One final autumn fling against the fillies for flying Rubick three-year-old
All Aged Stakes ruled out for Prime Thoroughbreds’ in-form million dollar earner Rubisaki
Joe O’Neill and trainer Patrick Payne have resisted the temptation to run in-form filly Rubisaki (Rubick) in the All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and instead the brilliant three-year-old will attempt to stretch her winning streak to six in the J H B Carr Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m).
Rubisaki, already the winner of seven races and more than $1 million in prize-money, will return to Randwick on Saturday to round out her season in the $140,000 fillies event a fortnight after claiming the P J Bell Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m).
Prime Thoroughbreds’ O’Neill reasoned that Rubisaki was still developing and was better off being protected by continuing to race against her own age while she still can.
“She wouldn’t have been out of place in the All Aged – she’s about fifth in the early markets I think – but she is not ready for that. If it had come up with six runners, then we might have had a throw at the stumps,” O’Neill told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“(The J H B Carr Stakes) is another Group 3 and it will be her last race for the season. She will go to Yarraman Park for a spell where she will have six weeks off and then be prepared for the Golden Eagle in the spring.”
The long-time syndicator believes the best is still ahead of Rubisaki and he called on his past experience of managing talented fillies and mares including three-time Listed winner Unchain My Heart (Al Maher), Belle Of The Turf Stakes (Listed, 1600m) winner Hidden Wonder (Danzero), Calming (Zeditave), Unabated (Encosta De Lago) and Savoureux (Nadeem) who took out the 2016 Wenona Girl Handicap (Gr 3, 1200m).
“I am a great believer in letting three-year-old fillies running against their own sex if they can and work their way through the grades and then you’ve got them as four and five-year-olds when there’s so many good races for them,” he said.
“I think we have looked after her very well. In 12 months’ time she will be a powerhouse and we are starting to see that development now that wasn’t there before.
“She is an amazing athlete and when I bought her she was very light on her feet. She’s got that when she races. Every start this preparation at some stage she’s been in trouble and then, bang, she gets out of it in a couple of strides.
“She goes sideways and it’s like watching a great rugby league centre, she just accelerates off that foot.”
Nash Rawiller will retain the ride on Rubisaki, who is being stabled at Goulburn where she was based in the week leading up to the postponed $1 million Inglis Sprint (1200m) at Warwick Farm in February.
“She’s staying at John Bateman’s at Goulburn in Guy Walter’s old stables. Patrick is talking to John daily and he is sending videos through of how she looks and he is very happy with her,” he said.
“She will probably have a gallop (this) morning I would think, but the mail we’re getting back is that she is eating everything up and looks amazing. I couldn’t believe it when I saw a video of her the other day.”
O’Neill bought Rubisaki, a half-sister to Prime Thoroughbreds’ Payne-trained Zizzis (Sizzling), for $85,000 at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from Edinburgh Park’s Ian Smith in a well-told “sting” in which he did not show any public interest in the then yearling at Riverside Stables so he did not give away the ability of the then unraced Zizzis.
Now a rising five-year-old, Zizzis is back in work with Payne at his Plumpton complex near Melbourne after a Tasmanian raid had to be aborted earlier this year after being cast in her box.
O’Neill also purchased the latest yearling out of Senro Kisaki (Danehill Dancer), a brother to Zizzis (Sizzling), for $100,000 from Edinburgh Park at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and will join the same stable as his older siblings.
“He is a really nice horse and he’s a beautiful animal. He is different to Zizzis – he has a bit more scope where she was short coupled, strong type of horse,” he said,
O’Neill also owns the pair’s older sister Husson’s Kiss (Husson), having purchased her out of a paddock from Patinack Farm as a weanling, and he retained her as a broodmare when her racing career was cut short after fracturing a pelvis.
Her first foal by Wordsmith (Testa Rossa) made $40,000 at the recent Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale, with O’Neill buying out his partner in the horse.
“The breaker rang me and told me that he was one of the most athletic horses that I have ever touched,” he said.
“He is a really nice colt. Husson’s Kiss is in foal to Sizzling and she will likely go to Rubick this year. It would probably be silly not to if I could get a three-quarter to Rubisaki.”
Senro Kisaki, meanwhile, has a weanling filly by So You Think (High Chaparral) and was covered last December by Rubick (Encosta De Lago).