Friday Flash – 28 August 2026

Published 28 August 2026

Bellatrix Star – Cranbourne – May 2026

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Headline News

Bellatrix Star to be retired from racing – will be offered for sale Inglis Digital 9th September

NZTR confirms Stakes settings for the 2026/27 season

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Fortuna has three runners this week – all in NZ

Riccarton – Saturday

ZAFAR has his first start as a three year-old when he contests the three year-old Set Weights and Penalties event over 1000m – Race 4 @ 2.13pm and will be ridden by Michael McNab from Barrier 5. Dominant on debut this track early May in the Listed Champagne Stakes over 1200m, he was then spelled and the new preparation for this well bred Colt by Snitzel has been faultless – bold showing expected – TAB says “Expected to be the one to beat” – showing $2.20/$1.26

MAROKOPA FALLS also resumes for the new season, contesting the R65 event over 1000m – Race 5 @ 2.50pm and will be ridden by Triston Moodley from Barrier 8. Tried hard throughout her 3yo season, but without winning, she has all the physical characteristics to feature here, although a wet track may be a query – won a trial at Timaru 11th August on a Soft 6 – TAB says “put in some terrific performances against hot fields as a three year-old and expected to be hard to hold out” – showing $3.30/$1.50

COURT OF APPEAL also resumes – she races in the Open 1600m event – Race 7 @ 4pmpm and will be ridden by Triston Moodley from Barrier 7. Delivered solid performances over ground last season and is on a path to contest the NZ Cup in November – finished a close up 2nd in a trial at Timaru 11th August and has won fresh up in the past – one to watch – TAB says “expecting her to hit the ground running this campaign” – showing $8.50/$2.80

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Trackwork highlights – Fortuna Runners

Tuesday 25th August

Matamata

Riccarton
Court Of Appeal (T Solomon) worked over 1200 metres in 1.26.4, last 600 in 38.3.

Cranbourne

Tolaga Bay (L Winks) galloped over 1000 metres in 1.06.7, last 600 in 37.1.

Thursday 27th August

Riccarton

Court Of Appeal (T Solomon) worked at three quarter pace over 1200 metres in 1.28.7, last 600 in 40.8.

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Other News

Bellatrix Star to be retired from racing – will be offered for sale Inglis Digital 9th September

Sad news for the connections of our “Star” galloper, Bellatrix Star, with the announcement that she had endured a second bout of atrial fibrillation and accordingly, on the advice of a specialist equine Vet, the decision was made to retire her, a decision that was approved unanimously by all Members of her very large ownership group. This of course, a bitter disappointment to her training team and Ownership group, because her scintillating resuming run in the Group 3 John Monash Stakes at Caulfield 11th July, where she was beaten less than half a length on the line, after being last on the turn, indicated that she right on track to recapture her very best form and, indeed, was being prepared for the Group One Moir Stakes 5th September, when her 2nd fibrillation episode occurred

Read the full story below from NZ Racing Desk

Bellatrix Star has been retired from racing. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Bellatrix Star retired

Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

25 August 2026

Group One performer Bellatrix Star has been retired from racing following a second fibrillation episode and will be offered for sale as a broodmare prospect on Inglis Digital next month.

She was initially purchased by Te Akau Racing principal Sir David Ellis, on behalf of Fortuna Racing, out of Phoenix Park’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $80,000, and joined the Matamata barn of trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. A precocious juvenile, the daughter of Star Witness was a convincing 4-1/4 length debut victor over 800m at Wanganui, just a month into her two-year-old season. She went on to place in her next two starts, including runner-up in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m), before winning the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Pukekoke on New Year’s Day. She would have what would be her final start in New Zealand in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie later that month, where she finished fourth behind Velocious.

Following her pleasing two-year-old season, the decision was made to test her talent in Australia as a spring three-year-old, and she joined Te Akau’s Cranbourne barn. She ran fifth in her first start across the Tasman in the Gr.3 Quezette Stakes (1100m), but she made her presence felt in her next three starts, winning the Gr.3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) and Gr.2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m), before running second to now Coolmore-based stallion Switzerland in the Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Derby Day.

Bellatrix Star would then have a series of unfortunate events, which began in January last year when she fractured vertebrae in her neck after rearing and falling over when heading back to her stable, and while she made a miracle recovery from that, she had to undergo surgery following her returning run in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield last November.

“In January last year she had that very unfortunate fall where she flipped over backwards and broke a vertebrae in her neck,” Fortuna’s John Galvin said. “At the time the vet said she would never race again but Mark Walker (trainer) worked his magic, and we were able to rehabilitate her.

“She went through a preparation with long paddock spells and a bit of dressage. When she resumed racing at Caulfield in late November, she just ran below par and the next morning we found that she had a chip in a fetlock. That was removed and it took some time after that for rehab and to her back going again.”

Bellatrix Star’s troubles weren’t over, with a veterinary examination prior to what was meant to be her resuming run at Caulfield in May finding her to be fibrillating, resulting in her subsequent scratching. With no further signs of fibrillation, she was cleared to race and resumed with a pleasing runner-up effort in the Gr.3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield last month. She was then freshened, and while preparing for next month’s Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) she suffered a second heart fibrillation and the decision was made to retire her.

“Bellatrix Star has been a wonderful performer for her large ownership group,” Galvin said. “She delivered winning performances in New Zealand as a two-year-old and performed brilliantly in Melbourne in the spring of her three-year-old season. Sadly, this fibrillation issue reared its head again and in the very best interests of the horse, she is to be retired and offered for sale as a broodmare prospect.”

Bellatrix Star retires the winner of five of her 13 starts, with earnings north of A$1 million

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NZTR confirms Stakes settings for the 2026/27 season

2026/27 stakes settings confirmed

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has confirmed its stakes settings for the 2026/27 season, with $104 million budgeted for stakes and bonuses. The settings follow last week’s announcement that NZTR and TAB NZ had finalised the 2026/27 funding package, providing greater certainty for participants and enabling the racing programme and wider budget to be confirmed. While the revised funding position required some difficult decisions, protecting the foundation of the racing programme was a priority. All minimum stakes for non-black-type races will remain unchanged from the 2025/26 season.

NZTR General Manager Racing Mitch Lamb said this was a positive outcome in the circumstances.

“To be able to protect minimum stakes across all our non-black-type races provides important certainty for owners, trainers and other participants as they plan for the season ahead,” Mitch said. “We have taken a targeted and selective approach to reductions across black-type, innovation and other additionally funded races, carefully considering the potential impact of each change.”

A net reduction of $3,172,375 will be made across these categories:

Auckland Thoroughbred Racing’s stakes contributions have helped offset some of the impact across the major group one races, and its continued support is appreciated by NZTR. The Wairere Falls Classic and Karapiro Classic will not continue in 2026/27, after NZTR determined they had not achieved their intended impact. The three remaining innovation races will continue with reduced stakes. Each has shown positive signs, and NZTR remains committed to establishing them as permanent fixtures on the racing calendar.

The NZB Kiwi will run for $4.5 million in stakes, alongside its $1 million bonus pool. The NZTR Board was unanimous in supporting the commitment previously made to the race and its slot holders. A full review of the race’s future structure and investment will be undertaken beyond this season.

A balanced and responsible funding package

The stakes changes form one part of NZTR’s overall response to the funding available for 2026/27. The wider package balances the need to continue providing strong returns to participants with responsible and disciplined spending across the organisation. Alongside the targeted stakes changes, NZTR has reduced operating costs and deferred recruitment for several planned roles.

These savings demonstrate that the impact of the revised funding position is being shared across the business and is not being addressed through stakes changes alone.

The final package enables NZTR to:

Maintain $104 million in stakes and bonuses.
Protect all non-black-type minimum stakes at 2025/26 levels.
Continue supporting clubs and race meetings across the country.
Target stakes reductions to minimise the impact on the wider racing programme.
Reduce NZTR operating and personnel expenditure.
Maintain a disciplined approach to investment and financial sustainability.

We recognise the importance of making responsible decisions across every part of the budget. The final settings maintain a strong overall stakes offering, protect the foundation of our racing programme and ensure NZTR is operating responsibly within the funding available. Full details of the stakes schedule, including the revised stakes for individual black-type, innovation and additionally funded races, will be available on the NZTR website in the coming days.

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Guest Commentator – Des Coppins

Greetings John and Friday Flash readers In tandem we experienced a great Saturday last weekend with the first serious black type racing in the north with the Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa while across the Tasman at Randwick a hot field assembled for the Winx Stakes. Both races lived up to the hype with the warm favourites winning both, Alabama Lass and Autumn Glow.

The Foxbridge Plate is the perfect lead in to the Proisir Plate at Ellerslie on Saturday week while the Winx Stakes is one of many group one sprinter-miler events to be run in either Sydney or Melbourne between now and early November.

Ps speaking of serious black type racing it’s very sad to read that Bellatrix Star’s retirement from racing has come sooner than you and your team had hoped, John. Her pivotal memory was undoubtedly the group one placing in arguably the hottest three year old race in Australia, the Coolmore over the Melbourne spring carnival and that run alone enhanced her value and that surely won’t go unnoticed at sale time.

A lot can happen in 7 days. Here are my subjects of the week.

THE COLLETTS A SUCCESS STORY LIKE THE SKELTONS

IS the Collett family of jockeys over a few decades reminiscent of the Skelton family? Last Sunday Sam Collett rode her 1000th NZ winner. She joins her mum, Trudy Thornton, with 1174 career wins, in this milestone club and her cousins Jason in Australia, who is around the 1550 mark and Alysha, also in Australia, with over 800 career wins. Dam’s dad Jim, now a boutique trainer, rode over 1500 winners and was the NZ Champion jockey in the 1994/95 season with 123 winners – Sam also has the honour of being a NZ Champion jockey in the 2018/19 season with 131 winners

Back in their day the Skelton brothers, spearheaded by Bill and Bob and assisted by Max, Frank and Errol, rode a combined tally of almost 4,600 winners in NZ alone.
Well done Sam!

A BUSINESS PLAN WE ALL NEED TO WORK THROUGH

A NEW draft statement of Intent and Business Plan arrived this week for all and sundry to dissect and report back on. I’m intrigued by some of the content and I’ll certainly be throwing in my ten cents worth. The document suggests that a national marketing and commercial growth strategy is planned for greater wagering experience.

How can that work when the immediate or long term focus is to alienate 600,000 people in the Greater Wellington region with the plan to ease out Trentham? I’m not sure turnovers can increase if we start eliminating too many key tracks like Trentham that have traditionally played a significant role in the business.

KEN’S A KING WITH THE QUEENS OF THE TURF

WILL Alabama Lass get a deserving group one this season? She’s had three seconds at the elite level, the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley, the 1000 Guineas at Riccarton and the Railway at Ellerslie. She certainly deserves it, doesn’t she?

And isn’t Ken Kelso an absolute toff when it comes to mastering group ones with fillies and mares? The Matamata trainer, who is ably assisted by his wife Bev, has saddled up group one fillies of the past in the form of Love Dance, Levante, Legarto, Bounding and Xanadu, to prove it! Ken is certainly a king when to comes to the past queens of the turf.

AN NRL 360 TV SHOW ON RACING WOULD BE A HIT!

I’M unashamedly a fan of all sports. At times there’s always a lot happening with my remote as I dive from one race to another sport and back to the races on a Saturday afternoon. So proud we all must have been with the All Blacks win at Ellis Park over the weekend and to see the Warriors at the top of the NRL ladder is something very special as well. And that on top of the Auckland based Football Kings the current A-League Champions in just their 2nd season

On the Rugby league front I especially enjoy NRL 360 on Sky Tv which is hosted by former league champion Braith Anasta and assisted by former hard nosed but equally excellent past player Gordon Tallis. Each week they are joined by outspoken but constructive league writers and they don’t hold back.

They say it as they see it. How great it would be to maybe have an NRL 360 type programme on racing and a panel with real skin in the game who wouldn’t be phased by digging deep into what’s good and what’s not so good? I’m sure there are people out there cut out for such a position.

Maybe if we bring back Luke Radich? Complement him with a Dennis Ryan, a Brian de Lore and someone else. To my way of thinking Luke was arguably the very best analytical presenter in his days on Trackside between 2000 and 2008. About 18 months ago he was appointed a district court judge.

Unfortunately dare I say it, such personalities are very thin on the ground these days. In fact you can count on one hand or even 2 fingers how many free lance racing journalists that are left.

We surely miss the days of the original Friday Flash newspaper with hard hitting stories by Dave McCarthy and Dick O’Connor; the NZ Truth with Ray O’Connor and the Sunday papers with people like Lex Nichols etc. don’t we? I wonder how those top racing writers of yesteryear would react to some of the controversial goings-on that we are faced with today?

MEMSIE STAKES – DID YOU KNOW?

THIS Saturday is the first group one of the season in Melbourne with the running of the Memsie Stakes.

For the record:
1 Chris Waller has had just 4 runners contest the Memsie Stakes since Boban won for him in 2015 and yet on Saturday he is likely to run five from his stable with Angel Capital, Autumn Boy, Beiwacht, Birdman and Buckaroo.
2 It’s the 25th anniversary of wonder mare Makybe Diva’s win in the Memsie.
3. Three horses have won the Memsie Stakes-Melbourne Cup double in the same year, Artillerman (1919), Comic Court (1950) and Makybe Diva (2005)
4. Phar Lap, who will be a heavenly 100 in October, and Rising Fast won both the Memsie and Melbourne Cup but in different years
5 Mr Brightside is having his 4th crack at the Memsie. He won it in 2023 and finished runner up in 2024 and 2025
6 Sunline won back to back Memsies in 2001 and 2002

MY MEMSIE PICK:

JIMMYSSTAR: He goes well fresh, likes the track, his trackwork from all accounts has been right up to the mark, he’s had a couple of jumpouts and I reckon he will be attacking the line better than most.

THANKS FRIDAY FLASH READERS
TO those of you who are among the 75 booked on this year’s Sporting Tours Melbourne Cup trip with Lisa Allpress and moi a big thank you. We can’t wait to meet you. The tour is now closed.

Secondly my email racing tips has also served a purpose to several subscribers who follow this weekly column. Last week the quaddie at Te Rapa was selected ( 2 horses per race) for a $550 payout and both highlighted value bets of the day at Te Rapa and Hastings ( Halo’s Fire – Testwin) which were backed in from opening quotes of $6.50 didn’t let us down.

If you’d like to subscribe to the service for September the cost is $100. That will include a total of 23 meetings plus tomorrow and the rest of the month ex gratis. Or, the normal 3 month subscription, September, October and November for $240. Feel free to drop me an email dcoppins@xtra.co.nz for further details.

Good Punting
Des Coppins
021 448 052

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