Gary Portelli is quietly optimistic Queen Of Clubs can make her presence felt at Randwick on Saturday, with a standout piece of work and James McDonald’s commitment giving him reason to dream in the Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m).

While conceding the trip may be short of her best, Portelli said her recent gallop left no doubt about her ability. “Her trackwork on Tuesday was a Group One performance gallop,” he said. “She worked with Encap, matched motors with him if not had his measure. They ran really good time on the Polytrack so I’m going to the race pretty excited. I doubt she is a 1200-metre horse but the heavy track might work with her stamina.”

McDonald’s decision to ride her came after a recent trial. Portelli admitted he was prepared to switch her to a Midway just to ensure his services. “I rang his manager to see if he could ride her, thinking he probably wouldn’t want to ride her in the Silver Shadow but that there was a Midway on the same day and maybe if I started her in the Midway I might get ‘J Mac’ to stick with her,” Portelli said. “His manager said, ‘don’t worry about the Midway, he will ride her in the Silver Shadow’. If she can run well and give him a good feel, the Flight Stakes is the race we earmarked for her as a two-year-old with her pedigree.”

Encap, meanwhile, is likely to resume in the Show County Quality (1200m). The Doncaster Mile placegetter was unplaced on heavy ground in last year’s All Aged Stakes (1400m), but Portelli believes that effort was misleading. “They called the meeting off after that race and he was at the end of his campaign so there’s a question mark over whether he was at his best at that point,” he said. “Maybe we just run and see. He just needs to race. He’s too well.”

Nash Rawiller takes the ride, with the gelding on track to defend his title in the Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) in September.