Recognition Stakes Winner Rudy Likely To Remain In Brisbane

Talented gelding Rudy is set to remain in Queensland for the 2014 Brisbane Handicap at Doomben on December 13 rather than head to Sydney for the Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m).

Rudy returned to winning form with an impressive victory in the 2014 Recognition Stakes. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Rudy returned to winning form with an impressive victory in the 2014 Recognition Stakes. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Trainer Helen Page revealed last week that she was considering taking Rudy to the Sydney for the Group 2 event if he was successful in the Recognition Stakes, but the Toowoomba-based trainer is now reassessing that plan despite the impressive nature of Rudy’s win in the Listed race.

Rudy was caught wide and was position towards the tail of the field in the early stages of the Recognition Stakes, but despite the tough run in transit was able to storm over the top of his rivals to record a strong win from Grayson Square and Darci Be Good.

Page revealed after the race that she had instructed jockey Luke Tarrant to make sure that Rudy was not boxed in and she said that she was always confident that the Red Dazzler gelding was going to be able to run down his opposition in the Recognition Stakes.

“I said to Luke not to get stuck on the inside because I wanted the horse to have an uninterrupted run,” Page told the media after the race.

“He’s been ridden from a lot of different positions so even though he was about five-deep on the turn I thought he could still make it in time.”

Tarrant admitted after the race that he did not share the confidence of Page coming into the straight and he was worried that Rudy was giving up too much ground at the 500 metre mark, but was thrilled with the way that the four-year-old was able to work home in the final stages of the Recognition Stakes.

“When he was caught wide I thought I’d go back and look for some cover rather than push forward,” Tarrant said after the race.

“I knew he would run home strongly, but I was definitely worried when he was a fair way off them coming to the home turn.

“When he saw daylight today he was freakish in the way he let down in the straight.”

Natalie McCall-trained Lady Echelon was one of the best-backed runners in the lead-up to the Recognition Stakes, but suffered a potentially career ending tendon injury in the race and underwent surgery on Saturday night to repair the stripped tendon.

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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.