Second Stakes Victory For Ardy’s WS-Bred Fortune Tree

The WS-bred Ardrossan 5yo Fortune Tree further highlighted his claim on the Malaysian Triple Crown when defeating Ocean Park’s Banker’s Honour to add Sunday’s Listed Selangor Gold Cup (1600m) to his previous victory in in the Listed Tunku Gold Cup (1200m).

With all three legs run locally as G1 races in Malaysia, the final leg will see a step up to 2000m in the Listed Piala Emas Sultan Selangor on December 6.

The son of Ardrossan made winning look easy at his last-start five-length win in the Magic Millions Trophy (1200m) on Sept 13 when he took out the race for new trainer Cheng Han Yong.

Should the Lee Swee Eng-owned New Zealand-bred contest and win the final leg, he will become the first Triple Crown winner in Malaysia since the series’ inception in 2003.

“We would love to do it over the 2,000m (in the Piala Emas Sultan Selangor) end of the year,” said Cheng, who has chalked up 43 wins this season.

“But I’ll see how he pulls up and works the next few weeks before we decide. It would be great if he becomes the first Triple Crown winner.

“He was already warmed up and very fit after his last win, so our plan was to sit him in midfield. Shafiq (jockey) found a very good spot and rode a very good race.”

“He (Fortune Tree) jumped too quick at first, but did everything by himself,” said the former two-time Singapore champion apprentice jockey.

“Around the turn, I know he still has a lot underneath and plenty of chances to win the race.

“When we had to go, I pressed the button and he just kept going.

“I think as he relaxes, he can get more ground and get there (2,000m) eventually.”

A full-brother to the G3 placed Cannon Hill, Fortune Tree is out of the unraced Pins mare Vanilla Essence, a sister to the Listed winner Raid (dam of the Lised winner Night Raid), as well as being a half-sister to the dam of multiple G1 winner Stratum Star and the G3-winnning, G1 placed Prague, himself the sire of this season’s fleet footed G2 Silver Shadow Stakes winner Pembrey who is being freshened ahead of a tilt at the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Bred by Waikato Stud and sold through the Sledmere Stud draft at the Inglis Classic yearling sale to G1 Bloodstock for $260,000, the then Ciaron Maher trained galloper was a winner on debut and after a handful of local starts was re offered via the Inglis Digital platform where he was secured by overseas connections.

Ardrossan, a sensationally looking son of Champion sire Redoute’s Choice is standing the current season at a fee of $20,000 plus GST, LFG.