Bellatrix Star winning the Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield – Oct 2024 – Craig Williams aboard

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Headline News

Spring is in the Air

NZ Bloodstock graduates celebrated after Group 1 season

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Fortuna has no runners this week

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Trackwork highlights – Fortuna Runners

Riccarton 

Court Of Appeal (T Solomon) worked at three quarter pace over 800 metres in 59.4, last 600 in 42.6.

Cranbourne

No gallops today

Thursday 23rd July

Matamata

 Katerina Petrova (H Hassman) galloped  over an easy 800 metres in 54.9, home in 39.9.

Riccarton

Zafar (H Durrant) galloped at three quarter pace over 800 metres in 59.9, last 600 in 44.6.

Vivacious (T Solomon) galloped over 1000 metres at three quarter pace 1.14.4, last 600 in 44.8.

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Other News

Spring is in the Air

The temperature gauge may say otherwise (where is “global warming” when we need it!!) but there is definitely a sense of excitement in the three Te Akau training establishments of Matamata, Riccarton and Cranbourne as the 1st of August approaches. From a Fortuna perspective, while we have been through a very quiet period with actual racing, behind the scenes a number of our runners are being prepared for their early season racing. At Riccarton yesterday, Court Of Appeal who is being aimed at this year’s rendition of the New Zealand Cup had a quiet trial on the synthetic at Riccarton, in her first public outing for this prep and will have a more serious trial on the Turf at Timaru 11th of August, where she will be joined by Marokopa Falls and our exciting rising three-year-old Colt, Zafar, who won the Listed Champagne Stakes at Riccarton on debut in May – he is being aimed at the Group One NZ 2000 Guineas in November.

Also at Riccarton, we have Vivacious who will be our first runner for the new season on Saturday, the 1st of August

Things are also hotting up at the Matamata stable, with a very promising Savabeel 2yo, Katerina Petrova, going to the jump outs next week and safely through that she will trial at Te Rapa on the 4th of August.

Meanwhile, our two yearling purchases from the Magic Millions and Karaka January sales, the Pierro Fillyand the Circus Maximus Gelding, have returned to training after a good paddock break, this following their initial stable preparations which came to an end in May – the older race Fillies, Emma Twigg and Geneva Queen, have been back in work for a few weeks now and I’m preparing for trials towards the end of August

On the other side of the Tasman, excitement is building as the unbeaten Lara Antipova, who trialed at Caulfield recently in her first public outing this prep, heads to a jumpout on the 3rd of August and safely through that she will make her Australian debut in the Group 3 Quezette Stakes at Caulfield on the 15th of August. Meanwhile, Bellatrix Star, who made an excellent return to racing with a close-up second at Caulfield recently, will head to a jumpout on 24th August before facing what is bound to be a very strong field in the Group One Moir Stakes at Sandown on 5th September, while the 2yo Filly, Tolaga Bay, who won on debut back in February and was then spelled, heads to a jump out at Cranbourne on 27th July and, safely through that, she is bound to be on her way towards having her first start as a three year-old in the early spring. Finally, the 2yo half brother to Bellatrix Star, Opunake, has recently returned to training and is aimed at a jumpout mid September

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NZ Bloodstock graduates celebrated after Group 1 season

From ANZ Bloodstock News

New Zealand Bloodstock graduates recorded another strong season at the highest level in 2025-26, winning eight Group 1 races in Australia and five in New Zealand. The 13 elite-level victories were recorded by ten individual NZB graduates over distances ranging from 1200 to 2500 metres. The ten Group 1-winning Karaka graduates were purchased for an average of $98,400. Aeliana (Castelvecchio) was the most expensive at $180,000, while Mr Brightside (Bullbars) and Globe (Charm Spirit) were secured for $22,000 each and Wigmore (Sweynesse) cost $25,000. More than 20 New Zealand-bred Group 1 winners will be celebrated by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association at the Don Rowlands Centre at Lake Karapiro on Saturday, July 25.

John comments “Well, this is an interesting news item isn’t it? It underlines the point that you don’t have to pay large of sums of money to obtain a quality thoroughbred”

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Greetings John and Friday Flash readers

We are closing in on the launch of another racing season and any distractions played out in the corridors of power or shortfalls with meeting cancellations; foal crop decline; fragmented governance; financial challenges and the like in 2025-26 we can’t help but be impressed by the hard work that goes into the game by all stake holders, especially our jockeys and trainers.

We still have some thrilling jumps racing still to come, including the Great NZ Steeplechase day at Te Aroha on September 20, but naturally we are also keeping a sharp look out for spring season too; leading with the traditional great races like the Foxbridge Plate on August 22 at Te Rapa  and the Proisir Plate on September 5 at Ellerslie.

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

THERE’S always something going on in this business of ours and here is a cross section of subjects to think about this week.

OAMARU PROVED A POINT

TWO Sundays ago Tauranga hosted a 6 race programme with a meagre 39 runners. Last Sunday at Oamaru we had a 10 race show with capacity fields and 139 runners.
Of course there’s been more than one meeting abandoned in the last couple of months in the south but the Oamaru card is still a reminder that an extra meeting or two in the area at this time of the year is sustainable.

SAM NEILL’S GREYHOUND COMMENTS RECALLED

Did you know that the late great kiwi actor Sam Neill criticised the NSW Governments controversial decision to ban greyhound racing back in 2014. Two months later it was overturned but when interviewed at the time Sir Sam Neill identified it as a “crime against dogs” and he argued that shutting down the sport would destroy thousands of dogs and cost many livelihoods.

One of the most famous NZ actors followed up his defense of the greyhound racing by identifying how badly it will affect the working class culture and that greyhounds are “ born to run”. Déjà vu don’t you reckon for us as the clock keeps ticking down for the greyhound finale.

On August 1 it’ll be all over and word in the street is that around 1700 greyhounds will need to be rehomed

TIMELY MEMORIES OF THE 1972 JACKPOT DAY

WHERE has the time gone?
This weekend is the 54th anniversary of the most famous Taumarunui Gold Cup Day. Way back on the 29th July 1972 some 33,000 people crammed into the Te Awamutu racecourse with investments into the 6-race Jackpot reaching $831,540.

I recall the day vividly. I remained  in Wellington but 3 of my flatmates drove north, parked their car almost a “mile away” from the track  and invested our well thought out syndicate monies. Sadly we were “gone” at the half way.

Those jackpot days -as  crazy as they were – lit the fuse for heightened interest in the game. People whose weekly gamble might have been the pub or club raffle in the past were encouraged to participate.

Who will forget the controversy that centred around Nelsonian’s relegation from first in the last leg? There was a prolonged court battle before payouts were finally resolved and distributed to those who held the winning ticket on the official race day result.
Great memories weren’t they?

(John comments “$830,000 would be a substantial sum in today’s dollars in a betting pool, but I have calculated that sum in 1972 is equivalent to $14.9 million today!!” – it does make you wonder if the “jackpot” concept could be reinstated in some form, I believe the key point to it success was that you needed to be “on course” to place a bet” – notable that the crowd on course that day was 33,000 (no that is not a misprint) , they punted over $1m on the day – that’s equivalent to $18m today and that would have all been in cash!!! )

Jackpot fever hit Te Awamutu when an estimated 33,000 punters converged on the racecourse for the Taumaranui
Racing Club’s jackpot meeting on July 29, 1972.

HAVE A LOOK AT HOW MANY TRACKS ARE GONE

IF there’s light at the end of the tunnel for Avondale for racing there’ll be many happy faces. The racing fraternity did itself proud by turning up in good numbers in what many believe was the last official race day for the venue last week. It got me thinking on how many race tracks have closed in say, the last 50 years on the thoroughbred front.

I’m sure that, if like me, you may have paid them at least one visit over the years, but through financial pressures or urban swell they no longer serve a purpose for competitive racing under the NZTR banner.

Dargaville, Thames, Te Awamutu, Stratford, Foxton, Hokitika, Winton, Reefton, Marton, Feilding, Te Teko, Gisborne, Wairoa, Motukarara, Waikouaiti and Omakau no longer function as racing venues.

Of course you could add a few harness venues to this list as well if you wanted to. That’s a lot of land isn’t it?

With questions still hovering around Avondale’s ultimate outcome you can’t but help think  could the industry have done better with two or three of these retired venues in light of numerous abandonments in recent times?

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FY26

NOT all is tracking poorly for the industry but there is concern that in the 25-26 racing season we had 6 fully abandoned meetings.
Surprisingly the average field size for the season was 10.46; slightly above last year at 10.43. But that’s way too low. To run the business at a profit it’s long been said that an average of 12 horse fields should be where it’s at!

Also there were 27 more races with less than 8 starters compared to the season before. That’s even a bigger concern.

Turnover was up 6.2% on last year but we had 15 more races than last year so it’s hardly much of a gain.

One statistic that raises eyebrows in some quarters are the the NZTR operational expenses of $14.43m, up from $13.54 from last year! Tightening of the belt from the top down and through all areas of concern is vital as we countdown to the new season.

RYDER STAKES HAS BEEN A PLATFORM FOR STARDOM

THE Ryder Stakes is steeped in wonderful history. It was launched in 1970 by George Ryder, a third generation president of the Levin Racing Club. In its 56 years great gallopers like Black Rod, Altitude, Red Tempo, Beechcraft, Weston Lea, Veandercross and Egyptian Raine have saluted;   all of whom continued to rise to the top with some reaching multiple group one  status both here and in Australia.

Saturday’s race may look to have little depth but you can never judge a book by its cover we often learn and who knows where Saturday’s outcome could lead?

HORSES TO FOLLOW

ROYAL VALOUR: at Oamaru on Sunday he charged into second on the holding track to return the quickest sectionals. Worth noting he won this race 12 months ago carrying 4.5 kgs less; before running a game 5th in the Winter Cup at Riccarton. Keep him in mind for the big one on August 1.

DURRANI: she’s a handy mare who was doing some good work at the finish of her race over 1400m at Ruakaka. If she returns to the track for a similar race on August 1 we would  be silly to ignore her chances.

BEAUESK: he enjoys wet tracks and won’t lack opportunities in the weeks ahead. He made steady ground in the straight on the home track last weekend and that run had a next up look about it.

Good Punting
Des Coppins
021 448 052

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