Under-rated gelding Encap has shed his tag as a perennial bridesmaid with a gutsy victory in the Group Two Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill to confirm his Golden Eagle credentials.
Coming into Saturday, the Gary Portelli-trained four-year-old had won just one race, the Ming Dynasty Quality on the corresponding program 12 months ago, but he had been competitive in top company, including when runner-up in last year’s Golden Rose.
“Now he has cemented himself as not the bridesmaid anymore,” Portelli said.
“He’s run a couple of seconds and thirds at this level, it was hard to get a good strikerate when you win your maiden at Group Three level.
“We’re aiming towards a Golden Eagle, so I think he’s in good order right now. We’ll sit down and work out the program after seeing what he’s done today, but the grand final is the Golden Eagle.”
Portelli admitted he went into Saturday’s Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) wary after Encap performed below-par first-up.
But after giving the horse a light week and relying on his record of improving with a run under his belt, Portelli’s perseverance was rewared.
“It was good to see him bounce back,” he said.
“He was a bit plain first-up. I gave him a good gallop last Saturday and have done very little with him all week. I was just hoping.
“He put some good horses to the sword there and ran very good time.”
Partnered by Jason Collett, Encap ($7) finished hard to nail Bases Loaded ($4 fav) by a long head with Boom Torque ($6.50) another 1-1/4 lengths away third in an outstanding Kosciuszko trial.
Collett is confident Encap is deserving of being directed towards the Golden Eagle (1500m).
“You’ve got to aim there as a four-year-old, that’s the race, and this is a good starting point to get towards it,” Collett said.
“He’s quite small and a bit unassuming, you look at him and there’s not a great deal of him but he’s starting to fill into that small frame.
“His ability, he’s got a lot of it, and that was great to see today.”
Doncaster Mile winner Celestial Legend ($6.50) finished eighth, 2-1/2 lengths from the winner, with jockey Kerrin Mcevoy saying he would strip much fitter for the hitout.
“He just showed he needed the run there today,” McEvoy said
“A good starting point to blow the cobwebs out. I just felt him peak the last 150 yards of that.”