Gary Portelli’s quest for back-to-back Golden Slippers ramped up a notch after Extreme Spirit took the first step on that path with a determined debut win at Kensington.
While the Warwick Farm trainer will be racing the clock to get the two-year-old qualified given the $5 million Golden Slipper showpiece is just four weeks from Saturday, he remains hopeful Extreme Spirit can continue to improve and force his way into the Golden Slipper field.
“He’s going to get better with racing and I’m hoping we’ve got a horse who’s heading towards the big ones,” Portelli said.
“It’s all about timing and this bloke is in at the right time.
“You’ve got to get qualified for the big one now, the Slipper, and we’ve got to work out a way to get there, but that’s a good start.”
Extreme Spirit ($4.80) positioned handy to the speed in Wednesday’s Kia Ora Captivant Plate (1100m) and while his inexperience was evident, he knuckled down over the final 200m to overhaul race leader Mafia ($17), defeating that horse by 1-1/4 lengths with Waverley ($10) another nose away third.
Champion jockey James McDonald chased the ride on Extreme Spirit after being taken by his recent barrier trial and he wasn’t disappointed.
He believes Portelli is right to aim high with the son of Extreme Choice saying the horse has the attributes to develop into a handy two-year-old.
“He is still pretty new but he’s got a bit of talent there, so hopefully they get him where they need to get him,” McDonald said.
“He’s got great substance, he’s got a beautiful attitude, it’s just whether it comes too soon for him.
“It’s a race against time probably for a horse like this, but he’s got the constitution, he’s a big, powerful colt and I think he will make the grade.”
Portelli won his first Golden Slipper with She Will Reign in 2017 and captured his second 12 months ago with Fireburn.