Unbeaten three year old Rubira could pencil in a booking to Queensland for the winter Inter Dominion carnival if he is as forward at the trials next week as Nathan expects.
A winter campaign for some of the team has been under consideration for some time but not all programmes have gone to plan. Oscar Bonavena was to be a lynch pin of the trip but since winning the Waikato Flying Mile in March his finishing numbers have been stuck on 6th including in the rich TAB Trot he had been set for and then the Rowe Cup.
“It is a bit up in the air with Oscar now and it will come down to what Mark thinks of his progress. He was also looking at Chase a Dream for the meeting but he was very disappointed with his latest run the way he had been working so that seems unlikely now.But Rubira is putting his hand up”
Rubira has had a mixed first half of the season in some ways but three starts for three wins including a defeat of Marketplace is a worthy result.
“The way he is working I’d say he is headed for Queensland if he justifies it in his buildup.” Nathan said
The campaign in the main is spread from June 28 when the $A52,000 Redcliffe Derby may appeal through to July 19 when the Inter Dominion Finals will be decided and Rubira will hopefully be in the $A150k Queensland Derby/Oaks on the same night . Other features include the South East Derby (July 5) when the Inter Dominion Trotting heats also begin.The South East hasn’t grown in valu but has been a a traditional lead in to the later features for the Purdon stable.Thee is also a Derby Qualifier if that is required, on July 11.
The winner of four of 9 starts at two running second to Marketplace in the Sires Stakes Final and the Harness Millions,Rubira resumed early in February with a to R65 pipe opener in 2.40.9. Another good win in similar time followed, then thanks to an explosive tactical drive by Mark he won the Group 2 Alabar Classic.Chased hard from Gate 8 he grabbed the lead scorching early then backed off with some outrageous fractions before sprinting away at the top of the straight and holding out Marketplace on the latter’s Alexandra Park debut. The drive won the race but the horse still had to be good enough.
A training mishap then took him out of circulation including missing the Derby this week but it could prove a blessing in disguise if he strips at his best in a Marketclassless Brisbane campaign. He was clearly second best to the budding superstar at his best and an Australian consolation prize looks attractive.
The stable has dominated the Sires Stakes for so long that it seems most unusual that Marketplace threatens to end a remarkable run on Friday. Five Crowns is a worthy representative for Mark and Nathan given his clear superiority in the Southern Supremacy Final, tho this is a tougher proposition altogether and a placing would be a great outcome at the odds offered.
PIC: Rubira at work with Vessem at Addington. The older stablemate has shown the way with his Superstar win at Addington with Olivia Thornley in the cart.