The retirement of Group 2 winning mare Barb Raider has left a hole in the stable of Jerome Hunter which he hopes Rich Fortune can step up and fill.
Rich Fortune heads to the Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Wednesday looking to add to her record of two wins and three placings from seven starts.
Barb Raider raced 17 times for five wins and claimed the Group 2 The Roses (2100m) at Eagle Farm in May 22 while she was also placed at Group 1 level in the Thousand Guineas and Queensland Oaks.
Rich Fortune still has a way to go to measure up to Barb Raider, but the daughter of Rich Enuff did win the Group 3 Kevin Hayes Stakes (1100m) at Sandown in February at only her third start.
A virus that swept through Hunter's Mornington stable in the middle of the year resulted in Rich Fortune missing the majority of the spring.
Rich Fortune returned to run in third at Bendigo on November 1 before finishing fifth to Taunting in the Apache Cat Classic (1000m) at Cranbourne on November 25.
Hunter reported Rich Fortune was not suited on the tighter confines at Cranbourne and will be far better suited on the wide-open spaces of Flemington on Wednesday.
Rich Fortune did run fifth to What You Need in the Listed Sunlight Classic (1100m) at Flemington in March at her only appearance at Flemington.
"She's had a trial at Sandown since the Cranbourne run and she trialled enormous," Hunter said.
"She ran the fastest time of the morning.
"Harry Coffey rode her at Cranbourne, and he just felt the track was too tight for her. They sprinted on the corner, and she couldn't wind up until she got balanced in the straight.
"She has shown in her trackwork and her trial that she still has some form of ability and I'm sure Wednesday will tell the truth."
Craig Williams replaces Coffey aboard Rich Fortune on Wednesday.
The Kensington Stakes is the final race on a rare mid-week fixture at Flemington where all seven races will be over sprint distances and on the straight track.
Photo Credit - Main Photo: Rich Fortune ridden by Craig Williams returns to the mounting yard after winning the Senet Kevin Hayes Stakes at Ladbrokes Park Hillside Racecourse on February 11, 2023 in Springvale, Australia. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos).
