Trainer Gary Portelli’s already high opinion of the unbeaten Rebel Dane has been revised upwards following the colt’s come-from-behind win in the Royal Sovereign Stakes at Rosehill.
After a slow start to the Group Two race, Rebel Dane ($3.10) came out last of the nine runners and that’s where he stayed until the home turn.
Rebel Dane winning the Royal Sovereign Stakes 2013 - Photo by Steve Hart
As he started to make ground in the straight, Portelli thought Urquidez ($11) had given the field the slip and resigned himself to a minor placing at best.
But Jason Collett on Rebel Dane had other thoughts and urged him to the line to put a head on Urquidez.
“When he was so far back I thought we might have had a few excuses,” Portelli said.
“At the top of the straight I thought `here we go we might run a nice third or fourth.
“But what he did to give those horses a start like that was unbelievable.
“I don’t want to get carried away but he might be better than I first thought.
“I don’t think I’ve ever trained a horse like him with the ability to adapt that he has.”
The Royal Sovereign (1200m) was Rebel Dane’s fourth career start and his first in stakes class.
Portelli said the next step would be the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) before the Group One Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Warwick Farm in four weeks.
“He looks as if he will get 1400 to 1600 metres with no trouble on that performance,” he said.
“It’s exciting.”
Collett said his confidence was boosted at the 200m when he felt Rebel Dane give his all.
“I was confident at the 200 (metres). I felt him kick,” Collett said.
“We had a plan to go forward but had to switch to Plan B.
“He’s tough and he’s got a very big heart him. It was very special, I can’t stop smiling.”
The performance of Urquidez also made trainer Jarrod Austin smile but not as much as he was at the 100m.
“I thought we were home,” Austin said.
“I think the slightly wet track might have taken a bit out of him but he performed very well.”
Austin trains for Denise McGrath who stepped away from the Warwick Farm stable on June 2011 to concentrate on her breeding and pre-training concerns.
McGrath was on hand to see the three-year-old run.
“So near yet so far,” she said.
“He has shown he is up to this class and hopefully he can go onto to the Hobartville.”
Group One winning New Zealand colt Sacred Falls started the $2.80 favourite and made some ground to finish fifth after being one of the last out of the gates.
“I thought he ran well,” trainer Chris Waller said.
