Portelli to unveil new season juveniles

Ahead of the return of Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign, trainer Gary Portelli is excited about the prospects of the stable’s new season juveniles.

Portelli won his first Golden Slipper this year with flying filly She Will Reign who makes her season return in Friday night’s Group One Moir Stakes in Melbourne.

The following day, Portelli has five youngsters set to step out in Sydney’s first juvenile races of the season at Randwick.

He has four fillies in the Gimcrack Stakes and one colt in the Breeders’ Plate.

“I love training the two-year-olds,” Portelli said.

“We had a nice group come through and we identified these ones that we’ve got as our early types.

“There’s some nice depth there. They can all gallop.”

Portelli has Cortesta, Zerchois, I Stole Your Love and Now Or Never in the Gimcrack Stakes.

He lamented Cortesta’s wide draw in barrier 14.

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“I thought she might have been my best chance until the barriers came out,” he said.

“I don’t know where she’s going to get to from that barrier.”

He said Zerchois was quick.

“She hasn’t been beaten in any gallop so far in trackwork,” he said.

“She’s got stacks of speed. Whether that sees her in a position where they’re going too fast early, I’m not sure.

“I Stole Your Love is a beautiful big filly by Unencumbered. She’s a big striding filly who I expect to be strong late.

“Now Or Never has drawn a perfect gate for her (three) and she’s a big strong filly.

“She’s going to be finishing off. She might just find the 1000 metres a bit sharp for her but she’s got a big future going forward. She might be a nice 1200 and 1400-metre horse in six months’ time.”

Portelli said his Breeders’ Plate hope Exceltic had ability but barrier 10 was not ideal.

“He’s probably going to get back and I think he’ll be getting to the line strongly,” he said.