Kimochi on target for All Aged Stakes tilt

Trainer Gary Portelli will pin his hopes on talented mare Kimochi this weekend as she returns to the 1400m trip for the Group 1 All-Aged Stakes at Randwick, the final major race day of Sydney’s autumn carnival.

The race, along with the Champagne Stakes (1600m) for two-year-olds, wraps up the elite-level racing action in New South Wales for the season.

Kimochi has been building well this preparation, producing a strong second placing in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes and a brave fifth from a wide barrier in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes.

Portelli has had the All-Aged Stakes on the radar for some time, especially after Kimochi claimed the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over this distance during the spring carnival.

“She’s come through the run well (in the TJ Smith) and she’s in good order,” Portelli said.

“It’s a perfect preparation, she had a month between runs from first-up to second-up and two weeks to the third-up run.

“I’m pretty happy with her but it’s a pretty tough race.”

Barrier draw will be key for Kimochi, who had no favours last start when forced to race three-wide from gate 13 in the TJ Smith Stakes.

“It was a good run,” Portelli said.

“She was trapped three-wide and just kept battling away. Nash was pretty confident that had we drawn a better gate we would have got a better result.

“The 1400m is a perfect distance for her. It’s always been a race we thought would be a perfect race for her over the seven furlongs at Randwick but it’s going to be a strong All-Aged Stakes. We know what we’re up against but she’ll run well if she draws well.”

Meanwhile, stablemate Encap will step out over 2000m for the first time in the Group 3 JRA Plate, following his eye-catching third in the Doncaster Mile.

Portelli hopes Saturday’s effort will guide future plans, with races like the Hollindale Stakes and Doomben Cup on the table, or alternatively a freshen-up for the Stradbroke Handicap.

“We’ve always been wanting to try him at 2000m and he’s in such good order that I think now is the time to try,” Portelli said.