Friday Flash – 29th July 2022

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Fortuna has just one runner this week – in Singapore

Singapore – Sunday 31^st July

DECEPTION will contest the Class 4 1400 Turf – Race 12 @ 5.30pm Singapore time (9.30pm NZT) – will be ridden by Hakim claiming 1kg from barrier 1. A talented galloper – had no luck in either of the two Group races he contested last 2 starts. Is in a Class 4 event here and meets a field of experienced older horses, but gets to carry just 52.5kgs. Will get a cosy run from the ace draw and is a top 3 chance at good odds who can win

Mohawk Brave (N Parmar) galloped over an easy 1000 metres, last 600 in 38.7.

Fortuna Track work – Singapore

Saturday 23rd July

Our Final Offer (Jerlyn) – 1000/600 37; Briggs (Yusoff) – 900/600 38.5;

Wednesday  27^th July

Trident (Aiman) – 800/600 36.5

Other News

Big Trials Day for Fortuna Racing Te Rapa 2^nd August with at least 7 trialists – maybe 9

Confirmed are Leaderboard, Madame Moet, Inca Belle, Navalha, Prince Lonhro, Angel’s Wings, Mohawk Brave – “Cube” and Sailing Away did everything right at the jumpouts 28^th July and will trial on the 2^nd provided they come through their Jumpouts OK

Respected Thoroughbred Journalist/ Broadcaster Aidan Rodley has published a new book “ELITE” a history of modern Group and Listed Racing in NZ – Fortuna great MELODY BELLE is on the cover – see more below

Elite is a monumental new history book of elite horseracing in New Zealand.

A seminal 360-page publication compiled by respected broadcaster, journalist and author Aidan Rodley, Elite – A Contemporary History of Group One Racing in New Zealand achieves a momentous new benchmark in documenting the greatest modern turf performers and performances.

Elite showcases our premier racing from the introduction of the Group and Listed classifications in 1978 to the present day, with a focus on more recent history, listing winners and compiling key statistics relating to each of New Zealand’s 20 Group One races.

As well as an overview of each race, Elite has an unabridged Group One statistics section, ensuring this is a must-have book for New Zealand racing fans and aficionados alike. This hardcover, glossy-­paged coffee table­-style volume is produced to the highest possible quality and retails at $59.90.

This is Rodley’s fourth book published by Gold Plated Publishing Ltd after Where Champions Are Born (2014), Champions Of Waikato Business (2016) and the 2021 New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual, while he also penned a 10-year-old update to Sir Patrick Hogan’s biography, Give A Man A Horse. In kind, Sir Patrick offers his view on this venture in his foreword to the book
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Featuring dynamic photography sourced chiefly through Racing Images and Trish Dunell, Elite has utilised the design flair of Ken Emery to bring the pages to life. While jam-packed with statistics and summaries from New Zealand’s best races, Elite is visually-­arresting, images of champions coming alive to spark the reader’s senses.

Elite is the new bible of Group One racing in New Zealand, an obligatory reference point and a fresh, authoritative standard on the subject. Available in book stores in August or order online elitebook.co.nz. for delivery to your door

Guest Selector – Des Coppins

Des’ pick last week was unplaced – here is what Des has to say this week;

At the half way point last week at New Plymouth  I thought the generous odds given to my pick Cholula were going to result in a payout. She was travelling sweetly for about a furlong down the back in the testing ground just behind the leading pack and then a couple of runners ran past her and she began to over race and lost her position. She made a likely move to be within striking distance at the top of the straight but wasn’t able to kick on and battled to the post in the very testing ground. No excuses, to be fair. Simply not good enough when it mattered.

This week I’m turning my attention to a meeting that gave us baby boomers a real buzz exactly 50 years ago. Here’s a fascinating history lesson to correspond with the anniversary!

For the record in 1972 (July 29) race goers came from near and far, lured to the annual Taumarunui meeting ( staged at Te Awamutu) to invest into a massive jackpot pool which climbed to $831,500.  Amazingly the estimated crowd numbers that day hovered around 33,000. I recall if you were able to find a car space less than one mile from the course, you did well. The smart ones parked their vehicles overnight!

History tells us that the excitement of the chase was offset by the  controversy that took centre stage after the running of the last race when the horse, Nelsonian, who was first past the post was relegated. On going court action took place before the payout was finally made on the official placings on the day, at least 4 months later!

Of course these days the Taumarunui meeting is run at Te Rapa and I’m heading to “Nelsonian’s” race, the last on the card and labelling Sonofabutcher as a genuine winning chance. He’s been unlucky in his last two runs on the track – the rider lost an iron briefly two starts back when finishing solidly into 5th. Four starts ago at Te Rapa he came from well back to run into 4th, less than one length from the winner. Coincidentally in both these runs he finished the last 200m quicker than any other runner. Both these events were 1600m and he’s back to 1400 but I reckon the Te Rapa track will be as testing as its ever been and it may well run like 1600m  by the time this race comes around.

At $7.50 and $2.70 early odds I’m wagering one unit over three. Good punting!
 

Des runs  his very popular phone tipping line (you can access this by calling 0900 45459 – note this incurs a charge of $2.99 per minute) – this service has been active for over 25 years and covers all NZ gallops from 8am each race day).

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