Trainer Gary Portelli believes Ringarosa can progress through her grades after an impressive first-up maiden win at Kembla Grange on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Coming off a lengthy spell, the filly - ridden by jockey Louise Day - saluted in the Maiden Plate over 1000 metres on a heavy track.
Ringarosa was in the middle of the field heading into the final stretch, before powering home out wide to win by two-and-a-half lengths from Brad Widdup's Zalini, which tried to lead throughout, and the Gwenda Markwell-trained Mentalism.
"Yeah, I'm happy with that. She ran a big race first-up, but she's fortunately a pretty good filly and went around the next start at Randwick. But she pulled up a bit sore, so we had to give her a decent spell," Portelli said.
"We brought her back with the autumn season in mind. She really needed to win well (on Saturday) to consolidate our thoughts of having a crack at something decent.
''Coming into autumn we usually get a bit of rain, so it's the perfect time for her, she seems to relish a soft track.
"She's tradesman-like around the stable, all of the girls love her in the stable. But she's quite a light-framed horse that probably wouldn't take much racing at the moment while she's developing. She had a little knee problem, which is a worry, but she pulled up well on Sunday. She's a nice filly, but looks like she has a killer instinct when she decides to let rip - she's got plenty under the bonnet."
There were seven races at Kembla on Saturday, with seven trainers tasting success at the meeting.
However, it was a good day out for Day, who had two winners.
She also was successful aboard Jason Coyle's Nay To Remember to victory in the Maiden Handicap over 1200m.
The first race was the Class One and Maiden Handicap (2000m), which was claimed by Annabel Neasham's odds-on favourite Forever You, ridden by Brodie Loy.
Kembla trainer Gwenda Markwell had a winner in race three, the Two and Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate over 1200m, with Keagan Latham saluting aboard Flower Press.
Latham made it a brace when he rode David Payne's Supernova to win the Class One Handicap (1400m).
In the other races, Nick Mitchell's Rumpshaker - ridden by apprentice Ellen Hennessy - won a BenchMark 64 Handicap over 1200m, while Winona Costin steered Paul Murray's Crystal Waters to win a BenchMark 68 Handicap over 1400m.
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.
Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
