pedigree supplied by www.arion.co.nz
ANOTHER STRATUM FOR ELITE
Elite Thoroughbreds have a distinct liking for the progeny of the Group 1 Golden Slipper winner Stratum (Redoute's Choice). Elite Thorougbreds principal Adrian Allan deliberately set out to look at this filly.
The bay is out of a sister to Hinting in No Comment a winner of two races and more than $100,000 in prizemoney. No Comment was placed on five occasions during an 18-start career. Out of the stakes placed Won’t Tell (by Rory’s Jester), No Comment is a full sister to the Group 3 MRC Tranquil Star Stakes winner, Hinting; and a half-sister to Lucky Secret (by Rubiton) a winner of 14 races with career earnings of $985,650 that include three Group 2 victories.
Stratum has continually covered decent books of mares that have yielded 610 named progeny of which 554 have raced for 380 individual winners, as of June 6th, 2016. Among those winners are 31 stakes winners including the Group 1 STC Golden Slipper winner in Crystal Lily (ex Crystal Snip), Streama (ex Pensiamo by Sovereign Red) winner of the 2011 Group 1 ATC Flight Stakes, the 2012 Australian Oaks and the 2013 George Main Stakes.
Stratum’s maternal grandsire, Luskin Star won the Group 1 STC Golden Slipper and was named top two-year-old of the 1976-77 racing season on its Free Handicap.
Luskin Star won 13-races overall including the Group 1 AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes and Group 1 AJC Champagne Stakes during the horses’ two-year-old season.
Luskin Star’s daughters have produced 52 stakes winners that include 10 Group 1 winners and feature the top class Merlene (by Danehill) a winner of the STC Golden Slipper and AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes and Dashing Eagle (by Danehill) winner of the Group 1 MRC Thousand Guineas and AJC Flight Stakes.
NOT ENOUGH? No Comment is by Danzero (by Danehill) a winner of four races including the 1994 Group 1 STC Golden Slipper. As a sire Danzero, has seven Group 1 winners among 41 stakes winners while his daughters are proving their worth at stud producing 20 stakes winners that include two Group 1 winners; December Draw (ex New York) winner of the 2011 VRC Turnbull Stakes and Exosphere (ex Altitude) winner of the 2015 Group 1 ATC Golden Rose in addition the very fast MRC Rubiton Stakes winner Heatherly a recent Group 2 winner is also out of a daughter of Danzero's in, Dancing Heather.
The syndicate for this filly will by Adrian Allan from Elite Thoroughbreds.
Gary Portelli is a trainer with the philosophy to back the skills that have made him a million-dollar-a-year, Group One trainer.
"We pride ourselves on a staff that care for our horses," Portelli says.
"Our stable philosophy is that results are achieved from a combined effort. We ensure not only our horses are cared for but also our staff and owners."
Portelli's background in racing equipped him well to run a successful stable in one of the world's most competitive racing jurisdictions. His grandfather was a jockey, his mother a trainer and almost from the time he could walk, he could ride.
When he took over his mother's licence in 1990, and then moved from Orange in the NSW central west to Warwick Farm, he began learning about running a racing business - and his record suggests he learned well.
Portelli's first Group One winner came in 2007 with the success of Rena's Lady in the AJC Oaks, a second elite win was delivered by Gold Trail in 2010 in New Zealand's premier sprint, the Group One Railway Stakes at Ellerslie and his most recent was delivered by Rebel Dane in the Sir Rupert Clark Stakes at Caulfield.
One of the measures of Portelli's abilities is his success in training for syndicates.
His association with Elite Thoroughbreds has resulted a steady flow of winners, including Testashadow (five wins and more than half-a-million in earnings), Sebring Sun, Cosmic Cameo, Next Level, Seeking Asylum, Miss Spoken and the retired stakes winner I'm All The Talk.
Portelli, set the Elite Thoroughbreds owned Straturbo to win the 2015 Magic Millions Sprint (1100 m.) as well as finishing runner-up with Testashadow in the Magic Millions Guineas (1400 m.) on one of the most competitive race days on the Queensland calendar.
Portelli signed off the 2014-15 racing season with his runners returning more than $1.6million to connections on the back of $1.86million earned during the 2012-13 racing season. With two months remaining of the 2015-16 racing season stable earnings are nudging the $1.5million mark.
Portelli happily shares whatever credit comes his way.
"I am a great believer in a team environment as far as my stable staff is concerned. It may be my name printed as trainer but it is having a great team that helps get the best out of each and every horse," Portelli says.