The $300,000 Group II ATC Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday attracted a strong field with Castelvecchio mare Verona Rose taking the prize over Group I winner Manaal.
Trained by Gary Portelli and ridden by Craig Williams, Verona Rose was a Group III winner at three and closed out her spring winning the $350,000 VRC Inglis Bracelet at Flemington. She was second up today after a good third when returning in the Group III ATC Triscay Stakes two weeks ago.
That run put the writing on the wall and she duly bounced out of it to charge home and win by nearly a length.
Craig Williams is developing a partnership with the mare having also ridden her when she won at Flemington in the spring.
“She just felt like she was nearly at her top just to hold that spot with horses all around her. I followed the horse that I wanted to follow in the race, and I was confident they would be able to take me as far as I needed to go,” said Craig Williams.
“She came out, she lengthened, and I thought, ‘well, she's still going really well and lengthening,’ but the last little bit she really put in an acceleration and put it away.
“Well, I‘ve won on her over the mile and I won over 1400m, so she's effective in most races. She was very good first-up as well over a shorter trip. She's in really good form and she's going super, and she'll get more confidence there from the win.”
A modest $40,000 Inglis Classic purchase from Arrowfield Stud for her trainer Gary Portelli, Verona Rose has been a great investment for her large ownership group with five wins from 13 starts earning over $700,000.
The Group I ATC Coolmore Classic (1500m) is the likely next stop for Verona Rose on March 14.
“That's what the plan has been. I thought physically she had improved this preparation, and here she is,” said Gary Portelli.
“She is a daughter of a good stallion in Castelvecchio, we bought her for $40,000 from Arrowfield at the Classic Sale. We were aiming for an Oaks when I first bought her, we thought she has got a pedigree that should run two miles. But she's brilliant.
"I think the Coolmore, down in the weights, she should be very competitive."
Verona Rose was bred and sold by Arrowfield and is the best of two winners from three to race from the Aga Khan bred Minamya (Fr), a winning half-sister by Makfi to staying stakes-winner Mila from Group III winning stayer Minatlya from the family of triple Aussie Group I winning import Manighar (Fr).
Minamya has a yearling colt by Hitotsu that was offered at Magic Millions and purchased by Portelli Racing for $100,000.
Minamya sadly died last spring and her final foal is a colt by Castelvecchio, who was back in business last spring covering his biggest ever book of 155 mares at his highest fee to date of $49,500.
