Gary Portelli has compared the impact James McDonald has in the saddle to that of a gifted rugby league player on the football field after the top jockey steered juvenile Royalzel to an emphatic victory at Rosehill.
A four-time Sydney premiership winner, McDonald is on target to clinch his fifth title this season and Portelli says he is riding in such a superb vein of form that he adds lengths to a horse’s form.
“He’s worth five lengths. You just walk up and say, ‘mate, you know what to do’,” Portelli said.
“He’d watched all his barrier trials, he knows as much about the horse as I do and he’s just got that sixth sense.
“He’s got the ability like a good footballer. They all look the same but one bloke scores the tries and this bloke seems to do the same.”
An impressive winner on a heavy track at Kembla Grange two starts ago, Royalzel disappointed his trainer when fifth to Cape Breton at his metropolitan debut earlier this month.
But with blinkers off and back to a water-logged surface at Rosehill on Saturday, the Snitzel youngster, who started at $4.80 with Neds, atoned to win the E Group Security Handicap (1500m) by 1-1/4 lengths over Deficit ($4.60 fav) with Raging Bull ($8) another 1-1/2 lengths further back.
Portelli is keen to keep Royalzel in work to make the most of his liking for winter tracks.
“It looks like his cup of tea, doesn’t it?” Portelli said.
“Obviously he’s a good wet tracker so I’d hate to miss too much of winter with the prize money that’s on offer.
“I don’t like putting horses out that are in form. I’d like to think he’s up to better grade, but I’d rather keep winning now and find out later.”
