Friday Flash – 20th January 2023

Headline News;

Fortuna acquires an outstanding Yearling Filly by freshman Sire, Super Seth at Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale

Mark Walker surges to 100 wins for current season in record time

Vale Sir Patrick Hogan
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Fortuna has three runners this coming week, one in New Zealand, two in Singapore

New Zealand

SOPRANO SUPREME contests the Rating 87 Karaka Cup at Pukekohe Park on Karaka Million evening Race 1 @ 4.09pm and will be ridden by Joe Doyle. A strong finishing 3^rdplacing over 1600m at Tauranga Friday 13^thhas set her up nicely for this trip. Will love the trip, gets a nice draw, has a very competent rider here and well suited at the weights – Strong each way chance and can win

Singapore

KING ARTHUR resumes after a stellar year in 2022, with seven wins and an increase in rating from 62 to 106, in the Kranji Stakes A 1200m Turf event for S$100k – Race 11 @5.30 pm Sing time (10.30pm NZT) – will be ridden by Fadzli Yusoff claiming 2kgs from Barrier 11. Meets a field of very good sprinters here, but is the highest rated runner in the field – has had two trials ahead of this event and will strip in great order. Is giving a fair bit of  weight to some up and coming types here and has a tricky draw to contend with, but always goes well fresh. Each way but needs luck

Here is how the STC tipsters see this race;

Golden Monkey
Looks primed to have a big season after a dominant three-year-old season. This is a nice steppingstone towards the Derby later in the year and Nunes jumps aboard. Tricky barrier to overcome but class should get him over the line.
King Arthur
One of our leading sprinters who has been allocated 59.5kgs. That has been eased with Yusoff’s 2kg claim but will need luck from a wide draw. His course and distance stats are great, and he must not be forgotten as a danger to the favourite.
Fame Star
Proven group winner who races well around this mark. He will have his eyes on some feature races this year but with Seow’s claim and nice barrier that allows him to roll forward he will look a danger turning for the judge. Each way claims.
Grand Koonta
He has been one of our highest rated gallopers for some time and although he doesn’t win too often, he does catch the eye in the finish. His C/D record is ultra-impressive with four wins from five starts and a second placing.

ROCKY  races in the Class 4 1200m Poly – Race 6 @ 3pm Sing time (8pm NZT)  and will be ridden by senior rider Mohammed Zaki from Barrier 6 – produced some good performances during his first campaign in 2022, while still showing a degree of immaturity. Seems to have grown up a bit this time in. Carries just 50kgs in this and is a very dangerous lightweight. Very good each way chance and can win – watch tote

Fortuna Track work – Matamata

Tuesday 17th January

Soprano Supreme (A Handley) galloped over 1400 metres, running the last 1000 in 1.04.3, final 600 in 36.2.

Thursday 19th January

Angels Wings (J Kamaruddin) worked in company over 1000 metres in 1.03.5, home in 36.32.

Fortuna Track work – Singapore

Tuesday 17^th Jan
King Arthur (Yusoff) – 1000/600 39;; Briggs (Awah) – 1000/600 40.5; Our Final Offer (Awah) – 1000/600 39;

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Other News

Fortuna acquires an outstanding Yearling Filly by freshman Sire, Super Seth, at Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale

About the Super Seth – Dark Heather Yearling Filly

Fortuna Director John Galvin attended the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, conducting inspections throughout the Sale and on Friday 13th, we got lucky and acquired a lovely Filly from the first crop of the Stallion, Super Seth, out of the unraced Cape Blanco Mare, Dark Heather. Dark Heather is a half sister to Heatherly (by Lonhro), who won 6 times, including the Group 2 VRC Rubiton Stakes, two other Listed races in Melbourne and was 2nd in the Group One VRC Moir Stakes and had three other Group and Listed placings as well.

Sire Super Seth (by Dundeel) who stands at Waikato Stud for a fee of $35k was a super racehorse. His imposing career on the racetrack was headlined by a dazzling victory in the G1 Caulfield Guineas, with the son of Dundeel striking a chord early when winning his first two juvenile starts, including a 6 length victory on debut. He returned as 3-year-old to win the G3 McNeil Stakes before defeating boom Queenslander Alligator Blood in the Caulfield Guineas. Resuming after a spell, he then added the Gr.3 Manfred Stakes to his winning record before finishing runner-up against the older horses in the G1 Futurity Stakes.

This was Super Seth’s first crop of yearlings being offered at this sale and he was well received by buyers, with seven lots selling for an average of A$230k and a top price of A$450k – notable that leading Stables such as Anthony/Sam Freedman, Chris Waller, Peter/Paul Snowden, Lindsay Park and Busuttin/Young snapped up 5 of the 7 Super Seth Lots on offer

Super Seth – Dark Heather Yearling Filly

Note that since we purchased, our new Filly has had a significant pedigree upgrade – that because in Race 1 at Rosehill on Saturday 14th January, the 2yo Colt, Red Resistance (Russian Revolution – Heatherly), won in impressive fashion on debut – Heatherly, a Group 2 winner, is a half sister to Dark Heather, the dam of our new filly.  If our Filly had gone through the ring at Saturday evening’s session, she would have made a lot more money.

Our new Filly (now given the Stable Name “RUBY”) is an early August foal, is bound to run as a 2yo, but also has the scope to develop into a lovely 3yo – don’t miss this one!!!

• January 2024 – the A$3m Magic Millions Classic for 2yo’s 1200m
• May 2024  – the A$1m National 2yo Classic 1000m
• January 2025 – the A$3m Magic Millions Guineas 1425m
• January 2025 – the A$3m 1100m 3yo Sprint
• Subsequent years she will be eligible for any of the A$1m races for older horses on the Magic Millions Carnival Day

Note that only horses that have been acquired at a MM Sale and have been enrolled for the Race Series are eligible to be nominated for these races. Of course, given the prizemoney on offer, all of these races are well sought after and all runners that wish to accept are graded by ratings points

Click HERE to see this lovely Filly parading

Click HERE to see Ruby’s pedigree.

This Filly was on Mark Walker’s pre sale list – Mark had inspected all of the Parade Videos ahead of the sale and then given that list to David Ellis and Marcus Corban, who conducted physical inspections at the Sales ground, eliminating those that did not meet their physical criteria. Those left on the list then had their X Rays and scopes read by Waikato Equine Vet, Dr Jack O’Brien, which led to further eliminations and those left were then physically inspected by Jack – our Filly passed muster at every step.

New Zealand’s leading Trainer Mark Walker had this to say about this Filly

“John, I picked this Filly out when I was doing Video inspections of the whole catalogue – a lovely Chestnut, she had a great athletic walk – as a really early foal she is of good size and I expect her to be a runner as a Two Year Old but has all the scope in the world to develop into a strong Three Year Old. By the first season Sire, Super Seth, whose progeny have certainly caught the eyes of a number of good judges, she has a strong pedigree on the dam side. I thought she may make north of A$150k, so you have done well  to secure her for just A$110k. I am really looking forward to having her in my barn.”

David Ellis and Marcus Corban were present at the sales and conducted physical inspections. David says;

“I was really taken with the progeny of first season Stallion, Super Seth, at this sale – all of his lots were impressive individuals. This Filly out of Dark Heather really caught my eye during inspections. Of good size, she had a lovely deep girth, a strong flowing walk, a lovely head, is a great colour and exhibited real class. She is from a family that has had significant black type success over at least the last four generations – she will be a great addition to our racing stable and I think she can be up and running as a Christmas – New Year 2yo in the 2023/24 racing season”

Marcus Corban (who comes from a background of 38 years working with the late Sir Patrick Hogan at Cambridge Stud)  and is a great judge of type and pedigree, offered the following comments

“John, David and I looked at this Filly together at the Sales and when we compared notes, we had both given her a big thumbs up. Physically, she ticked all the boxes and boasts a very strong pedigree page, with lots of black type over recent generations – she also has the “magic cross” – that is a double up of Sadlers Wells and Danehill which is highly sought after all over the world. John, you have done well getting this Filly for your budget and she is going to make a great addition to the Fortuna Racing Team.”

As readers may be aware, we always buy to budget and given that the Sales average was close to A$300k, our budget (A$120k) seemed to be a bit “meagre”, but as always, we remained patient – this lovely strong Filly was very much in our sights and we are more than happy to own her. We have had great success out of this Sale over the years with every single one of our purchases to date being winners.

A very early foal (13th August 2021) we think she can be a runner as a 2yo but has plenty of scope to develop into a lovely 3yo. She will be on a plane to NZ at the end of January, she will go to Te Akau Stud for 6 – 8 weeks in the paddock ahead of being broken in and will then have her first stable preparation in the hands of Mark Walker and we would be expecting her to have her first trial in the Spring of 2023

Disclosure Statement & Agreement

View and/or Download the Disclosure Statement and the Syndicate Agreement for this syndicate

Read the Declaration.

Terms

The all up syndicated cost is NZ$196,000 – this includes purchase price, NZ GST on entry to NZ, Promoters fees, insurance through to January 2024 and just over $12,000 of working capital.

• Shares available right down to 1%.
• 10% share $19,600 – 5% share  $9,800– 2.5% share $4,900 – 1% share $1,960 (all pricing in NZ$)
• Share price includes all Initial Costs (Purchase price, GST, Promoters Fees, Transport to New Zealand, Magic Millions Race Series Fee, Insurance through to 31st January 2024, and Working Capital of $12,000 approx
• Monthly ongoing costs from 1^st April 2023 – from that date ongoing costs are – 10% share $440 per month – 5% share $220 per month – 2.5% share $110 per month – 1% share $44 per month.
• Monthly ongoing costs can alternatively be paid up to 12 months in advance as an option for subscribers by Bank Payment or Credit Card

Applications can only be made after Investors have perused and signed the NZ Thoroughbred Racing approved Disclosure Statement. This can be obtained from the Syndicate Promoter, Fortuna Ltd (Director John Galvin)

Fortuna Ltd is an Authorised Syndicator in accordance with the Code of Practice administered by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (Inc) established under The Financial Markets Conduct (Equine Bloodstock) Exemption Notice 2016. Details of this Offer are contained in the Disclosure Statement relating to the Offer

Purchase a share in the Super Seth Filly today direct from the Fortuna website link HERE or call /text John direct 021 921 460

Mark Walker surges to 100 wins for current season in record time

Yes, in just 5.5 months, Mark, who already holds 5 NZ Training Premierships from his time as Head Trainer for Te Akau Racing before his 11 year stint in Singapore (where he attained another 4 Training Premierships), has scorched through the 100 win Mark in his first full season as head of the NZ operation – see the story below from NZ Racing Desk

NZ Racing News reports:

Te Akau trainer Mark Walker made history at Tauranga on Friday when recording the fastest ever century of winners in a season. Heading into the meeting with 98 wins to date this season, Walker quickly added to his tally when securing the quinella in the Ray White Tauranga 1200 courtesy of Millefiori and Wairau Cove. One race later, Walker brought up the 100-win milestone with Pure Imagination in the Ray White Greerton 1200.

“It was good to get another win with him today,” Walker said. “He promised quite a bit early on and he’s had a few heart fibrillations and things go wrong. “He’s a lot happier now and it was a deserved win, off a lovely ride by Craig Zackey.”

Ellis was overjoyed by the stable’s record-setting milestone on Friday.

“What a great achievement by Mark (Walker) to reach 100 wins in such quick time this season and it’s hugely rewarding for everyone involved,” Ellis said. “Everyone that works for Te Akau gives 110 percent and without that type of commitment you just can’t get these sorts of results. “He’s included 15 stakes winners within the century and it looks as though there are some nice chances of increasing the black type winners tomorrow at Trentham.”

Te Akau had also established the previous fastest 100 wins in a season when Jamie Richards achieved the feat on 28 January 2021, bettering the previous record by nearly three months, during a record-breaking 160 wins for the season, and Walker has followed suit.

Vale Sir Patrick Hogan

Yes, the great man has left us once and for all – the accolades have flowed from all corners of the globe of course for a man who, along with Lady Justine Hogan, left an indelible stamp on the Thoroughbred World – Click HERE to read the full story

Interestingly enough, while I got to know Sir Patrick very well via racing circles over the past 20 years or so, my first meeting with him back around 1990 had nothing to do with racing. I had a business colleague who was providing financial advice to Sir Patrick and he called upon me to give input to Sir Patrick in my specialty field at that time, which was estate planning. We had a great meeting at Cambridge Stud and as the meeting came to a close, I mentioned to Sir Patrick about my lifelong interest in racing and how over the previous couple of years I had raced my first horse, TempleQuay, who had won five races for me. He picked up on that and said “That’s interesting, let me show Sir Tristram to you” and so without further ado, he took us over to the stallion barn, got the mighty Sir Tristram out of his box, paraded him and told us the Sir Tristram story. Notable that at that time Sir Tristram was not only the leading Stallion in NZ, but also in Australia.

Sir Patrick was real gentleman to the end, he will be sorely missed.

Guest Selector  – Andrew Castles

Butch went against the Fortuna runner, Rubicon Crossing, last week, selecting Codigo, to beat her – the two of them fought out the finish and galling though it was for us to see Rubicon Crossing run 2^nd, it was a great result for those who followed Butch’s lead – he is now three wins from four selections – well done Butch – I think we will keep you on!!!

Here is what Butch selects for us this week

“Dear John and Team While all the focus Saturday will be at Pukekohe, it is to Trentham we go in search of a winner. The Alan Sharrock trained Tavattack (Race 7 No 3) looks ready to strike. A very good run resuming at Otaki will have him primed for a big effort up to 1400m, a distance he has won at twice. Kelsy Hannan is riding well at the moment and her 2kg claim will see Tavattack go around with just 54kg. Opened at $3(which didn’t last long) the $2.8 is still well worth a play. Best of luck. Butch”