Blog

He might not have won as many two-year-old races as some of the bigger stables this season but Gary Portelli can still claim bragging rights with the performances of She Will Reign capped by her Golden Slipper triumph.

While Lindsay Park, Godolphin, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and Peter and Paul Snowden lead the charge for juvenile winners, Portelli has racked up 10 including the biggest of all.

She Will Reign won four races while Laurel Oak Bloodstock’s Lipizzan can make it three when she steps out at Warwick Farm on Saturday along with stablemate Nicci’s Gold who broke her maiden at Newcastle last month.

Portelli will return later this week from a short break in New Zealand for a rare Saturday meeting on his home track.

“Lipizzan has always shown ability and her form on wet tracks is a bonus at this time of year,” Portelli said.

“Rachel King will ride her again. She’s won two on her and we get to use her claim.

“Nicci’s Gold has been a little revelation.

“We didn’t expect her to win over 900 metres at Newcastle and then she’s come out and run second on the Beaumont track up there over older horses.

“I’ve always been pretty keen on her.”

Comeback jockey Josh Adams has ridden Nicci’s Gold at her past two starts and will again be aboard on Saturday when she runs over 1200 metres.

Sydney’s champion apprentice in 2010/11, Adams spent three years out of the limelight undergoing rehabilitation while serving a disqualification for a positive drug swab.

He returned to race riding earlier this year and made his first trip to Sydney on June 10 when he steered The Monstar to win the Listed June Stakes.

There were 13 entries taken on Monday for the two-year-old race including the Snowden-trained Star Galaxy who finished third to Lipizzan at Randwick on June 24.

While the two Portelli-trained fillies are trying to gain more late-season prize money, She Will Reign has returned to the stable after a break to be prepared for a two-run campaign with the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley the proposed lead-in to The Everest at Randwick in October.

NEWS: AAP

“She is so small, she is only 420kg but has a heart the size of her body.’’

This was trainer Gary Portelli’s description of the two-year-old filly — and he wasn’t talking about his Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign, either.

Portelli made the comment after Lipizzan scored a dominant win in the McGrath Estate Agents Plate (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

“From the first time we started working her she showed ability but I thought this might be short-lived because she is only little,’’ the trainer said. “Even when you put a saddle on her, she seems dopey and quiet, she looks like she is not interested.

“But as soon as you walk her out to the tie-up stalls, she puffs her chest out, tries to grow a hand and puts her game face on. She is all racehorse.’’

Lipizzan ($4.80) was having her sixth start for the season, scoring her second win (plus four minor placings) when she raced away from early leader Last Starfighter ($3.50 favourite) to win by nearly three lengths with Star Galaxy ($3.60) three-quarters of a length away third.

Portelli is renowned as a master trainer of juveniles and revealed he has won 10 two-year-old races this season from a team of only 17 youngsters. “We still have a couple more to come out to the races in the next few weeks, too,’’ Portelli said.

Portelli said he won’t necessarily send Lipizzan to the spelling paddock after her latest win.

“I’m a great believer that when fillies are racing well, you keep them going,’’ he said.

“She is showing no signs of training and the prizemoney with the BOBs bonuses is so good — she has picked up $74,000 for her owners today.

“I will see how she comes through this race before making any decisions but on what she showed today, we might be able to find another race for her over winter.’’

News: Ray Thomas – Daily Telegraph, Image: Simon Bullard

There is not a lot of Sebring filly Lipizzan but as Gary Portelli said after she took out the opener at Randwick – “she has a heart as big as her body.”

The two-year-old was put in a perfect trailing spot by in form apprentice Rachel King and Lipizzan did the rest, surging past leader and race favourite Last Starfighter.

“None try harder than her,” Portelli said.

“She had 52kg on her back, she is fit horse and never runs a bad race. She is a great little horse for Laurel Oak syndications – they bred the horse. I raced her mother too. She is bred to handle the wet being by Sebring by a Commands mare so it’s a good time to have her in.”

Lipizzan, who has never missed a place in her six starts, which includes two wins, only tips the scales at 420kg and is only 14’2 in height.

“She has a heart as big as her body,” Portelli said. “It just goes to show that it’s not the size of the dog in the fight it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

“There is a little bit of upside to her and next preparation I think we might see a really handy filly.”

The victory made it four straight Saturdays in which two kilo claimer King, who is apprenticed to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, has ridden a winner.

“She has done a good job today stepping up in trip. She was able to switch off nicely in behind them and put them away well. She was still a bit green in front as she does get a bit lonely,” King reported upon dismounting.

“She saw out the 1200m very easily and would have come if something had come to her. She is very genuine and doesn’t know she is a little horse.”