Headline NewsLEADERBOARD seeks Jumping Glory in the A$400k Grand National Steeples at Ballarat Sunday 25th September
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Fortuna has five runners over the weekend, three in NZ, one in Victoria, and one in the UKRiccarton Synthetic – Saturday
ANGELS WINGS contests the R65 1200m – Race 2 @1.04 pm – Ashwin Goindasamy to ride from Barrier 6. Narrowly beaten this course and trip 7th August. Racing in very good form and will be right in it again at the finish – TAB says “Top tier must in this field”- Showing Fixed Odds of $4.20/$1.65
MITRE PEAK races in the Rating 75 event over 1400m – Race 6 @ 3.25pm, with Champion Apprentice, Lily Sutherland, to ride from Barrier 9. Has won two of her last three starts on this track in 3yo company and has since won a trial easily at Ashburton since – up in grade here and will need a touch of luck from the draw – improving all the time and is a good each way chance here, TAB says “both her wins have come here and the worst she has run on the track is fourth – huge chance” – Showing Fixed Odds of $5/$1.75
Hawera – Sunday
KHAFEEF contests the Maiden Steeples over 3900m – Race 3 @ 12.33pm – Joshua Parker to ride. Had the field shot to bits as they turned for home at Rotorua last Sunday, only to get run down in the last stride – ready to make amends this week –TAB says “Racing well – has strong claims” – No Odds posted yet, but will be short
Windsor (UK) Sunday (NZT)
DAIDALOS resumes off a long break in the Class 6 3yo Handicap event over 2300m – Race 6 @ 7.45pm UK time (6.45am Sunday NZT) with George Wood to ride – has been ordinary in his three starts to date, but has had treatment for a wind issue and has been working well – needs to be taken on trust – showing 33-1 with UK Bookies
Ballarat – Victoria – Sunday
LEADERBOARD aims for the stars in Australia’s most prestigious jumping race, the Grand National Steeples over 4500m for A$400k in Stakes – Victoria’s Champion Jumps jockey, Aaron Kuru, sticks – has been in grand form – 3rd last start in the Grand National Hurdles three weeks ago, gets back to Steeples here with 300m more to run and the likelihood of a wet track – very strong field as you would expect, but Mark Walker has him in super condition and he is ready to run the race of his life in this – TAB says “capable of a bold showing here” – Showing Fixed Odds of $9.50/2.35 (3rd fave – Stern Idol is $1.60)
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Matamata Trackwork – Fortuna runners
Matamata – Tuesday 20th
Star Shadow (T Melvin) worked over 800 metres at three-quarter pace in 57.7, home in 42.7 on the all weather
Vivacious (N Parmar) worked over an easy 800 metres in 55.9, home in 41.8 on the course proper
Riccarton Synthetic
Mitre Peak (A Goindasamy) worked over 1100 metres in 1.15.4, home in 37.2.
Angels Wings (B Dew) worked over 1000 metres in 1.04.5, home in 36.7.
Cranbourne – Turf
Leaderboard (L Winks) worked his first round over 1200 metres in 1.22.7, home in 37.4. He worked a second round over 1200 metres in 1.23.4, home in 36.8.
Our Paramour (C Wilson) worked over 1000 metres in 1.08.4, home in 37.6
Singapore Trackwork
No timed Fortuna trackwork this week
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OTHER NEWS
LEADERBOARD seeks Jumping Glory in the A$400k Grand National Steeples at Ballarat Sunday 25th September
The Fortuna syndicated/ Mark Walker trained veteran 10-year-old Galloper Leaderboard (Street Cry – Flower Fairy), seeks to add another significant scalp to his CV when he contests the time honoured Grand National Steeplechase over 4500 m at Ballarat this coming Sunday. Leaderboard, the winner of the Wellington Cup in 2023 and the NZ St Leger in 2022, has fashioned an exemplary record across the Tasman in his first full season of jumps racing, with six starts over the fences producing two wins (one hurdles, one steeples), two seconds and two thirds, racing on most occasions in the very best of company, finishing 2nd in the Australian Hurdles at Sandown in June and three weeks ago finishing 3rd in the Grand National Hurdles at the same venue. Now a very stern challenge presents itself for Leaderboard this coming Sunday as he takes on the very best jumpers in Australia, including the mighty Stern Idol, the winner of 10 of his 19 races over the jumps.
Trainer Mark Walker, who has been at the Te Akau Racing Cranbourne base this week overseeing Leaderboard’s preparation, has no doubts that his charge is well and truly ready for the task. He says “I’ve just watched Leaderboard come back in from working over a mile this morning(Thursday). Everything has gone right this preparation, his work has been fantastic, he is in tiptop physical condition, trotting out 100% sound, eating his head off, he has Victoria’s champion jumps jockey, Aaron Kuru, aboard, he gets to race off the minimum, so we are very pleased – and it looks like he is going to get track conditions on Sunday to suit – we can’t wait”
Fortuna Director, John Galvin, who will be attending Ballarat this Sunday along with Jessica Galvin and six syndicate Members is fulsome in his praise of what Leaderboard has achieved this season. “I’ve had the good fortune to attend four of Leaderboard’s races in Victoria this season and the jumping scene over there is amazing to experience firsthand. There are so many good quality jumpers, some really dedicated trainers and a great ownership base that really love their jumping events and so it’s been a privilege to not only experience that, but also to witness Leaderboard competing with distinction – it certainly won’t be easy on Sunday but Mark Walker, with great assistance from Assistant Trainer Ben Gleeson, has conducted a magnificent preparation on our horse and we are expecting him to run extremely well“
Leaderboard is booked to fly home to New Zealand on 28th of August in order to have a good late spring/early summer spell at Te Akau Stud, but along the way, subject to him coming through Sunday’s race in good order, he will look to contest the Great Northern Steeple at Te Rapa on Sunday 15th of September
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Guest Selector – Des CoppinsHere is what Des has to say this week – and check out his “special offer” for Fortuna clients highlighted in yellow
Greetings John and the Fortuna team
Even the winterless northern Ruakaka couldn’t escape the brutal front that brought its share of wind and rain at the tail end of last week but I was happy with the efforts of both Nereus and The Odyssey who I handed out 7 days ago. They are both black bookers for certain and as soon as they strike a genuine spring like track you can start backing them both with a good deal of confidence. The other horse I mentioned last week When Stars Align was saved for Taupo midweek and in running third it, too, is a contender for honours as soon as the tracks begin to dry.
I was hoping for a spring surface at Te Rapa for a decent mix of jumps and flat racing at the highest level. However, while the weather radar is telling us to expect very little rain between now and Friday evening a few on and off showers in the early part of Saturday morning is expected for Foxbridge Plate Day. Bearing this in mind I’ll be including the likes of Mustang Valley and Wewillrock in my combinations for the time honoured flat race.
Mustang Valley was less than two lengths from the winner, Dragon Leap, in the race last year when held up briefly at a crucial part of the race at the top of the straight. Overall she has a very satisfying record fresh on 3 of her previous campaigns. I thought her trial the other day at Te Rapa was as good as any.
I’m also a fan of on pace runner Wewillrock, who also ran in the Foxbridge Plate last year. He jumped from barrier 13 in the event and copped a check at the start yet managed to finish less than 3.5 lengths from the winner. He’s won 7 times in just 21 starts and has never been further back than second in 6 starts on a heavy track. He loves it here with 3 wins alongside his name and this time has an inside draw.
The Foxbridge Plate is always a great race in its own right but it also serves as a good pointer to the first leg of the Hastings Triple Crown in a fortnight. Last year Dragon Leap and Skew Wiff fought out the finish of both races on soft 7 and 5 respectively. Pay close attention to the outcome on Saturday and more importantly keep an eye on track conditions at both venues because if they are anywhere as close as they were underfoot 12 months ago the form will surely stack up.
Ps the email tipping service is available as a one-off FREE this weekend only exclusively to Fortuna readers. Simply email me before 8am Saturday and you’ll have the race by race tips for both Te Rapa and Riccarton meetings on Saturday as well as the best bets and value bets with brief but in depth comment before 9am.
Good punting and good luck with the Fortuna runners this weekend especially the versatile Leaderboard in the Grand National on Sunday.
Des
