The short straight at Hawkesbury is trainer Gary Portelli’s one concern heading into Saturday’s Listed Darley Crown with Rose Of Peace.
While the mare is adaptable in her racing pattern, her two career wins have come when she has settled back in the field and stormed home.
But Portelli doesn’t believe she can afford to give away a start at the tighter Hawkesbury circuit.
“I don’t think she needs to be ridden too far back,” Portelli said.
“If she jumps ok she will probably roll forward into a midfield position.”
Rose Of Peace was a boilover winner of the Wenona Girl Quality (1200m) at Randwick during the Sydney carnival.
She then bumped into freakish filly Atlantic Jewel in the Sapphire Stakes over the same trip and wasn’t disgraced in finishing sixth.
Portelli has taken a different approach with her this campaign after originally training her as a stayer.
She is out of Rose O’ War who finished runner-up in the 1998 Wakeful Stakes and Crown Oaks and was fifth in the Caulfield Cup the following year.
Rose Of Peace also shaped as though she would appreciate ground and finished 1-1/2 lengths fourth to Brazilian Pulse in the 2010 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
But her subsequent efforts over longer trips were below par prompting Portelli to try something different this preparation.
A trouble-free campaign has also helped her find form.
“She had a few little growing issues when she was younger and after the Guineas at Scone (last year) when the track was firm she had a few issues with her fetlocks,” Portelli said.
“But this time in she’s been very sound and we’ve worked out she’s a sprinter-miler type of horse.
“She ran fourth in a Wakeful and being out of an Oaks placegetter we thought she might have been a stayer but she fails to stay.
“You don’t win a 1200 metre Listed race like she did if you’re a stayer.”
The Darley Crown (1300m) has attracted a field of 14 and Peter Snowden again looks set to play a strong hand in the race sponsored by his stable.
Snowden has won the race three times with Sung in 2008, Serenissima in 2010 and Kanzan, who led in a trifecta for him last year.
He will be represented by Screen and Forfeiture on Saturday with his other entrants, Parables and Mascareri, early scratchings.
