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By Ray Hickson

After four educational runs, trainer Gary Portelli says the timing’s right for Miss Hades to face her stiffest test at Rosehill on Wednesday.

Trainer Gary Portelli (Pic: Steve Hart)

It has been a deliberate move from Portelli to keep the bar low for the filly in the initial stages of her career but after two wins and two placings from her four starts she’s done enough to earn a metro test in the Ghaiyyath First Yearlings Handicap (1500m).

Miss Hades kicked off her career with a Nowra placing before breaking through at Cootamundra, she then backed it up at Orange and stepped to provincial level with a gallant Kembla Grange placing a few weeks ago.

“She’s a nice filly, I’m a bit excited about her chances,’’ Portelli said.

“She was allowed to go through a lower platform we designed because we thought she was fairly green and didn’t know a real lot so we went for a couple of bush races.

“I think she’s done the preliminary stuff you need to teach a young horse and see if she’s up to having a crack in town.”

Jason Collett replaces apprentice Julia Presits, who Portelli says has done a great job on the three-year-old, $3.60 with TAB on Tuesday, for her city debut.

She hit the front a bit soon at Kembla Grange on October 28 though Portelli felt it was more where on the track she found the lead as the pattern had the winners coming wide on the course.

“We probably ended up in the wrong part of the track at Kembla Grange and went down fighting,’’ he said.

“She darted back to the inside, we kept the winner three deep which was a good ride by Julia but it allowed it to get outside us and down to the crown where they seemed to be coming all day.”

Portelli said while she’s a little out of the weights given the race is a Benchmark 72 he’s not so concerned as it looks an ideal stepping stone for a horse on the way up.

Flying Trapeze had a throw at the stumps in the $1 million Group 2 Callander-Presnell on the back of an impressive second-up win and picked up $10,000 for his owners for the trouble.

He’s back in grade in the Headwater @ Vinery Stud Handicap (1500m) and Portelli is confident he can be competitive and work his way back to Saturday company.

The gelding set a course record when winning at Kensington over 1400m a month ago before weakening to be beaten under four lengths in the Group 2 mile.

“He gave a great sight right up to the last half furlong but he got tired,’’ he said.

“When there’s a million dollar race on the table you’ve got to have a crack. He’s probably at his peak now, I’d say he’s toughened right up for the 1500m, it’s the right benchmark for him.”

Miss Hades runs third at Kembla on October 28

Two-year-old Flying Dargento is an outsider for his debut in the Toyota Forklifts Handicap (1100m) and Portelli is keeping the expectations low but they are positive for the future.

He’s only had the one public trial, and a jump out, and the trainer is hoping for a steady tempo to allow the colt time to find his feet.

“He’s not there yet, he might take this preparation so it’s more a look see for him,’’ he said.

“He’s had a fair bit of work, he’s very well educated, but he’s still learning how to gallop.”

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday’s Rosehill meeting