Riverslea Farm sire California Dane registered a Group 1 breakthrough on Sunday when his second-crop colt Rebel Dane won the Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Rebel Dane (4h California Dane – Texarcana by More Than Ready) is trained by Gary Portelli for owner-breeders Laurel Oak Bloodstock.  He came from midfield to blouse out Fontelina (Testa Rossa) and Solzhenitsyn (St. Petersburg) in a blanket finish.

California Dane was one of Danehill’s fastest sons in Australia.  The winner of 6 race in 13 starts, he scored at G2 level in the Stanley Wootton Stakes and Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley and, in the latter, broke the track record for 1200m.

Rebel Dane had been a stakes winner of the G2 Royal Sovereign Stakes and G3 Show County Hcp in Sydney before Portelli sent him to Melbourne.  “He was on the small side when we broke him in,” Portelli recalled.  “He’s still only around 440kg but it’s all heart.

“He drew wide today but Glen (Boss) was very positive.  Now we will head to the G1 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington in November.”

California Dane has shown the rare ability to upgrade his mares.  Rebel Dane’s dam Texarcana has a pedigree bereft of black-type going back to Bold Tie’s Listed win in the 1990 Kindergarten Stakes at Warwick Farm.

Texarcana won at Gosford, Kembla and Cessnock for Laurel Oak Bloodstock.  Rebel Dane is her first foal and she has 2yo filly by Bernardini and a yearling colt by Rothesay.

There have been 40 individual winners of 110 races in California Dane’s first three crops.  He began stud life at Baerami Thoroughbreds before transferring to Riverslea Farm in the Hunter Valley.

“It’s such a thrill to have a horse like Rebel Dane representing California Dane,” Riverslea owner Karen Irwin said.  “He’s tough and that’s a trademark of the progeny…they all have a strong will that makes them such rewarding horses to own.”

California Dane’s latest advertised stud fee was $6,600 (inc gst) in 2011 – since then it has been listed as POA.

– Karl Patterson

REBEL DANE