He was a galloper who won eight races and over $2.4 million in prize money for trainer Gary Portelli, and Rebel Dane is continuing to provide the Warwick Farm conditioner with on-track success with progeny such as Fireburn and Rebel Shadow now representing the stallion.
A winner of the Group 1 Rupert Clarke and Group 1 Manikato when under Portelli’s care, Rebel Dane now stands at Glen Eden Stud in Victoria for $8,000+GST with his oldest runners being three-year-olds. Portelli has already experienced some handy results with the offspring of his former top-liner.
Fireburn is a two-year-old filly who was thereabouts on debut at Warwick Farm before putting it all together at Randwick on December 18 to win going away from them. She lines up in the Ranvet Handicap over 1150m at Kensington this Saturday.
“She went well last start, but the small field probably helped,” Portelli said.
“She’s come on since the run and it will be interesting to see how she lines up against this opposition.
“I’ve got three Rebel Danes at this stage and she’s probably the best of them at the moment.”
Later in the card Portelli saddles up Rebel Shadow in the Petaluma Handicap over 1300m, a son of Rebel Dane who is building a solid record with a win and three placings from five outings. He’ll be looking to bounce back from an underwhelming performance on his home surface last time out.
“Rebel Shadow was a touch disappointing with the big weight last start. We rode him a bit close,” Portelli said.
“Blinkers go on this time and he’s had a bit of a freshen up since.
“Not sure where we go from this weekend but we’ll just see how we go and work out if he is a winter horse because he did win on a wet track at Canterbury.”
Portelli will be looking to get weight relief for both Fireburn and Rebel Shadow, engaging 3kg claimer Tyler Schiller on both mounts.
“He rides really well Tyler,” Portelli said.
“You get any advantage you can this time of year when you’ve got the likes of J Mac (James McDonald) away.
“You take 3kg’s off when you’ve got fit horses and it really helps.”
As to his unbeaten two-year-old and Golden Slipper hopeful Sejardan, Portelli has a clear path mapped out.
“He is up to three-quarter pace now and he’ll trial around the 20th of January,” Portelli said.
“We’ll go straight into the Millennium and then definitely the Slipper.”
Sejardan currently sits on the second line of Golden Slipper betting at $9 with the TAB.