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By Ray Hickson

Plan A went flying out the window when Gary Portelli’s Golden Slipper hero Fireburn once again came off second best with a wide gate in Saturday’s Group 1 $600,000 Drinkwise Surround Stakes (1400m) but the trainer is adamant the filly is going well enough, with luck, to overcome it.

Trainer Gary Portelli (Pic: Steve Hart)

That plan was to make use of a favourable draw and settle in a striking position. The plan now is to hope for a frenetic speed or pattern to bring the backmarkers into play.

“If we drew a good gate we were going to use it because she can be a bit closer over seven furlongs,’’ Portelli said.

“She’d only have to run 34 seconds home instead of 33 again. All of a sudden we don’t know where we are going to get to in the run.

“We’re just hoping the track plays so that swoopers can come into the race because I don’t think kicking up over 1400m and trying to get in is going to be any good to us.”

Last season’s champion two-year-old – who won the Sweet Embrace at this meeting last year - was winless in her three spring starts, though ran a slashing fifth in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m), and returned in the Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) finishing under two lengths from In Secret.

Portelli gave that run a pass mark. If Randwick stays in the soft range come Saturday it would give the trainer some more confidence as he concedes the new wave of fillies has caught up to her on dry ground.

“She raced okay, the dry track certainly wasn’t to her advantage and I thought that run would have her spot on for this and she’s ready to fire,’’ he said.

“I think she is racing better than her form would suggest.

“There’s no doubt horses that weren’t about in her two-year-old season have come on, we see that every year with new names there now. It’s part of the two-year-old way.

“I think once we get the autumn rain that’s when she’ll come into her own. On the dry tracks she’s competitive but she’s not dominant.”

If Fireburn happens to descend and win or go close in the Surround, Portelli said he’ll push on to the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) on March 11 and is eyeing stretching her out to 2000m in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes two weeks later.

Another plan would be needed if Fireburn doesn’t quite hit the line as strongly, that would likely see her head to an easier option.

“I’d like to think this is not her grand final, just part of a good preparation for her,’’ he said.

“If it means she’s got to get back and run home into the placings or just off them it gives us the option to step up a bit further.

“Depending on how she goes there’s the option of the Coolmore, or on the same day the Phar Lap.”

Extreme Spirit is Portelli’s best chance to have a runner in the $5 million Longines Golden Slipper in 2023 and he’ll try to win his way in via the Group 2 $250,000 Skyline Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.

The colt only made his debut on February 15 with a maiden win and all Portelli can see is upside – whether that gets him into the Slipper or not remains to be seen.

“We rode him close on the Kensington track and I thought he was okay,’’ he said.

Fireburn's first-up run in the Light Fingers

“He started to stretch out late but he didn’t let down at the top of the straight like a professional two-year-old would.

“If you watch his action when he straightens up his feet are about a foot off the ground when he’s at full length so he’s climbing.

“As he gets close to the line his feet get to about six inches off the ground and that’s when he starts to power away so he’s still learning how to use his action properly.

“Ridden a bit quieter I think we will see this horse finish off like I know he can.”

He’s a $26 chance with TAB for Saturday and $101 in the Slipper all-in market.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting