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| Staff Writer |
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Gary Portelli is eyeing a dual-pronged assault on Australian racing's highest peaks, with talented mare Kimochi set to tackle Friday night's Gr.1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley as a stepping stone towards a potential US$15 million The Everest start.
The Warwick Farm trainer believes Kimochi performs at her optimum when slightly underdone, a strategy that has yielded three first-up victories in her career to date.
"When I've had her fresh and she's won, in my mind, she's been underdone and that's the best way to have her," Portelli explained. "Because she's so athletic and so clean-winded, you can do too much going into a race with them sometimes."
Kimochi has been kept ticking over since her gutsy win in the Group Three Toy Show Quality (1100m) at Randwick. Portelli reports the mare has added condition but worked well on Saturday morning, suggesting she's primed for a big run.
The US$1.3 million Manikato Stakes, scheduled earlier this year, fits perfectly into Portelli's grand plan for Kimochi. The race serves as an ideal audition for a coveted slot in The Everest, while keeping options open for the US$7.5 million Golden Eagle.
"It just worked out better in the program for either The Everest or the Golden Eagle," Portelli said. "Going this way, she can go around this weekend then a fortnight into The Everest if she happened to win and Yulong or someone else takes her. If not, there's the Silver Eagle then we go into the Golden Eagle."
The Manikato Stakes has been kind to Portelli in the past, with Rebel Dane famously scoring at long odds in 2016. Kimochi's sire, Brave Smash, also claimed victory in 2018 with Hugh Bowman aboard.
This year's edition boasts an impressive honour roll, including recent winners Hey Doc (2020), Jonker (2021), and Bella Nipotina (2022). Many of these sprinters went on to achieve further Group One success, a path Portelli hopes Kimochi will emulate.
Purchased by prominent Victorian-based breeder Yulong earlier this year, Kimochi is on a mission to secure that elusive Group One win. The Manikato Stakes marks her sixth attempt at the highest level, with Portelli confident she's ready to make the breakthrough.
"Yulong have bought her to try to win a Group One and, whilst the Manikato is probably not the race that looks perfect for her by any means, it's still a Group One," Portelli said.
With a favourable barrier six draw and Jason Collett in the saddle, Kimochi looks well-placed to stake her claim for Everest contention. A strong showing in the Manikato could see her secure a slot in the world's richest turf race, fulfilling Portelli's lofty ambitions for the talented mare.