The Fortune Winner-Mario Esposito combination doubled the dose as widely expected on Friday night, but again, not without connections and supporters alike having to shift nervously in their seats.
At Fortune Winner’s last-start win – also her first career win - in an Initiation race over the mile on May 15, the Leticia Dragon-trained Argentinian-bred filly was still alarmingly spotting the leaders several lengths as the field neared the home turn, but in one fell swoop, descended on her rivals to win as she pleased.
Backed off the map as the $11 favourite in Friday’s $60,000 Class 4 race, also over 1600m, Fortune Winner was deemed a good thing if ridden the same way. Having seen the way she despatched her rivals at her last start, minds were more at ease this time when the daughter of Include was dropped to the rear from the outset.
But those jittery moments crept up again, albeit at a different stage of the race.
Whereas she gathered steam from the 600m to motor home with such a blistering turn of foot that there was no doubt she would hit home first at her first win, she seemed to hit a brickwall when Esposito drove her to the head of affairs upon straightening on Friday.
With Across The Sea (A’Isisuhairi Kasim) and Bob (Michael Rodd) locking horns upfront, many thought Fortune Winner would settle the issue when she sweeps past them, but it was not such a formality. The filly just would not quicken away and even drifted out to the standside under pressure.
Across The Sea and Bob seemed to be able to stage a comeback, but Fortune Winner dug deep to eventually maintain a short-head advantage from Across The Sea with Bob third another three parts of a length away. The winning time was 1min 35.3secs for the 1400m on the Short Course.
Esposito explained that Fortune Winner, who incidentally gave the Italian jockey his first win at Kranji, was a little lost when she found herself in front a touch too early this time.
“I wanted another 200m before going past the horse in front of me,” said Esposito who was bagging his sixth win.
“She hit the front too soon and idled out of it. But I kept her mind on the job in the last 100m and luckily, we got there first.”
Dragon was also relieved the Kim Stable-owned filly had not let them down, saying that she showed a lot of heart inside the concluding stages.
“I’m very proud of her. She has a great turn of foot and a big heart,” said Dragon.
“She has come on from her last run and actually put on weight, which I was happy about."
