The hunter is now the hunted.

Rebel Dane is set to start as favourite in the Randwick Guineas at Warwick Farm on Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart.

With superstar colts Pierro and All Too Hard bypassing the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m), emerging talent Rebel Dane is the one to beat at Warwick Farm this Saturday.

The lightly-raced three-year-old went within a short head of knocking off odds-on favourite Pierro in the Hobartville Stakes and has trainer Gary Portelli buzzing after a piece of trackwork this morning.

Portelli told racingnetwork he wished the race was tomorrow so he could “get it over and done with” but is confident his charge is ready to peak on Saturday.

“Everything is going to plan,” Portelli said.

Under the watchful eye of Portelli, the California Dane colt was put through his paces over 1000m with talented two-year-old stablemate All The Talk.

Regular jockey Jason Collett was aboard for this morning’s workout and will maintain the ride for Rebel Dane’s Group 1 debut this weekend.

Collett has ridden him in every start to date including his scintillating fast-finishing win in the Group 2 Royal Sovereign Stakes last month.

The Hobartville second was the only time the future stallion prospect has tasted defeat, with his record standing at four wins from five starts.

Among his major rivals this weekend are Hobartville Stakes third placegetter Proisir, Australian Derby-bound colt It’s A Dundeel and Australian Guineas winner Ferlax.

Ferlax will be having his first start in Sydney and just his fifth career outing after coming from the obscurity of country tracks at Benalla and Sale to take out the $500,000 Guineas at Flemington earlier this month.