Colt makes price look even more attractive

4 min read

Written by Paul Vettise

A colt purchased for well under the expected asking looked sharp at Wednesday’s Canterbury trials when he ran the fastest time among the 2-year-olds on parade.

On a heavy track, the Gary Portelli-trained Roman Wolf (Deep Field) coped well with the conditions to clock 54.76 in the hands of Jason Collett.

“He’s always showed ability. He’s not there yet and he might need another preparation,” Portelli said.

“In his first trial he got a bit lost, but it was good to see him show gate speed this time and a bit of tenacity late and kick back when that Rubick (Rubick’s Honour) came at him.

“I’ll see how he comes through this, but it’s all ahead of him and I might just put him aside yet.” - Gary Portelli.

“I’ll see how he comes through this, but it’s all ahead of him and I might just put him aside yet.”

A $120,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale buy, the youngster is a half-brother to six winners including the stakes performer Light Touch (Charge Forward) with their mother the unraced Exhibit (Octagonal {NZ}).

The dam is a half-sister to the G1 Myer Classic winner Bonaria (Redoute’s Choice) and the Group 3 winners Time Out (Rory’s Jester) and Legally Bay (Snippets), who has produced the international star sprinter Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock).

He retired to Coolmore with Group 1 victories in the Royal Ascot Diamond Jubilee S. and in the Coolmore Stud S.

Roman Wolf pictured as a yearling

“He’s a lovely horse and I got him pretty cheaply,” Portelli said. “I thought I would have to go to $250,000 or $300,000 for him, he’s a very good sort of colt.

“The vendor didn’t put a reserve on him so it was right place right time.

“He’s raced by Joe Stambe and his brother and he’s been a client for a long time and our paths crossed at the sale.

“He (owner Joe Stambe) told me he was the under-bidder on the top lot by Brazen Beau so I said to him you’d better look at this colt and we got him.” - Gary Portelli.

“He told me he was the under-bidder on the top lot by Brazen Beau so I said to him you’d better look at this colt and we got him.”

Hopes of Slipper repeat

Portelli is well-served in the 2-year-old department and the unbeaten Time To Reign (Time For War) is back in work.

“He did a bit of three-quarter pace on Thursday morning and he’s in a good place,” he said.

Time To Reign is a half-brother to Portelli’s 2017 G1 Golden Slipper S. winner She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain) and there are hopes he can emulate his older sibling.

Time To Reign

They are out of the Charge Forward mare Courgette, who won on two occasions, and is out of a sister to the Listed Gimcrack S. winner Millie and a half-sister to the Listed Winter Cup winner Touch Of Sun (Snippets), It is also the family of the G1 Toorak H. winner Penghulu (Belele).

Time To Reign made a successful debut at Randwick in October and was then given a break after he led all the way to score at Rosehill.

“I’ve got a couple of plans and he might go to the Silver Slipper or the race on Inglis day, the Lonhro Plate,” Portelli said.

Another speedy Starspangledbanner

Igniting (Starspangledbanner) was another to catch the eye at Canterbury on Thursday, with the Aquis-owned colt trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace striding easily clear to win comfortably with ears pricked.

The 2-year-old colt is out of the Starcraft mare Sell In May and was purchased for $180,000 from the Inglis Classic Sale by Aquis and Maher.