Sent to the races without a public trial Two Year Old Filly RUBICON CROSSING (Rubick – Miss Foxwood) repaid the faith her connections had in her by producing a professional winning effort on debut in the very first Two Year Old event of the new season, The Dave Hoskin Carriers Maiden 2YO over 800 metres. Drawn nicely in Barrier 3, rider Lisa Allpress soon had her under way and in the lead. Turning for home clear of challengers “Cube”, as she is known around the stable, set sail for the winning post but the challengers were coming and she had to withstand a stern challenge by Illicit Dreams in the closing stages, but went to the line with a long head margin.

Click HERE to see the race replay

Te Akau Trainer Mark Walker was not on course, being at Riccarton to supervise his team of runners at that venue, but was  nevertheless glued to the screen to watch the Wanganui race. Post race he said, “That was a pretty good effort by this Filly, she has always shown us a lot at home and although she had not been to the trials, she had gone well against the older horses in her jump outs and I thought it was worth a throw at the stumps to send her to this race – she was well ridden by Lisa and big congrats to John Galvin and his Fortuna Racing Owners – they are great people to train for and have a very strong team of runners in the Stable for the upcoming season.”

RUBICON CROSSING – Wins on debut – Wanganui 3rd September 2022 – Lisa Allpress aboard

Fortuna Racing Principal John Galvin, watching from his Hamilton home was a happy man after the race, “That’s the earliest two-year-old ever, for Fortuna Racing and it’s nice to come out and win on debut,” he said. “She’s a filly that we thought we stole at the Magic Millions Sale in January, after identifying a couple of yearlings that we thought could be under the radar. She was a standout, physically. We set a budget and fortuitously she came in at budget, and since then hasn’t put a foot wrong. Full kudos to Mark Walker for setting her for this race – he was confident she could race well, despite not having had a trial and so it proved. She was well rated by Lisa, it was a bit heart-stopping in the last few strides, but she got the lollies in the end. Well done to her Syndicate Members, it is a big group with a lot of long time Fortuna stalwarts in it but also a nice sprinkling of new clients as well”

Rubicon Crossing was acquired by David Ellis and Fortuna Racing for A$120k at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January 2022, after being identified by Mark Walker as a Filly with a deep pedigree and a strong physical type. She is  owned by the Fortuna Rubicon Crossing Syndicate, an Ownership Group comprising 51 individuals, mostly from New Zealand but also from Australia and the USA

In what was a very successful day for the Fortuna Racing Team in New Zealand, presenting three runners on the day for two wins and a third, the 4yo Racemare, DANCARINA (Sebring – Dance For Me), produced an exceptional result finishing from well back in the field at the junction to win the Rating 65 1000m event down the Riccarton chute. Ridden by Te Akau Stable and 2021/22 Champion Apprentice, Joe Kamarrudin, “Bianca” as she is known by at the stable had drawn barrier 8 of 9 runners in the event, Joe elected to go back from the draw and as the field arrived at the crossing 600 metres from home, she was still 10 or 12 lengths off the leaders. However, mounting an inexorable run down the middle of the track, she quickly gathered the field in and despite laying in over the closing stages, went to the line clear by a long neck in the time of 57.07 for the 1000 metre trip

Click HERE to see the race replay

DANCARINA was having just her 4th race day start, producing a 3rd on debut at Matamata in January 2022, then a strong win at Ruakaka in February and another 3rd at Ellerslie in March before being put aside for further maturity and development.

Te Akau Trainer, Mark Walker, was on course to oversee the mare’s preparation. “That was a great result, but to be honest, I was expecting her to perform well today, her work has been very good and she trialed well at Avondale – she is not the soundest mare in the world and does need careful management, but she has a lot of talent and is more than capable of earning some black type for her Ownership Group. Well done to John Galvin and his Fortuna Team, that was their 2nd win today and they have a lot of nice horses coming through in the next few weeks.”

DANCARINA – 2nd career win – Riccarton 3rd Sept 2022 – Joe Kamaruddin aboard

Fortuna’s John Galvin, watching from his Hamilton home was enjoying his day, having already seem his debut 2yo runner, RUBICON CROSSING, win at Wanganui two hours earlier, “That was breathtaking to watch, she seemed to be a long way off them over the 1000m trip, but I could sort of sense the way she was traveling that she was going to unleash and so it proved – it was a heady ride by Joe, who is riding in great form. Well done to Mark Walker for the way he has handled DANCARINA, she has had soundness issues, but he has managed her well. It was a last minute decision to send her to the South Island to race, but one thing I have learned after 2o uears of working with Mark Walker, is to always trust his judgement – he is very rarely wrong.”

 Dancarina returns to scale with “Smiling Joe” Kamaruddin aboard – Katija Cherie is leading her in

DANCARINA was acquired by David Ellis on behalf of Fortuna at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast January Sale for A$100,000 from the draft of Widden Stud. She is raced by the Fortuna Dancarina Syndicate, an ownership group comprising 60 individuals

The 5yo Racemare, Madame Moet (Iffraaj – Champagne Katie, by Darci Brahma) scored in the $14,000 Brian Tims Rating 60 1600 metres on Life Members Race Day at the Matamata Racing Club 7th September. Winning her Maiden without a hitch over 1600 metres in January at the same venue, Madame Moet got back and was unable to quicken when resuming in the Rating 65 1300 metres on 24 August at Taupo, but bounced back in convincing fashion in her 2nd up run. Patiently ridden by Opie Bosson, “Bubbles” as she is known around the stable, came from sixth before ranging into contention around the home turn and she quickened clear to trounce her rivals, going to the line clear by almost two lengths.

Click HERE to see the race result and replay

“She found the right race, did everything right, and it was a very good ride by Opie,” said trainer Mark Walker, bagging his 19^th win in the first five weeks of the season, three of which have been for the Fortuna Racing Team

Madame Moet – 2nd Career Win Matamata 7th September 2022 – Opie Bosson aboard

Fortuna Director, John Galvin, was on course along with a big crew of the Ownership Group said “That was great to see her bounce back – she clearly took a lot of benefit from her resuming run at Taupo and she was just too good today – big kudos to Mark Walker, he had observed that the mare was not relaxing well enough in her racing, so he introduced some schooling over the jumps into her work, made a couple of gear changes and it has worked the oracle. Mark and I started working together in 2002 so it has been a 20 year working relationship with many, many winners both here and in Singapore – it has been fantastic to have Mark back in New Zealand – he is really flying in the new season”

John also made mention of former Te Akau Trainer, Jamie Richards, “Jamie prepared Madame Moet for us up until the time he left and was her trainer when she had her first win on this track in January – Hong Kong racing kicks off its new season very soon and we wish Jamie all the best in his new venture”

When accepting the spoils, John also made mention of Joan Jolley, present on the day racehorse owner for 22 years and longstanding owner with Fortuna Racing. “Joan was also in Tell A Tale with us when he won the 2000 Guineas in 2008, when it was a one-million dollar race”. John also mentioned long standing Fortuna stalwart, Ian Upson, who with Madame Moet’s win has now clocked up 103 wins with Fortuna

Owned by Fortuna Madame Moet was purchased by David Ellis CNZM on behalf of Fortuna for $70,000 at the 2019 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Wentwood Grange. She is owned by the Fortuna Madame Moet Syndicate, an Ownership Group comprising 68 individuals

Madame Moet was strapped by Stephanie Hyde-Richards – her first for the stable.