Typhoon To Outrun Lightning In Opal
- Monday, 18 February 2008 00:00
Trainer Gary Portelli is confident Typhoon Fury can topple boom filly De Lightning Ridge in the Black Opal Stakes on Sunday and give him his third victory in the Canberra feature.
Down The Wicket, who now races in Hong Kong, gave Portelli his second Black Opal (1200m) two years ago following the 2001 win of Coral Salute.
"De Lightning Ridge will be very hard to beat but I'd imagine that my bloke would have won that last race she did in Canberra just as easily," Portelli said.
"He (Typhoon Fury) should get a dry track on Sunday and I think he's a live hope of winning the race, especially if they go hard early.
"He'll benefit from a truly run race, he needs the speed on and to be able to sit there three or four off them and then power home."
The Keith Dryden-trained De Lightning Ridge is undefeated after two starts but hasn't raced outside Canberra due to complications with travel restrictions in the wake of equine influenza (EI).
She is the $12 third favourite with TAB Sportsbet for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper on April 26.
Typhoon Fury finished 2-3/4 lengths second to the Gai Waterhouse-trained Montana Flyer in an 1100m race run in torrential rain at Rosehill on February 9.
Montana Flyer is currently the $10 Slipper favourite for the Golden Slipper at $10 with her stablemate Sebring at $11.
"The race was run to suit for Montana Flyer, she was allowed to dictate terms in front and had it all her own way," Portelli said.
"My bloke was caught behind the leaders in third with mud spraying in his face but he still managed to come again and run second.
"The winner was far too good on the day but I think if we had a fair dinkum run race things could have been different.
Typhoon Fury, a Hurricane Sky gelding who cost $75,000, will be Portelli's only Black Opal runner after he decided against starting Over The Wicket, a full brother to Down The Wicket.
"I've nominated him for a 1100 metre race at Canterbury on Saturday but I've been told he could have to carry 58kg, so I might save him up for another week," Portelli said.
"He (Over The Wicket) wasn't allowed to go to Canberra without some form of quarantine and I don't think he needs to go through that as a young horse."
Over The Wicket was Monday at $26 for the Golden Slipper with Typhoon Fury a $51 chance.
Portelli confirmed three-year-old Absent Friends would run in the Canberra Guineas (1600m) on Sunday.
