Exciting colt Rubick will make his much-anticipated racing debut in the TAB IPhone APP Plate (1000m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Rubick stamped himself as a juvenile to watch by winning a 900 metre barrier trial at Rosehill Gardens on January by a stunning seventh lengths – a performance that led trainer Gerald Ryan to state that the two-year-old was the best horse he has trained since Snitzel.
Rising jockey Brenton Avdulla has ridden Rubick in the majority of his trackwork and told Racing Ahead this morning that he has been delighted with the feel that the son of Encosta De Lago has given him ever since he first entered the stable.
“He has obviously given us a feel from day one,” Avdulla said.
“In all his work he has worked quite nicely and quiet sharp and he has kept improving.
“The way he trailed the other day didn’t really surprise us; we knew that we had a horse with a fair bit of ability.
“I hate getting wrapped up in two-year-olds because I know how much they can disappoint you when they get to the races, but I am looking forward to Saturday and I just hope that he can go there and do everything right.
“He has a very good attitude.
“A lot of two-year-olds, especially colts, can get wound up and do a few things wrong.
“He is pretty easy to do things with and he is a bit of a laidback customer.”
Peter Moody-trained Pink Perfection is the only horse in the TAB IPhone App Plate that has previous race experience but, with horses from the Waterhouse, Waller and Connors stables, Avdulla expects there to be plenty of early speed in the 1000 metre event.
“He is a horse that just has natural speed,” Avdulla said.
“There looks to be a fair bit of speed in the race and it is going to be a strong little two-year-old race.
“I predict there will be a bit of pressure there and I will just have to sum up how my bloke jumps.
“He trialed very speedy the other day and I am tipping that he will put himself on the bunny.
“We will get a better guide of where we are at on Saturday and I am sure that we will learn a lot more about him.”
Punters have wasted no time loading up on Rubick; with the speedy juvenile currently available at odds of $1.45, while Clarry Connors-trained Create is the next best-backed runner at $3.50.