Portos And Kiss From A Rose Win Well At Randwick
Story By by Rob Burnet
Saturday, 4 September 2010: Berry, claiming 1.5kg off 53kg on the Bill Prain trained Portos in the $70,000, Carousel Tickets On Sale Now Handicap (2400m), put the plan into immediate effect from the moment the barriers opened and he was leading as the field swung into the Alison Road side.
Down the back straight Portos was bowling along comfortably and Berry kept a useful gap to the rest of the field. With 500m to run as they approached the final turn Berry had 2L in hand and that was nearly the race in the bag.
The field chased all the way down the main straight, and while Portos tired over the final 100m it had been a well judged ride by Berry and they won with1 1/2L over Mr Ponzi (NZ) (Zabeel) and Tye Angland with 53kg.
Buccaneeers Prize (NZ) (Montjeu) and Blake Shinn, with 54kg, were third, the margin a long head. The time on the Slow (7) track was 2.37.77 and the final 600m in 39.41 which reflected the heavy conditions. Immediately after the race the track was downgraded to a Heavy (8).
“He is a tough little bugger,” said Prain, describing the horse.
“I thought 2400m at the end of his preparation might be hard but he is getting stronger and stronger. I am sure he does not quicken that great but the others just have trouble running the sectionals he does,' he said.
Portos is a four-year-old by Quest For Fame out of the Arena mare Regal Arena and he is owned by Fred Peisah's Lomar Park Stud and CL Krogh. This was his fifth win from 13 starts and with three places he has now earned stakes of $115,350.
The heavy track was no barrier to a storming run in the following race, the $70,000, winabrasive.com.au Handicap (1200m), to the Gai Waterhouse trained Kiss From A Rose.
The well-bred four-year-old Encosta de Lago mare, a three-quarter relation to Northern Meteor, was far too smart for this field and under the expert guidance of Nash Rawiller the mare was clear by 3 3/4L at the line.
“She was very impressive,” declared Rawiller.
“She did not jump brilliantly but we got into a nice position early and then had a good kick.,” he said.
Kiss From A Rose, a home-bred for Gooree Pastoral Company being out of the Comic Strip mare Comical Smile, will now be set for higher tasks than Saturday's Benchmark 75 race with black type the mission for her.
The mare has raced just four times after a bleeding attack in March after winning her first two starts. The third win on Saturday has already added value to her broodmare prospects, but black type will certainly make her a very valuable addition to the Gooree broodmare band.
The third race of the programme was delayed after a tree branch fell onto the track at the 600m mark. Sydney, like most of NSW, had received further rain overnight and the tree, growing on the outside of the track, held up proceedings while a chainsaw was used to cut the offending branch away from its resting place on the outside of the course proper.
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