A sharp gallop on the Caulfield course proper has quality colt Rubick on target to tackle the older horses for the first time in the Schillaci Stakes.
Rubick worked over 800m in 52.04 with trainer Gerald Ryan’s son Blake aboard on Tuesday morning and was clocked at a slick 23.22sec for his final 400m.
While the colt is expected to improve on what he does on Saturday ahead of his main target, the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) against his own age, Ryan’s travelling foreman Sterling Alexiou says the sprinter is showing all the right signs he will run well in his first weight-for-age start.
Rubick, who comes from the Redoute’s Choice family, made a name for himself in the autumn with an impressive win on debut at Randwick before backing it up with victory in the Blue Diamond Prelude for colts and geldings at Caulfield.
He finished fourth in the Group One Blue Diamond at his final start as a juvenile and then his Sydney spring return was delayed because of a virus.
“He’s a pretty smart horse so he always goes out there and runs slick time,” Alexiou said.
“It’s good to see him go out and do it again this morning.
“We’ve been happy with him right the way along. He’s obviously coming off a little setback but the Coolmore has been his goal all the way along and we’ve targeted it accordingly.
“He’ll run first-up in the Schillaci on Saturday but he will improve off it and then he’s got three weeks until the Coolmore.”
The Group Two Schillaci (1000m) has 12 nominations including last year’s Golden Slipper winner Overreach who has not started since her third in the Sires’ Produce Stakes in April last year.
The entries also include Platelet, Notlistenin’tome, Sessions, Gregers and Shamal Wind.
“We’re looking forward to getting him back to the races and seeing how he measures up against the older horses,” Alexiou said.
“He’s against a few seasoned, in-form sprinters so you want to see him make the progression at weight-for-age against older horses.
“Every indication he gives us suggests he will measure up.”
