Bloodlines that have provided his stable with Group One success will be the key to trainer Gary Portelli continuing a winning run this week.
Portelli will start a half-brother to Gold Trail at Rosehill on Saturday, confident the two-year-old can follow the example of unbeaten stablemate Rebel Dane.
Although his best results aren’t expected to come for another season, A Money Trail showed Portelli enough in a Warwick Farm barrier last week to earn an early call-up to the races.
“He’s a nice little horse but he’s probably going to be a better three-year-old, a bit like Gold Trail,” Portelli said.
Portelli is on a roll thanks mostly to Rebel Dane, a three-year-old who completed his first preparation with an off-the-canvas win at Rosehill on Saturday.
The Warwick Farm trainer has autumn ambitions for Rebel Dane and his hopes for A Money Trail are just as lofty, at least in a monetary sense.
He is hoping the colt can figure somewhere in January’s Magic Millions Classic now that a special incentive is attached to the Gold Coast race.
“As a Magic Millions horse and I’m hoping I can have him ready for the race.
“With the incentives for horses owned by women, I’m hoping he can pick up some of the bonuses for his owners,” Portelli said.
A Money Trail is raced by Lisa Morton and Dimity Emery.
Morton also races Gold Trail, the New Zealand Group One winner who has spent much of the past two seasons struggling for form because of injury and two throat operations.
His younger sibling by Red Ransom ran fourth in last week’s trial and Portelli expects the colt to go to another level at the races.
“I’ve got a feeling he might surprise with his pedigree helping him to overcome his inexperience,” he said.
Portelli has booked apprentice Anthony Allen to ride A Money Trail.
“A couple of kilos off is a big thing for young horses,” he said.
“Eleven hundred metres is a long way for them at this time of the year so Anthony’s claim will be a big help.”
Portelli is not as certain about the immediate future of Gold Trail.
“He’s got a hindquarter muscle injury,” Portelli said.
“Because the hindquarter is such a big area it’s hard to pinpoint where the problem actually is and how deep it is.”
