Surprise package Encap delivers for Portelli
A running position closer to the speed allowed the Gary Portelli-trained Encap (Capitalist) to overturn his last-start defeat to Tom Kitten (Harry Angel) and land a dominant victory in yesterday’s Ming Dynasty Quality (Gr 3, 1400m) at Rosehill.
The three-year-old son of Capitalist (Written Tycoon) showed signs of greenness when running out of turf in his attempt to catch his Godolphin-owned rival in the Up And Coming Stakes (Gr 3, 1300m) at Rosehill a fortnight ago, finishing third, but in taking full advantage of the inside barrier, Encap and rider Brett Prebble travelled closer to the front runners in fourth on the rails, and pounced inside the final 200 metres to run away a convincing one-and-a-half-length winner of yesterday’s Group 3 contest.
Although winless heading into yesterday’s Rosehill assignment, Encap had shown an abundance of talent in four placed efforts, for the most part the victim of his get-back-and-run-on style which produced a pair of agonising defeats at his home track of Warwick Farm before his black type placing in the Up And Coming. But he was not for catching when stepped up to 1400 metres for the first time, skipping clear of the leaders before holding the running-on Ceolwulf (Tavistock) and Tom Kitten, whose challenge came too late in finishing second and third.
Tom Kitten took third on the line ahead of a flashing-late Cafe Millennium (Not A Single Doubt), with the pair relegating the winner’s stablemate Kintyre (Hallowed Crown) to fifth
Encap became the 15th individual stakes winner for his Newgate-based sire Capitalist, who added his name to the Golden Rose mix with his stunning victory, a prospect that has come to the surprise of Portelli when he first set sight on the gelding.
“It’s been frustrating. I thought we were going to have the same luck coming to the corner when he was held up for a couple strides,” Portelli said. “He’s only a small horse, around 15.2, but he had to push a big horse out the way. He’s got a big motor.
“What he did first up at Warwick Farm just surprised the hell out of me. From there, I thought I could have a really serious racehorse here. I thought he’d win his next start, but did the same thing, he got back too far and rattled home. He was unlucky last start again but today he drew the barrier. Such a big thing, and it was a great ride from Brett who got him in a great spot and he just had to make sure he got clear air, and he was strong through the line.
“The Golden Rose is in two weeks time. That might be a race we might aim at.”
Encap (3 g Capitalist – Enquare by Stratum), who was cut into a $13 chance for the Golden Rose, was a $200,000 buy for Portelli from the Newhaven Park Stud draft at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
He is the third foal out of the Group 3-winning Stratum (Redoute’s Choice) mare Enquare, herself a daughter of dual Group 3 winner and Group 1 placegetter Skewiff (Mookta). While Portelli quipped that the horse’s cross of Golden Slipper-winning sires meant he himself would be a Slipper contender, the trainer was in no doubt that he had a horse possessing plenty of ability.
“For an Easter sale buy [he was quite cheap],” Portelli said. “He’s by a Golden Slipper winner in Capitalist and out of a mare by Stratum. With the double cross of Golden Slipper winners I thought ‘this is my next Golden Slipper winner’, but I was just 12 months too late.
“It just goes to show that good horses can come from anywhere. He wasn’t showing this sort of ability early on. I thought he might win a maiden or a Class 1 somewhere. But here he is, he’s a proper horse.”
Enquare, a 13-year-old mare who posted 12 career wins, was a $90,000 buy for Emmanuel Bloodstock at the 2020 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. She has produced a two-year-old brother to Encap named Prime Broker, who was passed in at this year’s Easter sale and now races in the silks of Sutton Racing for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
She was not served in 2021, but was covered by Newhaven Park stallion Xtravagant (Pentire) last year.