A 10% share in Malborough Bay has become available on the secondary market. Malborough Bay is a proven performer on the flat in New Zealand, winning six times and running in the money in 19 other races from 36 race days starts. About 18 months ago the training team had started schooling him over the hurdles as a form of variation in his training and because he showed great aptitude at the jumping game a decision was made in 2025 to get his NZ jumping ticket which he did successfully and then he had one hurdles race at Te Aroha in July 2025, which he probably should have won, but just made a mistake at the last fence and finished third.
With good natural flat speed and an aptitude for jumping, a decision was then made to send him to Victoria to contest hurdles racing over there and so he departed in February, obtained his jumping ticket in Victoria and to date has had one hurdles race in Victoria over 3200m in which he jumped very well but just ran out of condition in the closing stages of that race – this not overly surprising as he had had no flat race lead ups in Victoria, just jumpouts and he has taken huge improvement from his initial Victorian jumping race.
He is set to have his second hurdles start in Victoria at Terang on Sunday19th of April and after that will race at the iconic Warrnambool jumping carnival in the first week of May – a 10% share in this talented galloper has become available for a total sum of $1000 and the share is available in parcels of a minimum of 1% each at $100 and $70 per month per each 1% share from the 1st of April
John says “this is a great opportunity to step into a ready made jumping opportunity for not a big outlay and his next start just around the corner – “Shane”, as Malborough Bay is known as at the Stable, has a lot of natural flat speed and loves wet ground – these are great attribute for Hurdles racing in Victoria, he is a very capable jumper and at just six years old he has a bright future in the Victorian Jumps scene”
if you have interest in this “ready-made” opportunity just respond to this update by email or call/text John 021 921460
Malborough Bay in winning action Te Rapa July 2025 – Haylry Hassman aboard============================================================
Vale Ollie Lawrence and Johan Thomsen
It has been a sad week for the Fortuna team with two of our long-standing clients having passed away during this last week
Ollie Lawrence had been in several of our horses with us including Singapore based horses and his more recent holdings have been in Malborough Bay, West Indies, Bellatrix Star and Opunake. Ollie who was aged 89 just loved going to the races despite his age and attended most of Bellatrix Star’s races in Australia including Derby Day at Flemington in 2024 where he had the great thrill to see two of his runners, Bellatrix Star and West Indies both compete on that very iconic race day.
Ollie passed away a few days ago after a short illness and I’m sure all of us at involved at Fortuna Racing will extend deepest sympathies to his wife Hazel and the Lawrence family
Johan Thomsen was not a regular attendee on race days in recent years, due to long standing illness, but his wife Marlene and his son Shane would be very well known to many of the Fortuna clients, having been involved in several of our runners over the years, most notably the mighty Melody Belle and also Malborough Bay. Johan, who was aged 88, had not been well for a long time but on the day before he died, he and Marlene watched Malborough Bay on Trackside having his first Australian Jumps race – now he is at peace and we extend deepest sympathies to Marlene and Shane and the extended Thomsen family.
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Guest Commentator – Des Coppins
Greetings John and Fortuna readers
While our last group one race in NZ has been put to bed in absolute style with the Te Akau two year old Seize The Day in the Sires Produce at Trentham, the focus of attention for elite racing continues with the Championship carnival in Sydney with three fabulous Saturdays in a row.
No doubt there will be NZ gallopers keen to follow the path of Vinery Stakes winner, Belle Cheval and I suppose the big question is how many more group ones will our very own Chris Waller and James McDonald rack up?
For those of us unable to be on course at Randwick the Trackside channel will be compulsive viewing either live or in replay mode.
In the meantime we will be keeping a good watch on racing on the home front with decent enough flat programmes ahead and the jumping excitement just around the corner.
TRACK BIAS – DOES IT REALLY EXIST?
OFTEN controversy exists with track bias. Some of us recognise it as a reality while others believe it has a lot to do with the tempo of the race. As one who spends a fair bit of time on form analysis there is little doubt in my mind that track bias exists.
And we saw it noticeably at Trentham on Saturday. I don’t think I’ve seen Trentham favour the on pace and rail huggers as much as we did on Saturday for quite some time. Fresh, new ground was the contributing factor. In other words a small section of the track which hasn’t been used for a good while for racing through its very busy season.
Putting all this together how good was the winner of the group one NZ Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes, She’s A Dealer? She jumped from one of the outside marbles and sat three wide near the pace. There’s little doubt she would’ve won by a big margin had she drawn inside the way the track was playing.
While Trentham’s fresh ground delivered the consistent track bias, other factors in the past at other venues like, wear and tear from previous race meetings; irrigation and even the wind can be contributing factors. If a strong wind develops on a race day the even spread of irrigation may be jeopardised and certain parts of the track may dry out faster. It therefore becomes an advantage for horses near the lead if the home straight has dried out and those on pace runners will always be hard to run down.
From a punting perspective last Saturday at Trentham it wasn’t the ideal time to bet without watching ideally the first couple of races.
PRIDE OF JENNI – THE BEST SECOND SINCE VO ROGUE
I don’t know about you but I’m a sucker for those horses in the best races that love going to the front and trying to run their rivals into the ground. Pride of Jenni is the current champion in this manner.
She did her best in last Saturdays Australian Cup and was beaten a lip by back to back winner, Light Infantry Man. She deserved at least a dead heat. She’s an amazing athlete. At times she’s looked absolutely the very best and other times the broodmare paddock may well have been calling.
Her run on Saturday reminded me of the great tear away Vo Rogue who won the group one Australian Cup in 1989 and 1990, capping a remarkable four year association with the race when he ran second to Better Loosen Up in 1991 and second to Dandy Andy in 1988. It’s the Dandy Andy race I’d like to share with you. Check out the replay HERE – Notable that the mighty Bonecrusher ran 3rd in this race
For the record Dandy Andy was raced by prolific Auckland race horse owner, Bob Ross, who also raced the mighty Prince Majestic and was ridden by our very own Brent Thomson.
DID YOU KNOW?
1. By winning the Courtesy Ford Sires Produce Stakes on Saturday at Trentham on Saturday Opie Bosson, for the first time in his 30 year career, topped $5m in stake money on his NZ mounts?
2. That Extreme Choice, the much talked about Australian sire who dominated the 2026 Inglis Sale with his progeny averaging over A$1.56m including a top selling $3m colt, holds a service of $330,000. Not all bad is it for a horse who stood his first season at A$22k?
3. Riverton has stood the test of time over the Easter weekend more so than any other venue. While it no longer has the seemingly iconic jumping programme mixed with flat racing over Easter Saturday and Easter Monday (remember the Great Western Steeples?) it’s the only gallops club which retains racing on these two days. My baby boomer colleagues who follow the Friday Flash via Fortuna will recall the time when Ellerslie raced on the two days, as did Riccarton and Feilding.
And it remains a mystery why the Easter Handicap, with so much history, isn’t run this Easter Saturday but instead endeavours to try and maintain its profile by running on April 18!!!
BETTING ON WET TRACKS – IS IT WORTH IT?
Each to their own but I don’t mind betting on wet tracks which we may consistently get over the upcoming months
I’ve always found it easier to find winners when you know the track will be a consistent heavy 9 or 10 as opposed to when track conditions change in the summer and autumn through unseasonal rain falls that may have transferred a track rating from a soft 5 to a heavy 10 in the matter of hours.
On deep, wet tracks I’m a fan of outside barriers, especially in sprint races. Inside gates are strictly taboo for me. Also pedigrees come into it when assessing the right form for wet tracks. Some sires do well and others are way off the mark.
I’ll try and delve into this more as the season wears on but as an example I’d back a son of Belardo as opposed to a son of Savabeel on a heavy 9 or 10 every time!
UNLUCKY AT TRENTHAM
DECEMBER: this lightly tried five year old was desperately unlucky to be stuck with an outside barrier. It covered far more ground than any and after being dictated very wide into the straight he kept up an impressive gallop to land the minor money. There’s little doubt on the way the track bias was playing he should’ve won!
CROUCH: hasn’t been far away in races like the NZ Cup ( 5th) and the Wellington Cup ( 2nd) and again on Saturday in the Awapuni Gold Cup he hit the line as good as any. If the stable elects to push forward to the Hawkes Bay Cup st Otaki on April 12 he will go close.
CHEERIO: is a filly who should go straight to the top. Her run was massive on Saturday as she attacked the line better than anything to run second over 1200m. She’s clearly ready for 1400m.
Good punting!
Des Coppins
021 448 052
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