Rudy To Sydney For Tramway Stakes

Trainer Helen Page has confirmed that Rudy will head to Sydney for the 2015 Tramway Stakes after he returned to racing with a credible third in the Jim Barry Coverdrive Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on August 22.

Rudy beat I'm Imposing to take out the Villiers Stakes and will return to Sydney for the Tramway Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Rudy beat I’m Imposing to take out the Villiers Stakes and will return to Sydney for the Tramway Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Rudy started the race as a clear favourite, but the race was not run to suit and he made up good ground late without ever looking like a winning chance.

While Rudy was unable to make a winning start to his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign, Page was still happy with the performance of Rudy and she told Racing Ahead that she did not have the Red Dazzler gelding very forward for his racing return.

“I was delighted with him,” Page said.

“I think a lot of people just expected him to win, but the thing is that he had a big weight, he was first-up and I hadn’t really revved him for this start.

“He has a fairly long preparation and I was delighted with it.

“The track is not very good at Doomben at the moment, but I was delighted with the way that he got to the line.”

Page revealed earlier this month that the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 3 will be the major 2015 Spring Racing Carnival goal for Rudy and she confirmed that the five-year-old would now head to Sydney.

Rudy will return to racing at Group level in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on September 5 and press on to either the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) or Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at the same venue on September 19 ahead of the Epsom Handicap a fortnight later.

“The next run is the Tramway at Randwick,” Page said.

“It starts getting a bit more serious then and a fortnight after that he may run in the Bill Ritchie rather than the George Main and then the Epsom hopefully.

“We would consider Melbourne and that is why I haven’t wound him up too much here.”

Rudy stamped himself as a legitimate contender at Group level when he took out the Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick in December last year and he was unable to record a race win during the 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, but he finished second in the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Warwick Farm on February 28 and he just missed the placings in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 6.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.