Portelli 'on song'

6 July 2021

A couple of ‘imports’ to the Sydney square-gaiting ranks will need to be at their very best if they hope to beat the in-form Brian Portelli stable at Tabcorp Park Menangle today.

Portelli’s stable has been right ‘on song’ in recent months with his stable stars Tasty Delight and Right Moves leading the way.

A flood of money saw his trotter Right Moves zoom into $2.90 favouritism at Menangle last week before accounting for both imports, Aldebaran Revani and Sekkie Monkey.

While Right Moves could not have been more impressive, there will be plenty lining up to back Sekkie Monkey with accomplished horseman Darren Binskin aboard again today.

First-up from New Zealand, Sekkie Monkey broke in the score-up last week and lost a conservative 15-20 lengths when the starter let them go.

Binskin didn’t panic and Sekkie Monkey slowly made up the ground and on the home turn had the audacity to look a winning chance, before fading slightly to finish third to Right Moves, with Aldebaran Revani in second place.

An American import, Aldebaran Revani is also certain to have improved from her first-up run for the Belinda McCarthy stable and boasts a couple of handy wins in the US before heading Down Under.

None of that will bother Portelli though, as Right Moves is proving a handy purchase since the Berkshire Park horseman bought him from Victorian interests a little over a year ago.

“She had solid form in Melbourne and has got great the breeding, which is what also attracted me to her in the first place,” said Portelli.

“Hopefully she can follow up her racing career as a good broodmare.

“But she has certainly turned into a pretty good buy.”

Right Moves is by French stallion The Best Madrik, from Group One-winning mare Right Interest.

The plucky mare has now won five races for Portelli from the 32 starts since joining his Sydney stables.

Meanwhile the in-form pair of trainer-driver Jack Trainor and gun young reinsman Cameron Hart again look the ones to watch in the majority of races at Menangle today.

Hart will handle two early favourites, Inherent Royal ($1.80) for Rickie Alchin in Race 1 and Blue Ocean ($2.50) for Jason Grimson in Race 4.

Trainor will also figure prominently, with his own stable newcomer Rocket Boy already odds-on to win Race 7, while Grimson has enlisted him for the drive on $2.25 favourite Teddy Feels Good in Race 8.