Portelli relies on Williams to deliver for Verona Rose at Rosehill
Gary Portelli anticipates a similar stroke of fortune as Craig Williams teams up with Verona Rose for the Coolmore Classic at Rosehill, where the mare aims to secure her maiden Group One victory.
The jockey orchestrated the delayed breakthrough for Portelli's previous champion Kimochi, who recorded placings in three premier events before prevailing in the 2024 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
Beyond Portelli's high regard for the top-tier rider's on-course prowess, he cherishes Williams' input outside of competition.
"We've got a good association and I just love being able to leg him on," Portelli said.
"You don't have to talk about the race too much. He's done his homework, he comes out and tells the owners what he wants, where he wants to be, and then we might talk about the Ukraine war or something like that. It breaks up the nervousness.
"Craig is fantastic. I love his business acumen. His word is his word and importantly, he's a great rider. He is very professional."
Williams has a perfect record from two outings aboard Verona Rose, winning the Inglis Bracelet (1600m) at Flemington in spring along with the Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in her latest appearance.
At $10 in the market for the Coolmore Classic (1500m) over 14 starters on Saturday at Rosehill, Portelli expects a true gallop to suit Verona Rose's potent late charge.
In such a scenario, he believes she has a real shot at contending.
"We had a dream that she'd run in a Coolmore last campaign, but we wanted to see something from her that would warrant going around and not making a fool of ourselves," Portelli said.
"After her last run, we're now at the reality that we're a legitimate chance of winning."
Additionally, Portelli enters fillies Queen Of Clubs and Long Legs in the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m) on Friday, a contest Verona Rose dominated 12 months prior.
Queen Of Clubs disappointed by trailing the field in the Surround Stakes (1400m) last time, but Portelli now sees it as a training oversight.
"She pulled up really fat. She is a gross filly, and she is taking a lot of work to get fit," he said.
"I don't work my horses very hard, and it showed up last start."
Portelli foresees an advantage for Queen Of Clubs on the yielding Kembla Grange track, slow 7 as of Thursday, plus a notable gear tweak.
"If she is going towards the Oaks, she needs to do a lot more this week," Portelli said.
"Blinkers off, she should run well."
Long Legs notched a placing in the Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle previously, setting up expectations for a strong effort.
Visit the online bookmakers to find the best markets for Verona Rose in the Coolmore Classic.
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