Golden Slipper prospect Sejardan will be Gary Portelli’s headline galloper at Randwick, but the stable is also upbeat about the return of stakes-winning three-year-old Royalzel.
Both horses will kick off their latest campaigns on Saturday after putting the finishing touches to their preparations with a strong gallop between races at Rosehill last weekend.
Royalzel steps out in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) against a smart field led by Group 1 winners Captivant and Converge, along with Bondi Stakes victor Hilal and Godolphin’s Paulele.
Portelli is looking forward to seeing what Royalzel can produce as an autumn three-year-old after a surprisingly lucrative juvenile campaign which yielded a victory in the Listed Gibson Carmichael Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
“I didn’t rate him at two. I thought he would be a horse who would come in, have a look and go out, and next minute he’s won a stakes race,” Portelli said.
“Physically, he was doing more than what we expected him to do as a two-year-old. He is a much stronger horse now.”
Royalzel’s four wins have been on rain-affected tracks and with a wet week forecast for Sydney, he should get his favoured conditions at Randwick.
However, Portelli expects the Snitzel colt to improve deeper into his campaign and over longer distances.
“The Rosehill Guineas might be his go over the 2000 metres,” he said.
“He is a real wet tracker, so we are looking forward to it hopefully being a wet autumn carnival.”
King Of Sparta is an early scratching from the Eskimo Prince after drawing the outside in the field of 17, leaving Caulfield Guineas runner-up Captivant (barrier 11) to fly the flag for Peter and Paul Snowden.
Converge and Paulele both fared well in the draw with barriers one and five respectively, while Chris Waller’s four runners had mixed fortunes, the resuming Ranch Hand landing gate four and Giannis nine, while former New Zealander Mana Nui and Golden Rose placegetter Coastwatch have drawn alongside each other in barriers 13 and 14.