First impressions: Gary Portelli on the money with Trapeze Artist prediction

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

The near-flawless campaign of last season’s Champion 2-Year-Old, Fireburn (Rebel Dane), represents the culmination of years of hard work, attention to detail and a well-executed business strategy from Warwick Farm’s pre-eminent juvenile handler Gary Portelli.

Early in his career he identified a niche, worked diligently to exploit it, and has, in recent years, reaped the rewards. Speaking to TDN AusNZ, Portelli explained how it all started.

“When I first came to Warwick Farm, I noticed an obvious market to me in people that wanted to buy horses that were going to get a quick return,” he said. “Every year, Clarry Conners and John Hawkes were at the forefront, and I spent a lot of time watching what they did with their babies.

“It was a lot of trial and error, but in the last few years we’ve arrived at a pretty good system. But it’s all very well identifying them, then you’ve got to make them peak on the big days.”

Far away from the limelight of the Golden Slipper, that’s a skill that Portelli honed through his attacks on one of its lead-up events, the G3 Black Opal S. Portelli has trained the winner of that race three times since 2001, with multiple placings along the way.

Reflecting on some hard-learned lessons, Portelli sighed as he admitted: “It was a long way until 2017 when She Will Reign walked into the stable.”

Hence, it wasn’t a chance he was about to waste…

“We identified pretty quickly that we had a much better horse than just a Black Opal horse. It was my time to make sure that all of that education that I’d gone through, learning how to train young horses, was put into use on a horse which could actually win the Golden Slipper.”

And it worked out pretty well, with the star filly beaten only once on the way into the premier juvenile event.

Gallery: G1 Golden Slipper-winning fillies trained by Gary Portelli, images courtesy of Bronwen Healy

With the requisite experience now firmly under his belt, Portelli is well able to identify and prime those star 2-year-olds when they do come along, though, of course, things still need to fall the right way on the day.

“To win you need the right horse. I woke up in 2017 and thought, ‘This is my Slipper to lose’, I thought she’d just win. It was the same thing this year just gone – they both had no luck, but one was good enough to pick itself up and get the job done.”

Trapeze Artist

Having taken note of him when challenging his first Slipper winner, Portelli credited Widden Stud’s Trapeze Artist with some key attributes.

“Trapeze Artist raced in the same Slipper as She Will Reign, and he trained on to be a very good horse at four to be one of the best sprinters in the world.

“I thought he showed speed, tenacity and soundness. That’s something I look for if you’re going for a first-season sire. We all know that not many first-season sires make it, but to me he seemed a great chance.”

Testament to that belief, Portelli has four colts by Trapeze Artist in his stable, and he commended their attitudes.

“My boys are all very easy to deal with; strappers love them, riders love them – no dramas at all.

“I was looking for a certain type by him, and I went for the smaller type, the more precocious types that were going to grow into themselves rather than the big, heavy ones which were going for loads of money. I wanted a horse that was a little more athletic, going to come to hand quickly and stay sound.”

And it looks as if Portelli was on the money as Trapeze Artist was represented by four triallers at Randwick on Monday, with the first to step out being his own Flying Trapeze. He duly got his first-season sire off to the perfect start by winning Heat 5, and will now be aimed at the G3 Breeders’ Plate.

“He’s shown plenty in his work,” Portelli reported. “I loved him as a yearling; not too big, lovely shape, big hindquarter on him and a lovely walk – and he’s really come along nicely, and I think he’s a pretty handy 2-year-old.”

Flying Trapeze, an $85,000 purchase by his trainer at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, is out of the Bernardini (USA) mare Coromandel, who is a full sister to G2 ATC Phar Lap S. winner Toydini.

Portelli took out the Breeders’ Plate only last year, with the talented Sejardan (Sebring), who went on to win both the Golden Gift and the G2 Todman S., before encountering unsuitable ground in the Slipper.

Dual winner Miss Amajardan (Hinchinbrook) is the dam of Sejardan, whose half-brother by Trapeze Artist was knocked down to Golden River/All Winners from Hong Kong for $250,000 at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, and is now in Portelli's hands at Warwick Farm.

“We’ve got the half-brother to Sejardan that was given to me to train by clients. He’s a nice horse that was underdone for sale and he’s improved immensely since he’s been educated,” Portelli reported.

Another that Portelli purchased himself is the colt out of Royal Myth (Golden Archer), who he bought at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $150,000 earlier this year. He has been named Royal Trapeze, though Portelli noted that he isn’t as forward as his others by the same sire.

“(The) Royal Myth (colt) has been through once. These Easter horses take a little bit longer to get through the system, but he’s a beautifully shaped horse, a nice size, not too big, and a powerful sprinting type.”

Gallery: Two-year-olds by Trapeze Artist that Gary Portelli has in work, images courtesy of Inglis

Brave Smash

Portelli has two progeny of Aquis Farm’s Brave Smash (Jpn) in his stable this year, and chose to highlight the one he purchased at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. From the draft of Bowness Stud, the colt out of Music Media (More Than Ready {USA}) was a $130,000 buy for the trainer, and it’s another family affair for him.

“A neater horse, not too big, chunky though. I actually trained his mum, who produced an Oaks winner,” Portelli said.

“She was fairly early but just not strong enough to be any good (as a juvenile). She showed a lot of speed, she trialled early, but just on raceday found it a bit too hard.”

Nonetheless, Music Media was a winner for Portelli, and, as he noted, is a proven top-flight producer already with Media Award (Shamus Award) a winner of last year's G1 SAJC Australasian Oaks.

“I liked him, he was short-coupled and I thought he’d grown into a nice horse. He’s very precocious. He didn’t go to the official trials but he’ll trial a week later. I’ll keep him for that second run of 2-year-olds after the Breeders’ Plate and the Gimcrack.”

Written By

Another first-season sire for Widden Stud, Written By has featured prominently in the First Impressions series so far. He was represented by only one trial runner on Monday, Maktabi, who finished off strongly to take second place in the final heat of the morning.

Portelli has just one progeny of his in training this year, a filly that he places amongst the second wave of 2-year-olds of his to come through, and she has certainly pleased him so far.

“Beautiful horse to deal with, moves lovely and she’ll be another one to come through in that second run of 2-year-olds after the Breeders’ Plate, etc. If she stands up, hopefully she’ll get through to trialling and racing in November.”

A homebred for Team McDonnell, the filly has been named Lady Jezam, the daughter to My Last Fling (Sebring). The McDonnells also retained Lady Jezam’s half-sister, Frankie Pinot (Your Song), who was placed as a juvenile and went on to win the Listed Wangoom H. and place fourth in the G1 The Goodwood.

“She’s been through twice and she’s a natural,” Portelli said of Lady Jezam. “She’s a beautiful, big filly. I just thought some of the Written Bys were a little on the smaller size at the sales. He’s a bit of a cookie cutter, he certainly put a certain type out there.”