Oz trainer eyes up Karaka Million
Picaro will make his debut at Warwick Farm on Saturday
Gary Portelli has just one twoyear-old in his stable from the Karaka sale but that may be all he needs for a tilt at New Zealand’s richest race. Picaro will make his debut at Warwick Farm on Saturday with a view to qualifying for the $1 million Karaka Million at Ellerslie on January 27.
Portelli won the world’s richest race for two-year-olds last year when She Will Reign took out the A$3.5m Golden Slipper and he has Secret Lady in the A$2m Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast on January 13.
“Picaro is a very nice horse and he is on trial for the Karaka Million,” Portelli said.
“He is a Pierro gelding and he has shown plenty at home and ran a nice second in a trial at Rosehill.
“I don’t think he’s a Slipper type but if he can get to the Ellerslie race then we would take him.”
Portelli has a 100 per cent strike rate at Ellerslie with his only other runner at the Auckland track, Gold Trail, taking out the 2010 Group One Railway.
Visiting Irish jockey Declan McDonogh will ride Picaro in Saturday’s 2YO Handicap (1200m) while the trainer also has Now Or Never entered but she is more likely to run at Canterbury the evening before.
As well as Secret Lady, Portelli is taking Testashadow back to the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions meeting.
Testashadow won last year’s A$1m Cup (1400m) but will step up to 2200m this time for the Trophy.
If Picaro does make it to Ellerslie for the Karaka Million one key juvenile who won’t be waiting there for him is Bit Lippy, who is instead in line for another trip to the central districts.
The Matamata youngster has placed in all three of his starts, each time in black type company, and the Phoenix Park 2YO Classic (1200m) at New Plymouth on February 3 will be his next assignment because he is not Karaka Million eligible.
“He’ll go down to Taranaki, he’s already had a trip to Wellington and he handles everything perfectly,” trainer Wayne Hillis said.
Bit Lippy finished runner-up on debut in the Listed Ashford Lodge Stakes (1100m) at Pukekohe before he ran third in the Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1200m) at Trentham.
On New Year’s Day at Ellerslie, the son of Showcasing came from last to finish second behind the unbeaten Melt with She’s A Thief and Al Hasa third and fourth respectively.
“He made up a lot of ground and beat a couple of good ones as well,” Hillis said.
Bit Lippy’s autumn programme will take in the group one Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie and the group one Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni. “The distance of the Manawatu race will suit him the best,” Hillis said.
Meanwhile, stablemate Nothing Trivial will today shoot for another Thames Cup (2000m), a race he won in 2015. The group placed stayer, who has also won over hurdles, was successful in the Taupo Cup (1950m) at his most recent appearance.
“He’s trained on well since then,” Hillis said. “He’s always been an honest horse and he’s been unlucky a few times as well.