Trainer Gary Portelli admitted he was devastated when his galloper Rebel Dane drew a wide barrier for the Doomben 10,000 on Saturday.

Portelli had been hoping Rebel Dane, who had been ruling favourite, would have drawn barriers one to five in the Group One sprint.

Instead he will start from gate 10 in the 11-horse field.

"He will have to go back and then be ridden for luck. I thought from an inside barrier he would have been able to get a nice position behind the pace," Portelli said.

"Now he will need luck especially if the track keeps playing the way it was last week which suited leaders.

"If you get back and they don't go at a cracking pace it is very hard to run those type of horses down."

Portelli poured cold water on a suggestion he might instruct jockey Glen Boss to let race favourite Buffering, who is drawn barrier eight, take him across the field.

"Why would I do that? He will end up three and four deep. He will have to go back in the field."

Rebel Dane arrived in Brisbane earlier this week and Portelli has given him an easy time after a trip which was punctuated by several unplanned stops.

One form reference to hearten Portelli is that Rebel Dane is following exactly the same successful path as last year's 10,000 winner Epaulette.

The Darley galloper ran a disappointing sixth in the Randwick All Aged Stakes but then won a trial in good fashion before going on to take the 10,000.

Rebel Dane ran a disappointing fifth in the All Aged Stakes but then won a Rosehill trial last week.

The California Dane gelding is one of several horses who failed in the All Aged Stakes after running on a bog track in the TJ Smith Stakes on April 12.

Win or lose on Saturday Rebel Dane will remain in Brisbane for the Group One Stradbroke Handicap on June 7.

"I think the distance and the bigger straight will suit him."

Rebel Dane has already won in Group One company over 1400m, taking out last year's Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield.