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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Gary Portelli did his best to pitch Kimochi as a TAB Everest chance but with that out of play he’s looking to the classy mare to show at Randwick on Saturday that she can be a Golden Eagle force.

Trainer Gary Portelli (Pic: Steve Hart)

There’s a strong international contingent settling into quarantine at Canterbury, including unbeaten French galloper Lazzat and a Japanese star in Ascoli Piceno who head the Golden Eagle market.

Portelli has his own team aiming at the $10 million feature for four-year-olds, including Encap and Kintyre, and would like Kimochi to head there with a win in the Group 3 $1m Silver Eagle (1300m).

“It’s going to be another level again on what we will meet so we’re going to need to be competitive if we’re going to the Golden Eagle,’’ he said.

“We need that confidence builder, there’s no reason why she can’t. She’s very consistent and she looks absolutely amazing, she’s ready to rock and roll.

“If we were expecting her to be an Everest chance we’d be confident this is a drop back in grade.”

Kimochi is a $26 chance in TAB’s Golden Eagle market and was $5 on Friday in the Silver Eagle where she has gate nine.

That’s a source of some concern for Portelli after Kimochi was brave in defeat in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) three weeks ago after being stranded wide from barrier five.

She was only just touched out for third by Everest big gun I Wish I Win and after the race it was revealed that aside from racing wide she was on the wrong end of some roughhousing.

“It was a massive run, I couldn’t believe we ended up three deep and getting pushed around,’’ he said.

“The head on shots down the back shows the horse inside her kept shoving her sideways and getting her unbalanced. She never got a chance to get any rhythm and there she was picking herself up and trying to stave off I Wish I Win for third.

“That was a big test for her at Moonee Valley, she stretched one of the Everest favourites for the last furlong.

“She worked strongly through the line and it showed she’s a genuine Group 1 contender.”

She won the Group 3 Toy Show first-up sitting three wide on the pace over 1100m but Portelli said how nimble Kimochi is in the first few strides of the Silver Eagle will determine whether she’s forward or back in the run.

“She’s got gate speed when she wants to use it, it all comes down to the way she steps away,’’ he said.

“From the barrier I don’t know where we’re going to get to. We thought we’d be up outside the lead in the Manikato but her gate speed wasn’t there.

“Maybe she’s telling us she needs to be ridden a little quieter but I’ll just leave it to Jason and the way she comes out of the gates.”

Stablemate Flying Trapeze is having a throw at the stumps to get an exemption into the Golden Eagle but Portelli said his goal will come on Magic Millions Day in January.

Kimochi wins the Toy Show at Randwick

The entire has had a two month break and his work is telling Portelli that he’s going quite well.

“He gets his chance from that barrier. He worked with her Tuesday morning and matched motors with her in trackwork,’’ he said.

“His first-up form is pretty ordinary, he has a high benchmark and I couldn’t find the right race to start him off.”

All the fields, form and replays for TAB Everest Day at Royal Randwick