Gary Portelli’s Kimochi wins Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes

There is a new Group 1 winner in Australia. The Gary Portelli-trained mare Kimochi won her first Group 1 win of her career on Saturday at Caulfield Racecourse in the $500,000 Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).

The four-year-old won by half a length over Ciaron Maher’s Another Wil ($2.90). Paul Preusker’s four-year-old gelding Steparty finished a full three lengths behind Kimochi in a distant third place.

Kimochi defies the odds

According to the betting sites, there were just two horses in the running to win the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes: Another Wil ($2.90) and Jimmysstar ($3.30). No other horse had shorter than $11 chances.

Kimochi was actually one of the biggest outsiders, according to the horse racing betting odds. The betting apps gave the daughter of Brave Smash just $26 odds to win.

In the end, the four-year-old mare defied the odds, winning comfortably by half a length.

Trainer under pressure pre-race

A lot of times when a horse defies the odds, the trainer will come out after the race and say that they were always confident in their galloper. Gary Portelli was more humble.

The trainer admitted that Kimochi and his team were under a bit of pressure and that the mare’s form has been inconsistent recently.

“There was a bit of pressure on us,” Portelli said, “Yulong have been on fire with their famous colours in the last few weeks

“I was able to win first-up with her and she’d just hit a couple of little flat spots since. Back to the 1400m, no weight on her back, champion ride. It was a brilliant ride from barrier 13 to get one off,” he added after the race.

Craig Williams was similarly sheepish after the race. The jockey admitted that he worried about his ride during the first half of the race.

However, Williams then said that Kimochi “showed her tenacity and to run down a horse like Another Wil.”

Yulong keeps winning

As Gary Portelli mentioned after the race, it has been a banger year for Yulong Investments so far this racing season.

The Yuesheng Zhang-owned firm have won seven spring carnival Group 1 races, including the VRC Oaks and Champions Stakes earlier this month.

Chris Waller’s Via Sistina is the gem of Yulong’s current stable, but there are a number of top horses who could soon come for her crown, including Kimochi.

Yulong Investments Chief Operating Officer Sam Fairgray spoke about the firm’s success after Kimochi’s win on Saturday.

“Gary knows her well and he does a great job and it’s been a good effort to get her ready for today,” he said.

“It’s great for the boss, Mr. Zhang, as he’s invested a lot and it’s great to see him get the returns.”

Yulong Investments bought Kimochi for $2.2 million at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale earlier this year. Portelli believes she is “worth probably three times that now” after her Group 1 win.

Now that she is a rising star, Fairgray says that: “Kimochi will have a break and be back for nice races in the autumn. Gary will plan out a map and maybe she will pick up another one for the autumn.”