The plan for Rebel Dane’s spring campaign is to have no plan at all.
Trainer Gary Portelli says he has learned from Rebel Dane’s autumn not to push him towards set targets but rather let his condition decide the program.
Melbourne-based jockey Glen Boss made a cameo appearance at Warwick Farm on Friday to ride Rebel Dane and his stablemate I’m All The Talk in barrier trials which both won.
“Glen came up mainly to ride I’m All The Talk with a view to riding him in the Vain Stakes at Caulfield next month and I also asked him to ride Rebel Dane,” Portelli said.
“I told him we weren’t going to lock in a program for Rebel Dane but just take it one race at a time.
“At the moment the race I’m looking to start him off in is the Show County at Warwick Farm depending on what weight he gets.
“It’s hard to keep the weight on him and I think we might have overdone it last time.
“We were locked into a plan but in hindsight his first win where he put in a big run from a long way back and his second when he ran Pierro to a head, may have take a lot out of him.
“It’s hard to keep the weight on him. He can lighten off very quickly so we need to let him tell us where we are going.”
Rebel Dane won the Royal Sovereign Stakes in February before being beaten a short head by Pierro in the Hobartville Stakes.
He ran fourth behind It’s A Dundeel at his first Group One start in the Randwick Guineas then finished 10th in the weight-for-age George Ryder won by Pierro.
Portelli said Rebel Dane had gained 40kg during his recent spell and although he wouldn’t commit to a Group One spring target, the Galaxy next autumn was an aim.
“There’s no rush to run him in a Group One unless there’s a need for it,” he said.
“It depends where he can be placed with his 101 rating.”
I’m All The Talk’s most recent run was when he finished 10th in the Golden Slipper after winning his way into the race via the Skyline Stakes.
“He will run in the Vain and that will tell whether he stays in Melbourne for some of the other races,” Portelli said.
Group One-winning Chris Waller-trained stablemates, Shoot Out, Royal Descent and Sacred Falls, all finished behind Rebel Dane in Friday’s 800m heat.
