Patrick Payne said it was likely that Cherry Tortoni would keep to distances around a mile in the spring after the high-class son of Night Of Thunder (IRE) captured Saturday’s Listed Adelaide Guineas at Morphettville.
Ridden by Todd Pannell, Cherry Tortoni was in a different league to his nine overmatched rivals.
He came away to defeat the Casino Prince gelding Casino Seventeen by three lengths with the Ocean Park filly Spooning three-quarter of a length back in third.
Cherry Tortoni advances his record to five wins with his third stakes win, two seconds and a third from 13 starts with earnings of $741,925.
Winless since the Group II Moonee Valley Vase last October, Cherry Tortoni rarely runs a bad race. However, Payne said he was disappointed with the geldings last start fifth in the Group II Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill.
“He pulled up a little flat, so we thought we would freshen him up and win a race with him.
“This was the perfect race as he should have been giving the second horse 13kgs. It was great to get his confidence back because he had not won this preparation.
“We have kept him busy as a two and three-year-old, so he deserves a bit of a rest now.
Payne suggested that races like the Group 1 Cantala Stakes at Flemington in the spring would be a suitable target.
“He is very good at the mile at Flemington so we will aim at those sought of races.”
Carrying the familiar red with white cap silks of Sandy Tait and Jill Nivison, Cherry Tortoni is the best of three winners from as many to race out of the Strategic mare Tortoni (Strategic) who is a half-sister to the 13-time Group 1 winner Tie The Knot (Nassipour) who banked $6.2 million when trained by the late Guy Walter.
Also, a half-sister to the Listed winners Hood (Shamardal) and Dream Ballad (Singspiel), Tortoni is the final foal of the Group 1 VATC One Thousand Guineas heroine Whisked (Whiskey Road).
Tortoni has a yearling filly by Churchill (IRE) and a weanling filly by Mendelssohn (USA).
She was covered by Too Darn Hot (IRE) last spring.
