Portelli is taking a competitive team of seven runners to Rosehill Gardens on Saturday needing two wins for a personal milestone. He has trained 45 winners in 2018-19 and needs just two more for his stable’s best result since his 50 wins in 2009/10.

But the trainer’s immediate focus is at the Randwick trials on Friday when brilliant colt Time To Reign competes in a 740m heat before his return to racing next month.

“I’m getting Time To Reign ready to resume in The Rosebud (August 10) then it’s three weeks into the San Domenico Stakes,’’ Portelli said.

“We will see how he goes in those two races then have a look at the Golden Rose.’’

Time To Reign won three of his six starts as a juvenile, including the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes. He was spelled after finishing fifth to Kiamichi in the Golden Slipper.

“For Time To Reign to come out and win the Silver Slipper was a huge thrill and has made him a very valuable stud prospect,’’ Portelli said. “If he can knock over a Group 1 then he is going to be worth a lot of money.’’

Portelli is chasing more black type success at Rosehill with talented mare Nicci’s Gold ($8) and evergreen Testashadow ($26) leading his stable charge when they clash in the Listed $150,000 Winter Stakes (1400m).

Nicci’s Gold is racing in career-best form and comes out of the Civic Stakes where she ran a luckless fourth behind Gaulois, Firsthand and New Tipperary. Seaway finished just behind that quartet last start and all five clash again on Saturday.

“If Nicci’s Gold has a bit of luck in running she will be hard to beat,’’ Portelli said.

“I thought she was building nicely into the race the other day but basically she got stuck behind Testashadow.

“It looked like Testashadow was going to run into the race but he knocked up and Nicci’s Gold spent the rest of the straight trying to get out. As this was happening, Gaulois swept down the outside to win.’’

Portelli said Nicci’s Gold has continued to improve with every campaign and the four-year-old mare is poised to be rewarded for her consistency by earning some black type for the first time in her 27-start career.

“Nicci’s Gold is a bit like Testashadow as they started out not promising a whole lot and we were just hoping they might be able to win some races in restricted grade,’’ the trainer said.

“But they just kept improving and a couple of years later they are competing in stakes races.’’

Testashadow, a rising eight-year-old gelding, is having his 54th start and is shooting for his ninth win which would takes his career earnings over the $1.5 million mark.

Although Testashadow ran only ninth when resuming in the Civic Stakes, Portelli saw enough from the sprinter to rate him a genuine chance in the Winter Stakes.

“He has come along ‘big time’ since and I would not be surprised if he ran a very competitive race,’’ he said.

Testashadow’s first-up effort was his comeback run after suffering injury and illness late last year.

“His form had been good during the spring but then he got an infection in his back leg which turned into a nasty wound,’’ Portelli said. “We got him going again but then he picked up a bug and we had to send him back to the spelling paddock.

“My vet was saying the other day when he was filling out a report on Testashadow it was the first time he had done so in five years. The horse had gone through life without having an issue when all of a sudden he had a couple in a row but he is jumping out of his skin now.’’

Portelli’s other Rosehill runners are Single Bullet ($19, Australian Turf Club Handicap, 1200m), Not Feint Hearted ($12, Everest Carnival Handicap, 1100m), Bringagem ($23, ATC Members Tours Handicap, 2000m), and Moccasin Miss ($19) and Sebring Express ($31) clash in the ATC Foundation Handicap (1100m).

“We are putting a line through Single Bullet’s last start at Flemington when the track was closer to the heavy range which didn’t help,’’ Portelli said. “I’m hoping for an improving track at Rosehill for him.

“Not Feint Hearted won his first start well in the weight then we threw him in the deep end (Lonhro Plate) where he missed the start, back in behind them simply didn’t know what to do.

“He went for a spell after that but he has come up well. We have put the blinkers on and although he is no superstar, I think he is quite handy.

“Moccasin Miss is a genuine each-way hope and Sebring Express could be a smoky as she has come back pretty strong.

“Bringagem had a ‘nothing’ run last start, he went from a full gallop to three-quarter pace when he got held up from the turn and had to ‘throttle’ down. He’s there to run a competitive race.’’