Denman Fly To Win

ELITE SUPPORTS DENMAN WITH COLT

Gary Portelli told Elite Thoroughbreds that he believes the sire of this colt Denman "is the next big thing, the next Fastnet Rock!

"They were sought after at the Magic Millions sale by all the top stables, and for good reason. This outstanding colt is as close to his sire Denman as you will see. He has a great attitude and is a real athlete. Indeed, our 'star' buy for the year! "

Denman is from the second crop of foals by the 11-time Group 1 winner, Lonhro a great racehorse that is now the sire of 41 stakes winner from seven crops to have raced.  Denman, was the first of Lonhro's six Group 1 winners and was trained by Peter Snowden for Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.

Denman is out of the prolific producing Vain mare, Peach a mare that only raced twice recording a win and a third earning connections $3,900.  Peach has since produced 14 foals, 11 of which are winners and include the Canny Lad sisters Preserve, winner of the Group 1 VRC Sire’s Produce Stakes (1400m), the Group 2 STC Magic Night Stakes (1200m), Gosford Slipper and Debutante Stakes, and Rio Osa who earned black-type in the Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) at Scone and in the Festival of Racing Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.

Speed is apparent in the pedigree with Denman’s grandam Market Maid an unraced daughter by Marscay and a half-sister to the Group 1 Golden Slipper winner, Dark Eclipse (by Baguette).

From the first crop of foals, Denman has had six runners for three winners (50%) and include Law (ex Lady Cat) winner of two races including the Listed ATC Breeders' Plate and the Listed stakes placegetter, Piacenza (ex Pachanga).

NOT ENOUGH?  Fly To Win won seven races and placed another 13-times during a racing career that spanned 43 starts.  Amongst the wins are three were recorded at Doomben over distances that range from 1300m to 1660m.

Retiring for stud duties in 2011 with earnings of more than $168,000 this colt by Denman is the mares’ first foal.  The mares’ owners were so impressed with the colt they sent Fly to Win back to Denman the following spring and now have a filly foal on the ground.

Fly To Win is a sister to Haste Ye Back, Group 3 MRC Tranquil Star Stakes and Listed MVRC Silver Jubilee Stakes winner, as both are out of the Water Mill mare, Flyaway.  Fly To Win is by the five-time Group 1 winner, Danewin who is also the damsire of the 2013 Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner (ex Dane Belltar) and the Gary Portelli trained Gold Trail (ex Trail of Gold).

The syndicate will be managed by Adrian Allan from Elite Thoroughbreds.

Gary Portelli added to his Group 1 tally early in the 2013-14 racing season when Rebel Dane strode home ahead of Fontelina and Solzhenitsyn in the Invitation Stakes, sponsored by Rupert Clarke, at Caulfield last September.  Rebel Dane's win added to the Group 1 AJC Oaks victory of Rena's Lady and the New Zealand Railway Stakes win with his top class sprinter, Gold Trail.

At the close of the 2012-13 season, Gary signed off the stables seasonal earnings with $1.2million with the new season ticking over since August 1st, 2013 the stable is on track to surpass that figure with earnings totaling $738,385 as of January 23rd, 2014.

Along with the win in the Group 1, Rebel Dane also won the Group 3 Show County at Warwick Farm Portelli also applied the polish to the Elite Thoroughbreds syndicated Stratubo winning three races this campaign with victories at Randwick on the Kensington track, Canterbury and Gosford.

While in the past 2012-13 season, Portelli had I'm All The Talk in the stable for Elite Thoroughbreds, and gave the group a massive thrill when the colt won on debut and then went on to a win in the Group 3 Skyline Stakes at Rosehill.

Statistics reveal that Portelli has saddled up 28 stakes winners, as of January 21st, 2014, since the year 2000 and Gary is committed to keep the returns coming to all of his owners.  Both, he and his brother, Troy, continue to strive for excellence to ensure client satisfaction.