Clubs comes up trumps for Portelli at Rosehill races
Trainer Gary Portelli ended a rollercoaster week on a high as Queen Of Clubs delivered an exciting victory at Rosehill, less than 24 hours after the early retirement of stable star Kimochi.
Kimochi was expected to line up in Saturday’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in Brisbane but was ruled out due to a tendon injury that ultimately forced her retirement.
“It has been a pretty hard twenty-four hours after finding out Kimochi had bowed her tendon yesterday,” Portelli said.
“She will be retired. It’s a pretty decent tear and she is a more valuable broodmare now.”
In a silver lining, Queen Of Clubs showed considerable promise in winning the Chandon Handicap (1400m), a performance that could mark her emergence as a stakes-class filly.
“We will probably stop and work out a program that will see her in all the big fillies’ races,” Portelli said.
“One door closes and another one opens, and I’ve been saying all along this is my next big thing. Today showed we are heading in the right direction.”
The filly, who started at $31, powered home under jockey Andrew Calder to defeat Regulated Affair ($4.40) by 1-1/4 lengths, with Gemologist ($21) running third.
“We haven’t stopped backing her since the odds came out, so it has been a good result for everyone,” Portelli said.
Calder, a decorated New Zealand rider with seven Group 1 victories, notched his first city win of the season and praised Queen Of Clubs’ scope and professionalism.
“She is very progressive and has a great, big stride on her,” Calder said.
“At the 200 metres, I thought she was just going to get there but then at the 100 metres she really lengthened nicely.
“She is going to make a nice three-year-old filly, that’s for sure.”
Namaste, sent out the $4 favourite, led early but faded to finish seventh.
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