The success of a horse half a world away has prompted an ambitious stud plan for Bubbleberry.
The three-year-old filly will have what is possibly her final start in the Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m) at Scone on Saturday.
Her half-brother Lucky Bubbles has won five races in Hong Kong and beat all but the world’s highest-ranked sprinter Chautauqua in the recent Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin.
Originally bought with a long-term plan to be mated with Snitzel, Bubbleberry will now go to her sibling’s sire Sebring.
“Saturday could very well be her last start,” trainer Gerald Ryan said.
“She was bought with the idea of going to Snitzel at the end of her three-year-old season.
“But now she will be going to Sebring so she can have a three-quarter brother or sister to a world-class sprinter.”
The winner of a Gosford maiden a year ago, Bubbleberry has racked up five minor placings from nine other starts.
Her autumn was interrupted when she was found to be suffering from heat stress after her fourth behind Old North at Warwick Farm in early March.
“She recovered well from that and spent four weeks at the Hawkesbury stable and came back to Rosehill a fortnight ago,” Ryan said.
“We gave her a trial and she ran well and is ready for this.”
Bubbleberry will be ridden by Robert Thompson from barrier 11 and is one of three fillies Ryan will saddle up in the Denise’s Joy with the other two, Thorsborne and Don’t Doubt Marley, drawing 14 and 12 respectively.
“Thorsborne goes forward and there’s only one turn so it shouldn’t be too bad,” Ryan said.
“Don’t Doubt Marley had a nice, quiet trial on Monday and I think she can also go well.
“They are all in with a chance.”
The three are among a team of 10 Ryan has at the two-day Scone meeting with Dances On Stars his lone representative on Friday in the Listed Scone Cup (1600m).
From six starts this campaign, the six-year-old has recorded three stakes placings but beat just one home last time out at Randwick.
“He ended up on the inside which was a no-go zone that day,” Ryan said.
“He’s drawn wide at Scone but that shouldn’t matter because he gets back and it’s always a fast-run race.”
