported favourably on.
Following the Wellington Cup day on January 31, Trentham will be gearing for meetings in March including the Sires Produce Stakes on March 28. Following that meeting, there will be some necessary future proof work to be done on the track but from all accounts it’s not expected to disrupt the Wellington Steeples carnival in late June.
10. While we embrace the great racing we see internationally today we sometimes think of what’s different and what do we miss from years gone by? This is probably a subject that deserves more time and space but here’s one that I’ll doubt we will ever see again. It’s 50 years in just over 10 months when Van Der Hum and Bob Skelton ploughed through the mud to win first prize ($110,000) in the 1976 Melbourne Cup.
Let’s just forget about the prize money variance for the first Tuesday in November ( $5.15m first prize) for the time being as my point of difference is all about the field. Ten of the 24 were NZ trained horses with 9 of the top 12 at the top of the handicap in Van Der Hums mud splattered win; a memory of how strong we were before the race became a global phenomenon for the two milers. Of course with the massive surge in stakes in recent times getting one NZ trained stayer in the race would be a delight.
MY 3 FROM TE RAPA
TRISTAR: she copped a slight check at the start and that made her job tough in the 1200m. However she hit the line with purpose and a 1400m stakes race or something similar next time is well within her grasp.
POETIC JUSTICE : has now had 4 runs this term and the run last Saturday had a next up feel to it. He came home from the back with the quickest overall sectionals. The Dunstan Championship Final on Boxing Day at Ellerslie could be his next race. He deserves to be on your ticket if that’s the case.
RIDEFROMTHEASHES : stormed into third on the back of a nice trial over 1300m at Te Rapa in the quickest time over the latter part. This 4yo ran in the Derby last season and wasn’t far away in races like the Levin Classic and the Avondale Guineas. He’s in for a good season.
Good Punting and again Merry Christmas
Des Coppins – 021 448 052
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