Warwick Farm trainer Gary Portelli has described She Will Reign as ‘bright as a button’ after she arrived in Melbourne in great shape for the Group 1 $500,000 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley tonight.
She Will Reign, above, has arrived in Melbourne for the Moir Stakes in great shape. Photo by Steve Hart.
She Will Reign arrived in Melbourne on Thursday morning and Portelli said that the Manhattan Rain filly got through the ten hour float trip in great shape.
“It was her first trip away from home and I was concerned because it was 10 hours but she put her head straight into the feed bin and she’s as bright as a button,” Portelli said.
“She’s 40kg heavier than what she was when she won the Slipper so she’s definitely come on physically.
“She’s developed but she needed to because you see it so often when a champion two-year-old doesn’t come back as a champion three-year-old.
“We’re actually going even further and taking on the champion four and five-year-olds.”
Portelli has She Will Reign very forward in condition for her first run back since winning the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill during the 2017 Sydney Autumn Carnival.
She Will Reign has had two recent barrier trials for a second over 800m at Warwick Farm followed by a win over 900m at Rosehill and is tuned up for the Moir Stakes which will be her final lead up run into the $10m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick in a fortnight.
“I didn’t want her coming here underdone and having her flat second-up so she’s pretty fit, I don’t think there will be much improvement,” Portelli said.
“From barrier eight we have a couple of options and at least we are not going to be bottled up on the fence.
“We’ve got a champion jockey on, she’s got 50kg on her back and if she’s good enough she’ll be there.”
Kerrin McEvoy will ride She Will Reign at the feather weight of 50kg and is certain to give the filly every chance from barrier eight in the thirteen horse Moir Stakes field.
She Will Reign has drifted slightly in the betting for the Moir Stakes but is still the $4.20 second favourite behind Russian Revolution who sits at the top of the market order at $3.40 with Ladbrokes.com.au.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Russian Revolution with Hugh Bowman in the saddle will have to overcome a wide barrier but goes into the Moir Stakes on the back of a first up win in the Group 2 $200,000 Mitty’s McEwen Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on September 9.
