Luck can be crucial in racing and Royalzel got the best of it to kick off his preparation with a narrow win that not even jockey James Mcdonald thought he had scored.
Taking on the older horses, Royalzel settled fourth and showed great determination to get the better of Either Oar before the desperately unlucky Oxford Tycoon dived at him on the line after being blocked for a run for most of the straight.
Royalzel ($2.60 fav) managed to cling to victory and take out Saturday’s Midway Handicap (1300m) by a half-head over Oxford Tycoon ($9.50) with Either Oar ($17) another neck away in a busy finish.
“I actually thought I got beat so it was a pleasant surprise,” McDonald said.
“He’s a little ripper. Every time I’ve had something to do with him, he’s just given me the best ride ever.
“He’s a very willing sort of colt and he’s stringing a really good record together now.”
Royalzel has won four of his six starts and while fortune favoured him at Kembla Grange, trainer Gary Portelli felt there was merit in his effort to defeat older, more experienced rivals over a journey short of his pet distance.
A Listed winner over a mile, Royalzel will be given the chance to earn himself a shot at the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) this spring and Portelli expects the horse to improve significantly as he is stepped up in trip.
“I think we won lotto today. Everyone saw we were pretty lucky to win,” Portelli said.
“The second horse was very unlucky but that’s what racing is all about. I can show you a lot of videos about my horse being unlucky too.
“He’s a winner this little fellow and he’s only a three-year-old beating the older horses.”
