Rebel Dane returned to the races, after a lengthy stint in the spelling paddock, with an impressive second place finish behind Lankan Rupee in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick last weekend and Portelli will give the son of California Dane an opportunity to score a second win at Group 1 level in the All Aged Stakes.
“We are going to the All Aged Stakes for sure,” Portelli told TVN.
“Lankan Rupee not being there probably cemented the deal.”
Portelli admitted that Rebel Dane had taken a while to recover from his tough first-up run in the T.J. Smith Stakes, but had bounced back well in the past two days; forcing Portelli to work the four-year-old at Warwick Farm this morning.
“I was a bit worried about him on Sunday but he has bounced back strong,” Portelli said.
“He just wasn’t interested and he was a bit flat.
“He left a little tucker on Saturday night and then didn’t eat much breakfast but then really polished his night feed off and hasn’t looked back since
“I had to work him two laps of the track today; he was too full of himself.”
Rebel Dane remains a chance of heading to Queensland for the 2014 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival and at this stage will contest the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) at Doomben on May 24 before backing up in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm a fortnight late.
The talented entire scored his maiden Group 1 victory under handicap conditions and over 1400 metres in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival, but Portelli believes that the four-year-old may now be weighted out of handicap events after his impressive performances at weight-for-age level.
“I’m thinking then we would have a month between runs in to the Doomben 10,000,” Portelli said.
“We have the Stradbroke option after that, depending on how he goes in the next two starts, but if he happens to win one his rating might go up a little too high for the handicap races.”
Rebel Dane had a rating of 109 at the end of the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival, but that figure is expected to rise following his impressive performance behind Lankan Rupee in the T.J. Smith Stakes on Saturday.
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