PORCIA CATONIS – Maiden Victory – 1st May 2025 – Jasmine Fawcett aboard
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Headline News
Porcia Catonis records her Maiden Victory at her 4th raceday start
Leaderboard Update
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Fortuna has three runners this weekend, one in Victoria, two in NZ
Cranbourne – Friday
TITAHI BAY makes her raceday in the 1000m 2yo Fillies event – Race 1 @ 5.15pm Aus time (7.15 NZT) and will be ridden by Jamie Melham (nee Kah) from barrier 8 – has had three trials, two in NZ and one at Cranbourne and won them all in impressive fashion – has a slightly tricky draw to contend with here over the 1000m trip, but with scratchings the field has been reduced to 7 runners, she has very good gate speed and is ready to make her mark on debut – TAB says “won a jumpout at Cranbourne April 14 – ticks a few boxes” – Showing odds of $2.40/1.20
Te Rapa – Saturday
MALBOROUGH BAY races in the Open 1200 – Race 4 @ 1.50pm, will be ridden by Vinnie Colgan from barrier 6 – resumed off a long break with a good 2nd at Waverley 21st April R75 1200 on a Heavy 9 track – up in grade to Open Class here and should handle what will be a testing track – very rarely runs a bad race and gets his chance here in Open company – each way – TAB says “course winner – impossible to overlook for your multiples” Showing Odds of $6.50/2.10
INCA BELLE contests the R65 1200 – Race 5 @ 2.24pm, and will be ridden by Joe Doyle from a wide draw – has been racing consistently without a lot of luck at times – drawn wide here, but being wide on a Heavy track may not be a disadvantage – TAB says “course placed – wide gate – can still place or be first four” – Showing Odds of $15/4.50
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Trackwork – Fortuna Runners
Matamata – 29th April
Inca Belle (T Melvin) galloped over 1000 metres in 1.06.1, last 600 in 38.2.
Hayate (H Hassman) galloped over an easy 1000 metres in 1.08.2, home in 38.6.
Marlborough Bay (O Bosson) galloped over 1000 metres in 1.06.4, last 600 in 38.6.
Riccarton
Cranbourne
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Other News
On the line matters most, and Porcia Catonis (3 f Super Seth – Dark Heather, by Cape Blanco) did enough to prevail in the $17,000 Maiden NZB Mega Maiden Series 1400 metres on 1 May at Riccarton (poly-track).
Purchased for $100,000 by David Ellis and Fortuna Racing at the 2023 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Bhima Thoroughbreds, and owned by Fortuna Porcia Catonis Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), she had a second and fourth to her credit before breaking through at start four.
Porcia Catonis had shown a liking for the poly-track when finishing close second following a tough trip in the Maiden 1200 metres on 6 December at Riccarton, and most recently did well off a wide run for fourth in the Maiden 1200 metres on 12 April when resuming on the course.
Porcia Catonis is a daughter of Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth (Dundeel), whose oldest crop three-year-olds have been to the fore this season with three Group One wins in Australasia, including stable-mate La Dorada who won the Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) following victories in both the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) and Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m) to secure front-running for Champion Two-Year-Old honours.
Ridden by former Te Akau apprentice Jasmine Fawcett, who continues to develop a terrific career in the NZ jockey ranks, Porcia Catonisworked forward from the outside gate (14) to race three-wide on the pace and kept responding in the straight to get her head in front near the line.
On a rain-affected poly-track, she ran 1400 metres 1:26.7 and justified $2.70 & $1.30 favouritism on the NZ TAB tote.
“It was a really good effort to get up and win, from the wide draw, and good to see Jasmine (Fawcett) get a winner as she’s one of the hardest working jockeys around,” said Mark Walker, who trains with Sam Bergerson. “It was a tough effort, she had no favours, and kept finding to get up and win. Hopefully the win will give her confidence going forward and we’ll make plans after we assess how she pulls up.”
Click HERE to see the race replay
Porcia Catonis provided Walker & Bergerson with their 23rd success on the poly-track at Riccarton, in just their second season training in partnership, while leading the premiership and looking to defend their Champion Trainers title from last season.
“She’s been desperately unlucky,” said John Galvin, who had watched the race on his phone while on a train trip from Warnambool back to Melbourne. “She was a bit ordinary at her first start, but in her second start, on the poly-track, before Christmas, she was a moral beaten. She resumed with a very good run for second in April and today I thought was exceptional after a really tough run, three and four-wide. Heavy rain had made the synthetic track quite holding, and turning for home I thought she may have had enough, but she kept on finding and grinding away. So, it was a very tough and determined win. Super Seth is having an exceptional run as a stallion, with three Group One winners in a month or so, and we think Porcia Catonis is a filly with a bit of a future. It was only a Maiden race today, so she has to push on, but at least she’s got a win on the board early in her career. She’s obviously got a bit of courage about her. Even when she ran second in December, it was a similar thing, you could swear off the tough trip that she would die on her run, but she kept on finding. It indicates that she might get over a bit more ground, as well.”
PORCIA CATONIS – Maiden Victory – 1st May 2025 – Jasmine Fawcett aboard
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Leaderboard Update
The Warrnambool Carnival held every year in late April early May is a wonderful three day celebration of racing and should definitely be on the “bucket list” of any racing affenciado. I had attended last year when Leaderboard won the maiden hurdle – and subsequently, he had returned to Warrnambool in June of 2024 and won an Open Steeples event over 3450m and then in July, he ran in the prestigious Thackeray Steeplesover the same trip, running a solid 3rd placing
Spelled until the early summer, trainer Mark Walker had really got the miles into his legs and prior to the Warrnambool Carnival, he had won two Open Steeplechases at Ballarat and Pakenham in dominant fashion – expectations were high then as he headed to the 2025 Carnival that he would be a strong contender in the Brierly Steeple over that same 3450m course that he had performed on so well on two occasions in 2024 – sent out favourite by punters he was away well, but with Duke of Bedford keen to lead, Leaderboard’s rider, Will Gordon, was content to sit in behind. Duke of Bedford had got out to a three lengths lead going up the famed Warrnambool Hill, but Leaderboard had cut that margin back at the top of the hill, they were on level terms coming down the hill and Leaderboard seem to be traveling particularly well, however disaster then struck. When taking off fence at the bottom of the hill he probably went into it just a little bit quick, was unable to pick up his feet in time on landing and took a tumble.
It’s hard to describe the feeling of being there on track and watching this unfold. The first thought is “surely this has not happened” but as the field galloped on, the reality that it has happened definitely kicked in. Shock and disappointment were the very first emotions and a feeling of being stuck in quicksand and not knowing where to turn or look. Then reality takes over and the next thoughts were re horse and rider – I could see that Leaderboard was up on his feet and was being caught by the Clerk of the course, but I could not see Will anywhere and as it had clearly been a heavy tumble, there was concern for his welfare. Heading down to the stable area, it was a relief to see Leaderboard trotting back in apparent good fashion with the Clerk of the course and once back in his box, Mark and his strapper, Hailey Morton, gave him the once over and then walked him up and down and he seemed to be quite sound at the walk. He was then trotted up in front of the Racing Victoria Vet and at the trot it was apparent that he was slightly lame in his off hind.
Now back at Cranbourne, he continues to make good improvement and we will know more in the next few days as to whether his next target, the Australian Steeples at Sandown on 1st June, is a realistic option. His fall of course, meant that he not only lost the chance to win the Brierly, but also put him out of the Grand Annual Steeples, run 1st June and notable that Duke Of Bedford completed the double, taking out both races. We can only wonder what “might have been”
Leaderboard, or “Tiger” as he is known in the stable, has a small army of syndicate Members, not to mention family and friends who follow him with great interest and there were a lot of hearts broken on Tuesday, mine among them. However, we now must move on and every effort is being made to get Tiger 100% sound again – and as for Will Gordon, well as we know these jumps riders are as tough as nails and he was lucky to escape with nothing more than a sore nose and, in fact, was cleared to ride the next day and guided the Te Akau chaser, Prismatic, to a 2nd placing in the Steeples on Wednesday
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Guest Selector – Des Coppins
Here is what Des has for our readers this week
Greetings John and Fortuna followers.
The high expectation we all had for Leaderboard in Tuesdays Brierly Steeplechase at the Warrnambool carnival took a dive when he made a faulty jump at the 14th fence, knuckled on landing and fell. I thought he was travelling as sweet as anything at the time and sympathies go out to all your owners, John.
I believe there is lameness – as a consequence – in Leaderboard’s off hind leg. Fingers crossed that he recovers fully and that, I’m sure, is the first priority before any thought is given for a return to racing.
Before releasing my three to follow this weekend I’d like to share a wee story that’s worth a smile. Most of us may recall the nose to nose finish between Gorbachev ( winner) and Dee and Gee in the 2019 Wellington Cup. This short story has nothing to do with the winner or runner up but rather the horse that beat just one home in that Cup, Missy Moo ( by Per Incanto). Missy Moo never raced again after Trentham and went to stud in the spring of 2019. She only had two foals before, sadly, being euthanised.
Her second foal hasn’t raced but the first foal is arguably the best sprinter we’ve seen since Black Caviar, Ka Ying Rising, whose win on Sunday in Hong Kong was his 12th consecutive. He’s a massive money earner and is now heading to The Everest in October at Randwick as an even money favourite even this far out. And get this, Missy Moo was purchased for just $500 as a weanling!! Despite the trials and tribulations the industry continues to face, mainly with non workable tracks at crucial times, there’s still a few things going on in the racing world that keeps us smiling.
While I handed out three horses last Saturday, effectively only one horse raced, Panther who on debut, was game in defeat in running second. Contemplation Bay, the second nominee, pulled up distressed and we hope he recovers while the other tip, Uncle Arch, along with a stream of runners in 7 other races, never got to the start after the disappointment of a slip in the opening race forced the officials to abort the Awapuni meeting.
My three on watch this weekend are:
Little Bit Of Love, race 7 at Te Rapa
He’s bit of a Te Rapa specialist and overall he has a decent winning strike rate with 6 wins from 16 starts. Over the years often we see horses strike form at the same time each year.
A perfect example of this is Little Bit of Love. He won around 12 months ago in mid April over 1300m at Te Rapa on a soft track; won again at Te Rapa over 1400m at this corresponding meeting on a soft 7 and then again completed a hat trick here in mid May again over 1400m on a heavy track.
Maldini, race 8, Te Rapa
Two years ago in April and May this Tony Pike runner had 3 starts and ran in the money each time. One of the placings included a second at Te Rapa on a heavy 10. This time last year Maldini was again in form on wet tracks with either wins or placings between May and June. He had a trial the other day and he ran 4th or 5th but was solid to the line over 950m. He’s worth a small wager on Saturday but more importantly he’s worth following in the upcoming weeks.
Freddie Time, race one at Riccarton.
There’s a strong chance this three year old with Kelvin Tyler could be Queensland Derby bound. He’s against the older horses but he’s talented and is tough. He coped with a testing track at Riverton over Easter so the wet ground on Saturday won’t be an issue, neither will the rise in class. It was a commendable effort two starts ago over 2100m in the group 3 Manawatu Classic when 4th.
STOP PRESS: My tipping email service is available for the next 3 months at $240 ( gst inclusive) or $100 for just one month. Email me at dcoppins@xtra.co.nz if you’re keen.
Also, we have a few Fortuna followers booked to travel with Lisa Allpress and myself on this years Sporting Tours Melbourne Cup trip. If you’d like to explore this opportunity and join our well organised tour that brings in many repeats as well as “bucket list” like minded people who will enjoy the camaraderie please drop me an email and I’ll arrange for the tour operator to get in touch.
Good punting folks!
Des Coppins
021 448 052
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