Just looking at Racy’s record tells Gary Portelli how good she can be and he is hoping she can recapture the form she showed early in her career.
The filly is entered for the Thousand Guineas this spring but first she needs to step up in a benchmark 67 at Canterbury on Wednesday.
On debut in December, Racy beat Look to The Stars at Warwick Farm with the runner-up subsequently a Group Two winner of the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes and third in the Group One J J Atkins during the Brisbane winter carnival.
Racy’s second start brought a close third behind Perignon and Look To The Stars with the winner failing by a half head to gain a Golden Slipper berth when second in the Magic Night Stakes.
Racy lost her way in the Magic Millions in January and failed to run a place in two autumn starts.
Portelli took her to Newcastle earlier this month where she ran fourth in a Class 2 race.
“I thought 900 metres would be nice for her first-up but we didn’t get the result we were after,” Portelli said.
“She got run off her feet early and was no hope.
“I think the 1200 metres at Canterbury will suit better but she needs to relax.
“We know how much potential she has. She is a fantastic track worker and she needs to take that to the races.”
While Portelli has some question marks over Racy, he is in no doubt how good Sebring Sun can be with the colt to run in Saturday’s Up And Coming Stakes at Randwick.
It will be Sebring Sun’s first attempt at 1300 metres, something Portelli says he should handle based on his last-start win in the Rosebud (1200m).
“He’s still got improvement in him but the way he won at Randwick last time tells me he can run the distance,” he said.
Ifhe comes through as Portelli expects, Sebring Sun will run in the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) on September 12.
