Sebring Sun is yet to record a race win, but trainer Gary Portelli is beginning to dream that the promising colt can be a live chance in the 2015 Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.
Sebring Sun finished second behind Pierrette in his racing debut at Royal Randwick on October 11. Photo by: Steve Hart
Sebring Sun stamped himself as a horse to watch when he recorded a dominant nine lengths win in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on September 26, but he was denied a race win on debut when he elected to duck off the track in the final stages of the Betting Season Plate (1000m) at Royal Randwick on October 11 and finished second behind Pierrette.
The form coming out of the Betting Season Plate has been very strong and Portelli told Sky Racing HQ that he believes the horses that performed well in the early two-year-old races last spring will be the leading contenders for the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m).
“That first three weeks of the two-year-old season a lot of nice horses turned up there and they usually turn up again in the autumn,” Portelli said.
“My bloke did a lot wrong and realistically if you watch the replay you would see that he is the horse to follow and I am hoping that little bit of a spell that he has had now and the knowledge that he has about what he has to do, we should see him really come back.
“I am hoping that he comes back and is a real Golden Slipper live chance.”
Sebring Sun was sent to the spelling paddock following his racing debut, but he has now been back in work for a number of weeks and he showed that he was ready for a return to racing when he recorded a four and a half lengths win in a barrier trial over 800 metres at Warwick Farm last Thursday.
Portelli said that he was happy with the barrier trial performance of Sebring Sun and he confirmed that the son of Sebring would return to racing at Royal Randwick on January 24.
“He has come along really well,” Portelli said.
“He just had a relatively easy trial at Warwick Farm just to keep him ticking over.
“Hughie Bowman threw the leg over him to get a feel of him and I am hoping that Hughie can stick with him.
“He will resume on the 24th over 1000 metres at Randwick and obviously we will work out a program after that.
“He is a pretty exciting little horse and I like him a lot.”
Sebring Sun is currently available at 2015 Golden Slipper odds of $41 with Ladbrokes Australia, while Ottoman ($8) is a narrow favourite from Furnaces ($9) and Fontiton ($10).
