Inside Racing: Fortunate Kiss puts in 'uncharacteristic run' at Flemington

Fortunate Kiss ran 13th in the 15-horse field, finishing more than six lengths from the winner, Party For One. Bowman said he was mystified with the poor run by the four-year-old mare.

"It was an uncharacteristic run by Fortunate Kiss on Saturday," the Group 1-winning trainer said.

"I just can't work out what went wrong. I'm not sure if the wet track had something to do with it.

"She's been so consistent during her career and that's what had me beat. She appears to have pulled up well. We'll get the vets to go over her early in the week to see if there was something wrong with her. She's a lot better than she ran on Saturday."

Fortunate Kiss has won more than $230,000 in stake-money for her connections from her 20 starts.

Bowman was back in the winners' circle after Magnetic Prince, under the urging of talented jockey Dean Yendall. won a restricted race at Geelong on Sunday.

Magnetic Prince, who was resuming from a spell defeated Peidra and Serenaur, to win the 1418-metre contest.

"It was a good first-up win," Bowman said. "Magnetic Prince usually misses the start but he jumped with them on Sunday.

"He's been a slow-maturing type of horse. We always thought he had ability but he just needed time to put in altogether.

"We'll see how he pulls up before making any plans for Magnetic Prince. I think he might run a strong 1600 metres in this campaign."

The lightly-raced five-year-old has won three of his 16 starts and won more than $75,000 in prize-money for his owners.

FORMER top Western District jockey Michael Hoy has taken over as track and facilities manager at the Hamilton Racing Club.

Hoy, who rode more than 700 winners during his career, has an extensive background in turf management, having worked at properties owned by Sun Stud plus Mark Kavanagh and Laurence Eales.

Hamilton Racing Club president Hugh MacDonald said it was great Hoy had accepted the job after working as an interim.

"We're over the moon Mick has decided to take up the job as our track and facilities manager on a full-time basis," MacDonald said.

"Mick came back to us working on a part-time basis on the tracks but now he's taken over as the track and facilities manager.

"Mick is really passionate about the job and the club.

"It's great to have him back on board. We received great reports from trainers and jockeys as to how the track raced for our meeting last week.

"The reports are a strong endorsement as to all the hard work Mick and the track staff are putting into the track."

MacDonald added the club was on the lookout for a new trainer or pre-trainer to take over on-course stabling at the track.

"We were in discussions with someone to take over the on-course stables but it just don't work out," MacDonald said. "It was disappointing it didn't work out.

"We've started searching again and are hopeful we'll have someone, whether they are a trainer or pre-trainer, to use the excellent facilities which comprise of 17 day yards, eight large stalls and 14 stables in the barn."

PORT Fairy's Peter Balderstone has had many highs in his time as a racehorse owner and breeder but Brung King's win at Flemington ranks as something special for the passionate racing fan.

Balderstone, 86, who has been to the top of the mountain as a part-owner of champion sprinter Nature Strip, bred Saturday's winner Brung King.

"I've been very lucky to have a 10 per cent share in Nature Strip but it's different when you've bred a horse and it wins a race," Balderstone said. "Brung King is the first winner I've bred that has won a race at Flemington. It's very special. I would go as far as to say out of all the horses that I've bred Brung King could be the best."

Brung King has won three of his seven starts and finished in the minor placegetters' stall on four occasions.

RACING heads to Swan Hill late this week for its carnival which is run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Numerous western district trainers make the annual trip to the event on the Murray River.

The feature race on Friday is the $150,000 Golden Topaz run over 1200 metres.

The carnival winds up with the running of the $175,000 Swan Hill Cup on Sunday.

HARD-working Naracoorte trainer Sue Murphy kept the winners rolling in with a double at Bordertown on Sunday.

Murphy was successful with Hasta La Fiorente and Hasta La Prince.

From her past 10 runners, Murphy has had three winners. and she produced Hasta La War to run third in the Ramsden Stakes at Flemington. Hasta La War is on a Melbourne Cup campaign.

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