After the disappointment of Kimochi's injury, Gary Portelli's Queen Of Clubs delivers a stunning victory at Rosehill
Master trainer Gary Portelli has ridden the sport's ups and downs in a 24-hour period before his promising filly Queen Of Clubs made a statement with a powerful win in the Chandon Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Portelli wasn't supposed to be at Rosehill, he was planning to be at Eagle Farm where he had stable star Kimochi among the leading chances in the Group 1 $3m Stradbroke Handicap only for the mare to be withdrawn on race eve with a career-ending injury.
'It was tough finding out Kimochi had bowed her tendon yesterday,' Portelli said after Queen Of Clubs won the Rosehill opener.
'She just trot and cantered and the vets came over, she did the trot-up that they do and they grabbed her by the tendon – you couldn't even see it – they just squeezed it and they go a reaction, so it had only just happened. By the afternoon it was starting to really blow up.
'I wasn't in Brisbane but I had been getting feedback that everything was fine then yesterday was just a shocking phone call.
'She will be retired. It's a pretty decent tear and she is a more valuable broodmare now.'
Portelli had paid over $1000 for return flights to Brisbane but changed his plans and went to Rosehill with just one runner – and left a winner.
'I was so confident,' the master trainer said.
'Queen Of Clubs is a good horse and it's great to see her repay our confidence.
'Trilogy (Racing) have been a good backer of our stable. They came to me sand said, 'this is a good filly, have a look at her at the Magic Millions'. We went halves in her and I put all my friends in her as well.
'She does things at home that are (special). She worked with Kilbrannan, who is a handy two-year-old (half-brother to Portelli's Golden Slipper winner Fireburn) and she went so well I said, 'she can't get beaten'.
'It's a massive result at big odds. We haven't stopped backing her since the odds came out, so it has been a good result for everyone.'
♣� Queen Of Clubs steams home down the middle to win the first at Rosehill! @GaryPortelli pic.twitter.com/s5vUas2GsA
â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 14, 2025
Queen Of Clubs, ridden by Andrew Calder, belied her $31 starting price by mowing down Regulated Affair ($4.40) to win by a widening one-and-quarter lengths with Gemologist ($21) a short neck away third.
Namaste ($4 favourite) led to the turn but tired for seventh while Crocodile ($4.60) seemed to race ungenerously at times but was still disappointing finishing only ninth.
Queen Of Clubs broke her maiden at her fourth attempt and provided Calder with his first metropolitan winner of the season.
Calder, the experienced former New Zealand-based jockey who has ridden over 1000 career wins including seven at Group 1 level, gave an enthusiastic appraisal of Queen Of Clubs post-race.
'She is very progressive and has a great, big stride on her,' Calder enthused.
'At the 200m, I thought she was just going to get there but then at the 100m she really lengthened nicely.
'I rode her in a barrier trial where she gave me a similar feel so I knew she had ability. She is going to make a nice three-year-old filly, that's for sure.'
Queen Of Clubs was born and raised at the historic Victorian stud and nursery, Blue Gum Farm, which was once home to some of the state's leading stallions namely Rubiton, Rancho Ruler and Umatilla.
Blue Gum offered the filly at the 2024 Magic Millions Yearling Sale where she was purchased by Portelli and his clients for $300,000.
"One door closes and another opens"
It's been a tough 48 hours for @GaryPortelli but Queen Of Clubs has set her sights on a big spring! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/C0HGMiZ8f7
â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 14, 2025
Queen Of Clubs is a daughter of Hong Kong Mile winner Maurice whose Australian progeny include the ATC Australian Derby-Victoria Derby double winner Hitotsu and top sprinter Mazu.
Portelli's filly traces back on a direct line to one of world's breeding's most influential broodmares namely Mumtaz Mahal via generations of daughters and granddaughters, mostly owned by the Aga Khan.
In fact, Queen Of Clubs shares her fourth dam (Zahra) with the Aga Khan's unbeaten champion filly Zarkava.
Portelli said Queen Of Clubs will now be spelled and set for the feature three-year-old fillies racing in the spring including the Group 1 Flight Stakes.
'I think she is probably a fantastic three-year-old filly that will head for all the big staying races,' Portelli said.
'She has got so much ability. That's the reason I ran her at two.
'I believe you've got to have a good benchmark when they get older and you get to a day like today where you've done all your work, the foundation has been set, she knows how to race, she relaxes in the bird cage.
'We will probably stop and work out a program that will see her in all the big fillies' races.
'One door closes and another one opens in this game and I've been saying all along this is my next big thing. Today showed we are heading in the right direction.'
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