Trainer Michael Lakey’s decision to take a big step back in class with promising galloper Trubia proved a winner on Wednesday.
Trubia had won only one of his seven previous starts but had been racing well in Saturday-class metropolitan races.
“He just hasn’t been suited by bad barriers and the smaller tracks such as Doomben. He has been looking for a big track such as the Sunshine Coast,” Lakey said.
Trubia, the $2.20 favourite, was given the run of the race by jockey Michael Cahill before getting up by a head over Yoho ($12) in the Access Insulation Plate (1200m).
Lakey is now keen to get Trubia back to better-class races over more ground.
Trubia, who is by top sire Show A Heart out of the stakes-winning mare Our Sweet Moss, was passed in at $60,000 as a yearling.
Lakey has taken his time with the now four-year-old and he hopes the win will boost the horse’s confidence.
The training partnership of John Meagher and his sons Dan and Chris continued their great start to the season with the win of the favourite Comacina ($2.20) in the BOQ Mooloolaba Handicap.
The stable has saddled up 17 runners in the new racing season and have had eight winners for a strike-rate of 47 per cent.
“We gave Comacina a freshen up after he was beaten at the Sunshine Coast back at the start of last month. He was a bit too strong for them today,” Dan Meagher said.
Winning jockey Jeff Lloyd said Comacina had been able to get the run of the race after he led early before taking a trail.
Trainer Matt Dunn produced a possible future smart stayer when She’s A Ruby ($6) won the Wimmers Premium Soft Drinks Maiden (1600m) by 4-1/4 lengths.
She’s A Ruby, who was having her seventh race start, is by a noted sire of stayers Duke Of Marmalade out of a mare by another noted staying sire in Galileo.
