Trainer Gerald Ryan would like to see a repeat performance before declaring the new Golden Slipper favourite Rubick as the best two year old to race this season.
Rubick is the new favourite for the Golden Slipper. Photo by Steve Hart.
Rubick had no trouble scoring a two and three quarter lengths debut win at Randwick last Saturday over 1000m in the slick time of 56.39s, but Ryan would like to see the Encosta De Lago colt do it again before his next race start.
“He’s only had the one start, I’d like to see him do it again, but he could be the best two-year-old we’ve seen,” Ryan told The Daily Telegraph.
Rubick lived up to his pre-race hype and certainly impressed Ryan with the quickest last 600m of the day in 33.29s, but the Rosehill trainer was reluctant to compare other two year old winning times over 1000m on other days.
“You can’t compare time on different days, but you can compare times on the same day,” Ryan said.
“That was the only 1000m race on Saturday, but he was the only horse to break 34 seconds, and not only did he break 34 seconds, he smashed it. He ran 33.29 seconds easing down.”
Rubick clocked 56.39s for the 1000m while early Blue Diamond Stakes and Golden Slipper favourite Earthquake ran 56.49s when she won on debut at Randwick on November 9.
Rubick ($3.60) immediately replaced the Peter Snowden trained Earthquake ($4) as the favourite for the Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 22 after a dominant display at Randwick last Saturday.
And also ousted Earthquake ($5.50) from the top position in the market order for the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on April 5 and is now the $4.50 favourite for the richest two year old race in the world.
Ryan has reported that Rubick has pulled up well after Saturday and will head to Melbourne later in the week to continue his Blue Diamond Stakes preparation.
Rubick will have his next run in the Group 3 $150,000 Sportingbet Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (1100m) at Caulfield on February 8 before running in the Blue Diamond Stakes two weeks later.
Peter Snowden said that Earthquake was doing fine at Darley’s Flemington base and was ready to barrier trial on Thursday ahead of her next start in the Blue Diamond Prelude for the fillies on Saturday week.
Snowden is like Ryan and would like to see the youngsters do it a second time before putting too much of a wrap on them.
“The market will change every week, it will change the next three or four weeks as everyone starts bringing out their best horse,” Snowden said.
“I think you need to react after a couple of wins, but don’t get me wrong, Rubick is a nice horse, he ran time, and looks a serious racehorse.”
