Rudy is set to contest the 2015 Epsom Handicap and trainer Helen Page is confident that the prospect of a dry track will not be an issue for the talented galloper in the Group 1 event at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Rudy has the chance to record a maiden win at Group 1 level in the 2015 Epsom Handicap at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Rudy has recorded four wins from six starts on heavy tracks and he finished fourth on a bog track in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick earlier this year, but Page believes that the son of Red Dazzler can be just as effective on top of the ground and does not require a wet track to win the 2015 Epsom Handicap this weekend.
“He is good on top of the ground,” Page said.
“It is just that he has won a lot of his races on wet tracks.
“Everybody thinks that he is just a wet tracker and I have had jockeys refuse to ride him and take other rides because they thought he was just a wet tracker and then say ‘sorry I thought he was just a wet tracker’.
“He is effective on any sort of going and that is the good thing about Rudy.
“I only have the one to take to these carnivals and it is really good when they can handle all these conditions.
“It is pretty terrible if they don’t because you are always scratching and looking for other races.”
Rudy started his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a fast-finishing third behind Cum Dividend in the Jim Barry Coverdrive Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on August 22 and he found the line strongly again when third in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on September 5.
The five-year-old started the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Royal Randwick on September 19 as a clear favourite and he was unable to run down Sadler’s Lake in the final stages of the race, but Page was still happy with the run and she is confident that her star galloper is ready to peak in the Epsom Handicap this weekend.
“Our victory is going to come this Saturday,” Page said.
“I have set him for the race and the other races were lead-up runs coming into it.
“He is peaking at the right time.
“It is a tough race and I am not being silly, but it is good prizemoney and we have had this as our goal this time in.”
Rudy is currently available at 2015 Epsom Handicap odds of $11 with Ladbrokes and he is on the fourth line of betting with Ladbrokes behind Winx ($2.80), Sadler’s Lake ($8) and Lucia Valentina ($8).
