Queen Of Clubs to nnounce her carnival credentials in 2025 Silver Shadow Stakes

Trainer Gary Portelli is giving Queen Of Clubs her chance to shine in stakes company this weekend after a strong piece of trackwork and the booking of James McDonald convinced him she was ready for the Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m).

Portelli admits logic suggests she could be outsprinted, but her work at Warwick Farm has given him confidence. “Her trackwork on Tuesday was a Group One performance gallop,” he said. “She worked with Encap, matched motors with him if not had his measure. They ran really good time on the Polytrack so I’m going to the race pretty excited. I doubt she is a 1200-metre horse but the heavy track might work with her stamina.”

The champion jockey partnered her in a recent trial, and Portelli said he even considered running in a Midway Handicap to secure him. “I rang his manager to see if he could ride her, thinking he probably wouldn’t want to ride her in the Silver Shadow but that there was a Midway on the same day and maybe if I started her in the Midway I might get ‘J Mac’ to stick with her,” Portelli said. “His manager said, ‘don’t worry about the Midway, he will ride her in the Silver Shadow’. If she can run well and give him a good feel, the Flight Stakes is the race we earmarked for her as a two-year-old with her pedigree.”

Stable star Encap also resumes at Randwick in the Show County Quality (1200m). Although his lone attempt on heavy ground in the All Aged Stakes (1400m) was disappointing, Portelli isn’t convinced it was a true guide. “They called the meeting off after that race and he was at the end of his campaign so there’s a question mark over whether he was at his best at that point,” he said. “Maybe we just run and see. He just needs to race. He’s too well.”

Nash Rawiller will partner Encap, who is being targeted towards a defence of the Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) next month.