Unbeaten two year old Rubick has already been labelled a star of the future by jockey Brenton Avdulla as he lines up as the favourite for the Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Brenton Avdulla and Rubick winning the Blue Diamond Prelude. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Rubick was elevated to outright favouritism for the Group 1 feature for the two year olds after figuring slightly better than rival Earthquake at last Tuesday’s barrier draw.
The Peter Snowden trained Earthquake drew barrier fifteen in the sixteen horse field while Rubick came in at gate ten which pleased the connections of the Encosta De Lago colt.
And whatever happens in the hustle and bustle of the Blue Diamond Stakes, Avdulla is ceratin that the Gerald Ryan trained colt will emerge as one of the stars of the Australian turf in the future.
“I think he is a definite future topliner, I think he has the makings of a good Group 1 quality horse,” Avdulla told the Sportsman.
“Whether we see that quality on Saturday or it is a prep too soon for him at the end of the day it is his first preparation so he has done a good job to get where he is.”
Rubick showed in his performance to win the Group 3 $150,000 Sportingbet Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (1100m) at Caulfield two weeks ago that he has the right makings of a top class sprinter after having to put in at both ends.
After missing the start slightly, Avdulla had to let Rubick slide up along the fence to be with the leading bunch before gaining control on the home turn and then holding off all challengers in the run to the line.
“It’s not easy for a two year old having his second run in his first preparation to cop all that pressure and still hang on,” Avdulla said.
“So we learned he has that bit of guts about him and he got the job done,” Avdulla said.
“There was a lot of pressure there and you only have to look at the sectionals, they went out seven lengths quicker than the fillies.”
Rubick, like Earthquake, is undefeated from two race starts with both the colt and filly winning over the 1000m at Randwick before running the exact same time of 1.3.71 seconds in winning both divisions of the Blue Diamond Preludes.
Rubick at $2.90, holds a slight margin over Earthquake at $3.70 in the Ladbrokes.com.au Blue Diamond Stakes market order with the Mark Kavanagh trained Chivalry on the third line of betting at $7.50.
Gai Waterhouse will saddle up smart filly Nayeli, a $9 chance just ahead of Nostradamus ($11) from the Team Hawkes stable.
Avdulla and Ryan are looking to collect their second Group 1 success in as many weekends after winning the Group 1 $500,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington last Saturday with speedy mare Snitzerland.
