FORTUNE WINNER: IN LINE FOR A 3-PEAT & A ZAC ATTACK
- The FastTracker
- Oct 11, 2011
- 2 min read
The budding relationship between jockey Zac Purton and trainer Ricky P F Yiu is one which we have been following quite carefully this season.
The moment Purton got the ride on Yiu’s Champion Sprinter Sacred Kingdom, replacing Brett Prebble on the horse, we figured that this could be the start of a “beautiful friendship.”
Though not the easiest of trainers to ride for – if you don’t believe us, just ask Danny Nikolic, Brett Prebble and Douglas Whyte who barely rides for him – these early days seem to be working out for the Yiu-Purton partnership.
On Wednesday night, the pair team up again with Fortune Winner in Race 5 when they compete for The American Club Challenge Cup.
Run over 1800 metres – a distance which the horse has won on – everything points to a Zac Attack of a ride – Zac Purton at his best.
Fortune Winner has won twice this season and could well be the first horse to score a “3-peat” this season.
Though racing up a class on Wednesday, its last win in Class 4 – and over 1650 metres – was in a faster time than the Class 3 winner of a race on the same night over the same distance.
Of course, this time, Fortune Winner has to contend with a class rise and a step-up in distance.
If he were to win, it means another rise in the handicaps and which could take him to the top of Class 3.
The big question is this: Does Fortune Winner have what it takes to win again and so go up in the Class 3 ratings?
Or, is 1800 metres and racing against a far superior group of proven Class 3 horses going to see it come up short – but drop a few rating points in the process?
Horse racing is never an exacting science.
It all depends on the future plans for the horse and just how much more improvement trainer Ricky P F Yiu believes the horse has left.
Win, lose, or draw, the 1800 metre race itself will prove to be a very good race of riding tactics with the likes of Brett Prebble, Douglas Whyte and Darren Beadman in the race along with horses like Victory Mascot, Owners Glory, Ho Ho Life and the very interesting Nordic Star.
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