Friday Flash – 26th August 2022

Melody Belle has her first foal
 
Mark Walker scores six winners at Taupo Midweek meeting

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Fortuna has four runners this weekend –  three resuming runners in NZ and one in Singapore
 
SOPRANO SUPREME resumes at Te Rapa on Saturday 27^th in the R75 1400 – Race 5 @ 3.08pm. Opie Bosson to ride. Enjoying a nice spell after her trip to the Queensland Carnival, she has pre-trained at Waiuku Beach, trialed nicely at Avondale and is set for a big season. This trip will be too short for her, but she will be rattling home at the end – can run into the money if the tempo is strong

LEADERBOARD resumes at Matamata on Sunday 28^th in the R75 1600 – Race 5 @ 2.25pm – Parma Singh takes 3kgs off his back – being set for a NZ Cup campaign, this trip may be too short, but he won an 1100m trial at Te Rapa 4^thAugust by 1.5 lengths easing down on the line – he is very fit and will relish the track conditions. Can finish in the money here

KHAFEEF is the 3^rd of our resumers – Sunday 28^th at Hawera – Race 4 @2.04pm – Lemmy Douglas with a 3kg claim gets to ride – won on this track 2000m in April when a Heavy 8, but then failed on a Heavy 10 at Te Rapa. Another who is preparing for a NZ Cup campaign, so this may be too short and will get a Heavy 10 track here. Caution required

ROCKY contests the Open Maiden 1100m Polytrack event – Race 5 @ 2pm Singapore Time (6pm NZT) with Jake Bayliss to ride. Winless from 3 previous starts but showing clear ability, he ran 2^nd last start behind a very talented galloper on debut, after blinkers were applied. Blinkers stay on and he is right in this – will probably start as a warm favourite and can win this

Here is what the Singapore Turf Club analysts have to say about this race;

Fortuna Track work – Matamata

No timed Fortuna trackwork this week

Fortuna Track work – Singapore

Saturday  20^th August

Deception (Aiman) – 800/600 37;

Tuesday  23rd August

Rocky (Jake) – 800/600 41

Other News
 
Melody Belle has her first foal Saturday 20^th August

The now retired 14 time Group One winning race mare and dual New Zealand Horse Of The Year is now a proud broodmare after producing a lovely Filly by Yulong Farm’s Super Sire Written Tycoon

“We are absolutely thrilled with the first foal of Melody Belle,” said Yulong’s Chief Operating Officer, Sam Fairgray. “You could not get a better first foal. A super job by the mare.”

Melody Belle will be mated again with Written Tycoon when she comes into season

Mark Walker scores six winners at Taupo Midweek meeting
 
Te Akau Trainer Mark Walker put a big stake in the ground at the pivotal early Spring Taupo meeting, sending a big team of runners, producing 6 winners and several minor placings. Mark had returned from an 11 year stint in Singapore where he captured four Premierships to take over from Jamie Richards as Te Akau Head Trainer in New Zealand. Commencing his revised role on 1 April, Mark produced 24 winners at a strike rate of 5.17 at the tail end of the 2021/22 season. In the new 2022/23 season the nine time Trainers Premiership winner (5 in NZ, 4 in Singapore) has now delivered 10 wins at a Strike Rate of 5.5 for the powerful Te Akau Racing Stable. Remarkably, he is not yet the leading Trainer for the new season, that honour resting with the evergreen master Trainer, Kevin Myers with 11 wins. Kevin of course always has a lot of winners at this time of the year due to his powerful jumping team.

Early days of course, but Mark would have to be considered a warm favourite to secure his 10^th Training Premiership in the current season.

Fortuna Racing had 5 runners trained by Mark at Taupo, no winners but Malborough Bay (2^nd), Navalha (3^rd) and Mohawk Brave (4^th) all put in performances that marked them as quick improvers

Guest Selector – Des Coppins
 
Des’ pick last week delivered for us in strong style – Opie gave us a few anxious moments trundling along at the tail of the field off a moderate pace but got the job done in the end – Here is what Des has to say this week:

“Last week poor old New Plymouth had to pull the pin yet again on their meeting which left our first leg of our multi staying home! The good news, however, left our second leg, Sonofabutcher flying the flag for us and didn’t “The Butcher”  make mince meat of his rivals in the last at Ruakaka? Hopefully the eventual solo bet and the $3.50 Final Field odds price was rewarding enough for you all.

Only once has Butler finished further back than second in 9 starts but he’s either been first or second in all his starts on left-handed tracks and is one from one at Te Rapa. He’s won four of his 5 starts at 1200m and he simply relishes wet ground. If Imperatriz is beaten, I reckon Butler could do it but in saying that I still believe, wet track and all, her group one background should be enough to repel his expected stern challenge. I’m banking on a $4 plus quinella.
Good punting! “

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