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With an outstanding first-up record, five-year-old Rebel Dane looks set to start one of the favourites in Saturday’s $175,000 Group Two Missile Stakes over 1200m at Randwick on Saturday.

Having won three times fresh from four attempts, including the Group Two Show County Quality over 1200m this time last year, the Gary Portelli-trained stallion prospect will jump from barrier four on Saturday with top class jockey Blake Shinn in the saddle.

Taking on a field of high class runners (click below for form) which includes Group One winners Boban, Laser Hawk, Hawkspur and Kirramosa as well as the upcoming promising runners Messene and Weary, Rebel Dane has been readied for his first up assignment with a pleasing third in a barrier trial on July 25, followed up by a hit out between races at Rosehill last Saturday with Shinn in the saddle.

A winner of six from 16 starts that includes a stunning victory in the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) during last year’s Spring Carnival, the son of Danehill stallion California Dane will target the Group One Memsie Stakes (1400m) on the final day of August – a race won in the past by the likes of Atlantic Jewel (2013), So You Think (2010), Weekend Hussler (2008), Miss Finland (2007), El Segundo (2006), Makybe Diva (2005), and Sunline (2000 and 2001).

Best of luck must go to the large group of owners of Rebel Dane, pictured below after one of his earlier wins; Laurel Oak Bloodstock Pty Ltd, Mr J V Murphy, Rdfit Pty Ltd, Mr P M Kite, Mr M W Powell, Mr C J Baker, Pardon, Mr S J Lindley, Mr R H Spee, Simpson-Morgan, Mr T J Gleeson, Mr N A Parbery, Mr G Zivkovic, Mr A N Fitzgerald for Saturday’s race.

Yet to hit the track on race day, Laurel Oak Bloodstock’s now three-year-old Tuscan Falls produced another exciting trial effort on Monday at Rosehill, taking his heat by one-and-a-quarter lengths over the 900m.

Trained by Gary Portelli, the Nicconi gelding has had three trials to date and looks one to watch as we hopefully head to the races with him in the coming weeks – you can read about his previous trial win by clicking here.

Partnered by Tye Angland on Monday, Tuscan Falls went forward after jumping away well from the gates and settled in second place.

Wearing blinkers, Tuscan Falls came up on the outside of the leader who was under pressure and allowed to coast to the line in fine style (pictured below).

As his pedigree does suggest, he looks a smart horse in the making.

A graduate of the Turangga Farm draft at the 2013 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, the Nicconi gelding is the first living foal of the General Nediym mare mare Queen Of The Falls, herself a half-sister to the Group Two -winning, Group One placed Elite Falls, both daughters of the Group Three-winning Danehill mare Niagara Falls.

Back from a spell, and having just turned three, Fastnet Rock colt Out Of The Night travelled to Bairnsdale on August 3 for the 1200m Four’n Twenty Maiden Plate.

With a small field to contest with, the Tony Noonan–trained colt finished third over what many may suggest an unsuitable distance based on pedigree.

Although by Champion Sire Fastnet Rock, Out Of The Night (pictured below with Louis) is the first foal out of the dual Group One Winning New Zealand bred mare Zarita, a winner of the South Australian Derby and South Australian Schweppes Oaks double.

Zarita was one of the best of her age group not only being a dual Group One winner, she was also successful in another five stakes races.

With nine wins from 33 career starts and over $1.6 million in earnings we hope that Out Of The Night can be half as good as his mother – and fingers crossed we are heading that way!

Trained by Tony Noonan in Melbourne – our three-year-old filly was sent to Sydney and after a barrier trial at Rosehill Gardens a week back where she finished fourth, Posh Rock headed to Wyong on Tuesday for the Pure Blonde Maiden Plate over 1350m.

Ridden by leading jockey Blake Shinn, Posh Rock settled back in the field with only a few behind her but made her run like a good horse, to narrowly go down, beaten a half-head margin by the Les Bridge-trained Myladyluck.

The first two cleared out from the remainder of the field, with the third placed Crimson Ruby three-and-a-half-lengths way.

Secured from the draft of Newhaven Park at Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Posh Rock (pictured below as a yearling) is a full-sister to the Group One performer We’re Gonna Rock, as well as being related to Group One winners Bluebird The Word and Porto Rocca, who is in turn the dam of Group One Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso.

With an impressive pedigree, the filly is clearly one to watch on the track as her residual broodmare value will increase if she continues to perform.

Congratulations to the owners and at this stage it is likely she will head to a similar style of race to break her maiden in the coming weeks.

While winning is everyone’s ultimate goal, finishing second is better than finishing third and our rising four-year-old War Pass gelding Warinda finished an agonisingly close short neck second – his third successive second place, and sixth overall.

Racing at Moruya in the Moruya Panel And Paint Class Two over 1300m on a Dead rated track, Warinda, who started the race favourite settled back in the field and just failed by a whisker to defeat Pendragon three-year-old Dragon Affair.

Having had 11 starts to date for eight top three finishes, the connections of the Keith Dryden-trained galloper can’t complain, but we are all excited to see him cross the line in front in the coming weeks.

Having never finished further back that fifth in all of his runs so far, Warinda was secured from the draft of Widden Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale back in 2012 and is fifth runner and winner out of the Woodman mare Tolinda, herself a half-sister to South Africa’s Champion Two-year-old Male Tytola (Last Tycoon), both out of the dual Group Three-winning, Group One placed Tolanda.