Friday Flash 31st December
Fortuna has two runners in Singapore on 2021 Season Opening Day 2nd January
ELLIOT NESS is set to race in the Class 4 1000m Polytrack event – Race 3 @ 6pm NZT, – drawn Barrier 8 with Stable Apprentice Jerlyn Seow to ride, he is a talented type who broke a track record when clearing Maidens. Will need a bit of luck from draw, but has featherweight to carry and represents a strong each way chance
KING ARTHUR resumes in the Class 4 1000m Polytrack event – Race 11 @ 10pm NZT – 2 wins and 5 minor placings from 10 Singapore starts indicates a smart improving type and a strong last start win 27th November underscores that view. Shafiq Rusof takes the mount from Barrier 12 – good form, top rider, but drawn the outside at the 1000m trip and up in weight 4.5kgs over last win – will need a lot of luck and a cool ride to feature in this
Fortuna Track work – Matamata
Tuesday 28th December
Navalha (R Khan) worked at three quarter pace over 800 metres in 1 minute, home in 44.7.
Thursday 29th December
Navalha (S Pillay) worked over an easy 800 metres in 56.3, home in 41.5.
Other News
Fortuna Racing’s 3yo MOHAWK BRAVE makes it Two Wins from Two Starts at Awapuni Boxing Day
Showing a devastating turn of foot in a whirlwind finish, MOHAWK BRAVE (3 g Extreme Choice – Ben’s Duchess) made it two from two in the $30,000 Aberdeen on Broadway Rating 65 1200 metres on Boxing Day at Awapuni.
Getting back in the running, as he did before producing a similar turn of foot for debut victory in Maiden 3YO 1000 metres on 28 October at Te Aroha, Mohawk Brave and Te Akau apprentice jockey Parmar Singh were equal to task again when, giving the leaders around an eight length start on turning, finished two to one in the run home to score by 3/4 length on the line, running the last 400m in a scintillating 22.24 secs.
Click HERE to see race replay
Fortuna Racing’s John Galvin was on course along with a few Members of the Ownership Group – “That was spectacular to watch – he has shown us an exhilarating turn of foot in his trials and on raceday debut, but coming wide on the turn and off a moderate pace, he had a bit to do in the run home, but was simply too good in the end. Congrats to Jamie Richards, who has handled him perfectly since his debut victory, giving him the time he needed and well done to Parmar, who is riding with a maturity over and above his raceday experience”
MOHAWK BRAVE – makes it two from two – Awapuni – Boxing Day 2021
Trainer Jamie Richards, who was overseeing a large team of runners at Ellerslie, watched the race on TV “That was a fantastic win,” Richards said. “He’s a horse that has always shown a lot of ability, despite a few niggling immaturity issues. We seem to be on top of them now, with some good help from the team at home who take really good care of him. He’s got a great turn of foot and Parmar is riding so well. His four-kilo claim is invaluable, the way that he’s riding. He didn’t have a lot of room from the 600m, being lent on, but he waited, balanced him up and didn’t knock him around. I am very pleased with both the ride and how was able to win. I am thrilled to have another nice horse for John Galvin (Fortuna Racing) and their Ownership Group, because we have been a touch quiet in the Fortuna colours since the departure of Melody Belle.”
Mohawk Brave was originally purchased by James Harron Bloodstock for A$160,000 as a yearling at the Inglis Classic Sale, but after two moderate trial’s results and showing signs of coltyness, his Ownership group decided to move him on and John Galvin bought him for A$65,000 in January 2021 at the Inglis Digital Sale. “He was the type of horse that fitted our purchase model perfectly, i.e lovely pedigree, acquired as a Stallion prospect by his original owners, but then offered for sale because he didn’t meet their exacting standards, he was picked out by Mark Walker (Fortuna Racing’s Singapore Trainer) and myself as an ideal type for Singapore racing, but due to uncertainty around flight availability, groom protocols etc, due to Covid, we decided to bring him to NZ instead”
MOHAWK BRAVE is raced by the Fortuna Mohawk Syndicate, an ownership group of 42 Individuals, in the main, New Zealanders, but with ownership representation in Australia and Malaysia as well
Mohawk Brave was strapped by Te Akau Assistant Trainer Sam Bergerson.
Wellington Cup News – Fortuna runners
Khafeef has been withdrawn from the nominations – unfortunately he has come up with a slight tendon strain which will necessitate a couple of months off trainingLeaderboard remains on track though – 3rd in the NZ Cup, he resumed over 1600m at Timaru 28th December, running a strong 3rd placing after being well back in the run – will now head to the Marton Cup 2200m at Awapuni 8th January ahead of the big one at Trentham 29th January
Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale – 11th/17th January
The Te Akau Team will be active at this sale – many very good horses have been acquired By David, Mark and Jamie over the years and their acquisitions for Fortuna have yielded Handsome Rebel (bought for A$60k and sold as a 3yo to Hong Kong for NZ$450k), Meteoric Lass, bought for A$55k, a smart type who won twice before going unsound and having to be retired from racing and the current 3yo Dancarina, bought for A$100k in 2020, yet to race, but a very smart trial winner at Ellerslie just before Christmas and on track to make her race day debut Matamata 12th January,
Given travel restrictions, David and Jamie are not attending this year, but Mark Walker has manged to negotiate the travel protocols, travelled from Singapore to Sydney before Christmas and is on his way to Queensland 1 January to commence inspections – he will be assisted by the NZ expat bloodstock agent, Andy Williams, who has been of immense assistance to Te Akau and Fortuna with their acquisitions from the Aus Sales over the past couple of years.
Mark has drawn up a (long) short list and this will be whittled down to a genuine short list by the 1st Day of the sale (11thJan) following physical inspections and Vet checks. Te Akau will, I am sure, be buying several lots with various price ranges – Fortuna is aiming to buy a Filly and, as always, we will be seeking “value” and buying to budget – I have been through Mark’s lists, identified some very suitable types with lovely pedigrees and good parades, now it’s just a matter of waiting for the final short list and then of course, buying to budget.
As soon as we acquire something, it will be on our website and of course, in our Newsletter and Friday Flash updates
Happy New Year
It is a bit trite to say that 2021 has been a “difficult year” – that has been done to death in the media – I think we are all well and truly over the “doomsday” scenarios and just want to get on with our lives without living in fear. On that theme, Jessica and I and our Family wish all of our Clients, friends and supporters a truly prosperous, fulfilling and happy New Year – and may your runners have courage in their hearts and wings on their hooves!!!
Galvin Family Christmas Day 2021
Here are a couple of New Year’s wishes
Having grown up in a New Zealand, which was a truly egalitarian society where all were regarded “equal”, I wish that in 2022, the powers that be and, we ourselves, will treat ALL New Zealanders as equal, i.e regardless of age, gender, race, financial position, where we live, what our beliefs are and whether vaccinated or unvaccinated.And for God’s sake, let’s give particular equality to those NZ citizens/residents “locked out” of the country due to bizarre, non sensical and discriminatory rules around MIQ – as I write this, there are literally thousands of New Zealanders with Covid self isolating at home and yet we are denying the same privilege to double vaccinated, negative tested Kiwis who are desperate to return home to their homeland and loved ones. Not very “kind” is it!!! – notable that the idiot DJ from the UK, who broke the self isolation rules, had received a “special” exemption (from the Minister of Health) to enter NZ – and apparently he has traveled to NZ 3 times in the last 12 months with that exemption – how galling that must be to those thousands of NZers who cannot get an MIQ spot!!!
And some musings
Is the Pandemic over? That may seem a strange question given the “surge” in cases we are seeing in Europe, the US and across the Tasman – but notable that the death rates are only a fraction of what they have been with the “alpha” and “delta” variants – plus the Omicron variant seems to be spreading so quickly and easily that very rapidly more and more people are carrying the antibodies – thus carrying ongoing immunity – some “experts” are predicting that “actual” cases may be up to five times more than “reported” with most people just having mild flu/cold like symptoms and not getting tested as a result.
Of course here in NZ, we have yet to see wide spread Omicron infection, however I note that a couple of days ago, the NSW Chief Medical Officer predicted that by the end of 2022, most NSW residents will have been exposed to Covid – will it be any different here!!! If it isn’t different, the “Pandemic” will be over and we would have entered an “endemic” state – i.e one where Covid-19 is with us in one form or another on an ongoing basis – a bit like a normal winter flu.
As I say, just a “musing”!!!
Modelling. I often wonder about the modellers – one well known modelling body that advises the Government (for big $$$$ one would imagine), a few weeks ago predicted that Delta variant would cause 7000 deaths in New Zealand at an 80% vaccination rate and 1500 deaths at a 90% vaccination rate – when I last looked the total number of deaths from Covid in NZ was 50!!! – I certainly hope these “modellers” don’t take up trying to tip winners on race days!!!
Which reminds me of an old joke. Question “Why do we have Modellers?” Answer “To make Astrologers look good”
And I also reminded of a famous quote from my favourite American President, Ronald Reagan, who quipped “Here is the scariest sentence in the English language ‘Hi there, I am from the Government and I am here to help you’
Deaths in NZ – this is an interesting one – with all of the focus on Covid cases and deaths this past couple of years, there has been very little interest in the Media about “ordinary” deaths. For the record, in a typical year, around 35,000 Kiwis die from all causes – yes that’s right, about 650 every week – in 2021, it appears that 10,500 died of cancer and 10,000 of heart disease. Of course (and very unfortunately) we also have a lot of deaths by “deliberate” shootings – notable that since the Christchurch Mosque terrorist attack in 2019, which claimed 51 lives, more than 100 New Zealanders have lost their lives in gun shootings – a horrific figure – and we all know what section of the community has been carrying out the majority of those killings. It certainly isn’t that section of the community who voluntarily “handed in” their weapons following the Mosque attack!!! And on the subject of deaths, let’s remind ourselves that the families and friends of many of those 3,000 or so that died in New Zealand during the August to December period were unable to mourn their passing in our traditional way due to lockdown provisions – again, not very “kind” is it!!!
Our Trainers – life changing events for Jamie, Mark and Donna Logan in recent times. I am sure you will all join with me in wishing Jamie all the very best as he heads up to Hong Kong to take up his new training position there in the Autumn.
Mark is endeavouring to arrive back in NZ late February, early March – what a homecoming that will be for him as he works in with Jamie during Jamie’s final few weeks in charge and then steps up to the plate himself.
Donna Logan has settled into her role very quickly as the new Te Akau Head Trainer in Singapore and will have her first race day in that role 2nd Jan with nine runners on the day. Donna has a full barn of 64 horses and given her skills as a Trainer and the quality and numbers of horses under her control, she would have to be a contender for the Trainer’s Premiership in 2022 – Donna is ably assisted by her partner, Peter Woods, who is her “man Friday” in all aspects of running the Te Akau Stable in Singapore