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Gary Portelli’s Kintyre is set for the Spring Stakes at Newcastle.

He's been racing in elite company of late and the Gary Portelli-conditioned Kintyre should appreciate the drop back to Group 3 grade in the Spring Stakes at Newcastle this Saturday.

Whilst not measuring up against the likes of Tom Kitten in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes last time out, the son of Hallowed Crown had been thereabouts in the Gloaming, Dulcify, Ming Dynasty and Up And Coming Stakes in the four runs prior. 

Portelli explained his three-year-old gelding had excuses at the latest outing and believes the drop back to the mile will suit. 

"He's been racing well, got a lot of form around Tom Kitten although his last run was a shocker," Portelli lamented. 

"He had the worst luck possible sitting three deep, blinkers on the first time, pulling his head off.

"He still had a crack at the top of the straight, it looked like he was trying to get into it but the early effort told.

"I've freshened him up, I've taken the blinkers off. I don't think he appreciated the blinkers last start. 

"Back to the mile and drawn a good gate and he'll be very competitive." 

Kintyre currently sits on the fifth line of betting at $8 with the unbeaten Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott runner Invincible Spy top of the market at $4. 

Portelli is of the opinion that Saturday's contest is a much more achievable assignment and rates his galloper as a leading hope. 

"I think this is a fair drop back in grade, unless there's something coming through that we don't know about," Portelli said. 

"But based on exposed form he's probably the horse to beat." 

Kintyre has shown a liking to the Newcastle circuit with a win and a second from just two starts there and did finish a close-up second in the Group 3 Up And Coming at Rosehill in August. He draws gate eight for hoop Adam Hyeronimus, who has five wins from his past 30 rides. 

There is a bumper ten-race card at Newcastle this weekend, with the $1 million The Hunter being the highlight on what is shaping as a great standalone meeting.