Fortune Winner has had about two thirds of her 37 career starts on turf, but trainer Leticia Dragon still believes the US-bred mare is more of a Polytrack specialist.

With the Include six-year-old taking her place among the capacity 16-horse field in the $1 million Group 1 Lion City Cup (1200m) this Saturday, Dragon felt a short sharp test run on the grass would be beneficial for her.

The Kim Stable-owned mare has actually won four of her seven wins on turf, but they came on sprint-mile races (four over 1600m and one over 1400m). 



Fortune Winner (Mark Ewe) about to get the better of stablemate Star Emperor (track rider John Sundradas), picture Singapore Turf Club

Feeling that a 1200m race on grass might not be Fortune Winner’s strongest suit, Dragon decided to give her some last-minute practice in a turf gallop on Tuesday morning.

With the unraced Star Emperor (John Sundradas) as sparring partner, Fortune Winner went around one lap before quickening up the straight for a most pleasing workout under race-rider Mark Ewe.

“She has been more of a Polytrack mare. That’s why I wanted her to get another feel on the grass, like a familiarisation before such a big race, after all it’s our biggest sprint race,” said Dragon.

“I was very happy with that workout, but unfortunately, I’m a bit disappointed she has drawn 15 from 16.

“It’s a tougher challenge even if she is the sort who does get back. I hope she runs as well as she did at her last start in the Merlion Trophy.”

Fortune Winner has been showing patchy form of late until she backed Dragon’s belief she grows an extra leg on Polytrack with a flying finish in the Group 2 Merlion Trophy (1200m) on the alternative surface to run fourth to Distinctive Darci (Vlad Duric), only 1.6 lentgths off.

Dragon revealed that her presence in the Lion City Cup was not borne out only of that last encouraging result, but first and foremost from a breeding perspective.

“The owner, Frankie Lim, wants to send her for breeding very soon, and before she does so, she needs to win some good races,” she explained.

“We had to discuss which race to pick. The Kranji Mile is over 1600m, but it’s also a tough race, especially with the international horses.

“She ran a very good second in the New Year Cup and that was back over 1200m. After that run, we decided she would run in the Lion City Cup, but the only thing is it’s on turf, hence her grass gallop.

“We feel it’s a more winnable race even if the fields in both races are very strong. She’s also a mare with her ups and downs, but you’ve got to be in it to win it.”

Dragon could have picked a more fashionable name for the steering duties in a race dubbed as the precursor of international racing comeback next year, but she stuck solid with her winningest partner. Ewe was the rider at the last five of her seven wins, with the first two under the guidance of Italian jockey Mario Esposito.

Ewe, a former three-time Singapore champion apprentice jockey who honed his craft in Perth, was grateful for the recognition as he takes his first ever Group 1 ride in his 14-year career.

“A big thank you to Frankie and Leticia for giving me the chance to ride in a Group 1 race,” said the Penang-born rider.

“She was back in form at her last start (in the Merlion Trophy). I wanted to come around horses on the outside early, but it was too crowded, so I stayed on the inside and then a gap came up on the outside in the straight, and she flew home.”

Still, Ewe is a bit more sceptical about his “bicycle” (colloquial term given by local jockeys to a pet horse) than Dragon, horror gate notwithstanding.

“She was okay in the grass gallop. She just went easy,” said Ewe.

“She’s been working well and has pulled up well after her last race. Everything is okay with her, but my only worry is the turf.

“I know this mare inside out, and to me, she is better on Polytrack if she goes over 1200m. If she was to run over 1600m of the Kranji Mile, then she would have handled the turf better.

“But the Kranji Mile is a tough race to win, anyway. So, I think Leticia and Frankie made the right decision to go for the 1200m race.”