Rubira is in the right form and state of mind to give the Phil and Glenys Kennard Syndicates back- to- back Queensland Derby wins on Saturday -and Nathan thinks he is right up to the task.
“The wide gate is not such a worry over the longer distance and he has proven he can handle staying trips. Not all the favoured runners this year can claim that”
Rubira,Spanish for for fair is moe than that and goes into the race as second favourite at $3.40 on the New Zealand TAB, with his strongest rival Hesitate,drawn the ace gate,favourite at $2.40. Most of the field -outside the local Dixon pair – are not in strong demand.
“I regard Fate Awaits (the leading Dixon candidate) as the best other horse in the race and we have proven we can beat him. Rubira has been set for this and everything has gone to plan. We missed out on luck in the Rising Sun where he still went a good race.He has trained on well and will go a big race back to his own age group” Nathan said
“He has the versatility to race tops over any distance and from anywhere in the field.It’s a strong point in a Derby”
Hesitate has the advantage of the inside draw on top of an imposing form line.
“Its been good form but it’s been mostly over a mile. When he has stepped up in trip it has been a little more difficult.Rubira handles longer distances well” Nathan observed
Nathan would also be up for back- to- back Derby wins in other circumstances. Last year, with one horse left at the carnival and a big busy team at Rolleston he returned home before the classic, leaving his Derby hope in the care of David and Stacey White.With an inch perfect drive from Rubira’s pilot, Adam Sanderson, he won the big one. The Whites have returned this year with boom trotter Bet n Win and aim to add an Inter Dominion Championship to their Queensland tally.
The Kennards and Breckon Bloodstock had shares in both horses before Major Hot was sold into the Jason Grimson barn. Breckon Farms bred both. Anne and Jim Gibbs were partners in last year’s winner while Rubira has Gary and Kerryn Woodham and Richard and Sheena Cole as co-owners.
Mark has previously trained Queensland Derby winners, Best Deal Yet,More the Better and Self Assured. Self Assured still holds the mile rate record of 1.54.2 for the 2680 trip during a sensational late season campaign that predicted the mighty things to come.
Rubira occasionally showed wayward tendencies as a less mature horse and his achievements have been a tad underrated here perhaps as a result.Whatever, Nathan and Mark’s patience and skill handling those problems has paid big dividends.
He won a Group 1 Diamond Creek at two and ran second in the Sires Stakes Final to boom youngster Marketplace,also a Kennard syndicate project,who would be at cramped odds in a field like this.
Rubira was first and Marketplace third in the Elsu Classic in March after a masterclass Mark Purdon drive from a wide gate.
Given his ability to handle on pace/off pace tactics, his leadup form and his past peaks “Kasper” should prove a lot more than just a ghost to his Derby rivals come Saturday. The odds are appealing.