By John Schell
The Warwick Farm stable of trainer Gary Portelli will make the trip to Goulburn on Tuesday with four chances lining up.
Portelli will send around two chances in the second event of the day, the Country Championships @ Goulburn Maiden Handicap (1000m).
Sculptor ($4.40 on TAB), to be ridden by Molly Bourke, and Tiffy ($11) with Olivia Chambers in the saddle, will start in the event and Portelli is confident both can run well.
Sculptor (Molly Bourke) heads to the barriers at Warwick Farm. Image by Bradley Photographers
“Sculptor is only lightly raced but he’s shown ability with a placing at his second start,” said Portelli.
“He resumed at Kembla Grange and ran fifth in that race, and he’s done nicely since then so he should run well at Goulburn.
“Tiffy has only had the two starts and while she failed to beat a runner home before being spelled, she is a trial winner leading into this resuming run.
"It wouldn’t surprise if she can turn things around.”
Bourke will combine with Portelli again when Lonhanova ($34) runs in the Goulburn Australia Maiden Handicap (1500m).
Lonhanova has been placed in two of his seven starts and resumed from a lengthy spell with a down the track effort at Kembla Grange on the back of two trials.
“He’d had a bit of time off and even though he ran last at Kembla Grange he will have taken benefit from the run,” Portelli said.
“The extra distance will suit at Goulburn, so I’d expect him to show some improvement.”
Stormfield ($6.50) will be Portelli’s runner in the final event of the day at Goulburn, the Weddings @ GDRC Class 1 Handicap (1200m) with Chad Lever taking the ride.
A three-year-old gelding by Written By, Stormfield has only had four starts and after a debut sixth at Kembla Grange in June last year, he resumed from a spell with a victory at Orange in November.
He’s had a further two runs since then, for a fourth at Kembla Grange and a last start sixth at Wyong behind Still Alice.
“It was a good win at Orange first-up from a spell,” said Portelli. “And he hasn’t been beaten far in both runs since then. He is in a race that suits.”
View the final fields with full form & race replays for Goulburn here