I’m All The Talk will be included in the entries for the 2015 Oakleigh Plate that will be held at Caulfield next Saturday and trainer Gary Portelli believes that the promising sprinter is flying ahead of his return to racing.
I’m All The Talk is set to return to racing in the 2015 Oakleigh Plate: Photo by: Steve Hart
I’m All The Talk has not been seen at the races since he finished ninth in the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1100m) on October 18, but he has impressed in two barrier trials and worked strongly between races at Royal Randwick yesterday.
Portelli admits that I’m All The Talk is no certainty to score a place in the 2015 Oakleigh Plate field, but the Warwick Farm-based trainer told Sky Racing HQ that he could not be any happier with the condition of the Stratum entire ahead of his potential return to Group 1 company.
“I’m not sure what is going to happen there,” Portelli said.
“I think it is one of those situations where you just have to accept and see, but he has come back better than I have ever had him.
“He got very sick about 15 months ago and he had to go on some antibiotics and a drip.
“For him to run second to Terravista second-up last campaign after what he had been through just showed that this horse has the ability to be racing at that level.
“He went for a spell after that last campaign and he looks absolutely enormous.
“I was never really happy with him and I knew that something had gone missing after he had been sick, but this preparation I have got him back and he is an absolutely magnificent horse.
“I just can’t wait to see him at the track.”
Rising hoop Winona Costin has been booked to ride I’m All The Talk in the Oakleigh Plate and she rode the four-year-old in his exhibition gallop at Royal Randwick yesterday.
Portelli said that I’m All The Talk wasn’t tested in the gallop, but he was still able to run the 600 metres in a quick time and impressed onlookers with the ease of his performance.
“He just had an easy gallop over 600,” Portelli said.
“They clocked him running 32.66 and he looked like he was going pretty easy.
“I just asked her to click him up over the last furlong and he finished it off into a strong headwind.
“He is absolutely flying and he just runs time without even trying.”
If I’m All The Talk runs in the Oakleigh Plate he will be returning to Group 1 level for the first time since he finished 10th behind Overreach in the 2013 edition of the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m).
