TDN RISING STARS

January 25, 2014 - RANDWICK, Race 1, Cond, AUD $85,000, 1000m, dead

Rubick (Aus), c, 3, 2011 by Encosta de Lago (Aus)

1st Dam: Sliding Cube (Aus) (GSW-Aus), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire)
2nd Dam: Shantha's Choice (Aus), by Canny Lad (Aus)
3rd Dam: Dancing Show, by Nijinsky II

Owner: Stallion Racing (Mgr: D Raphael), et al
Breeder: Teeley Assets Ltd
Trainer: Gerald Ryan

There may be the better part of three months before Australia's best 2-year-olds battle for the world's richest juvenile purse in the G1 Golden Slipper S., but there is already a strong favorite for the race following a virtuoso debut performance from Rubick (Aus) (c, 2, Encosta de Lago {Aus}--Sliding Cube {Aus} {GSW-Aus}, by Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) in the Saturday opener at Randwick. The word was out on the colt, an A$460,000 graduate of the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, after he buried his rivals in a Jan. 7 barrier trial at Rosehill, winning off by 7 1/2 lengths while covering 900 meters in a slick :52.50. Drawn outside for his debut, Rubick was restrained just off the early pace by Brenton Avdulla, but when let down in upper stretch, put about four lengths on his rivals and crossed the line to score by 2 3/4 eased-down lengths. Filling out the minors were two of the top three top lots from the same 2013 Gold Coast sale. Runner-up Twirl (Aus) (f, 2, Lonhro {Aus}), produced by a full-sister to boom sire Fastnet Rock (Aus), cost James Harron A$675,000, while Coolomore's Valentia (Aus) (c, 2, Fastnet Rock {Aus}) topped the sale on a bid of A$1.35 million, ironically two lots after Rubick went through the ring. Rubick was an $11 (10-1) chance for the Slipper prior to Saturday's race, but firmed into $4.60 (7-2) to lead the market following his victory. “I would have been really disappointed knowing what I know at home and what I have had over the years, if he didn't do that,” trainer Gerald Ryan told AAP. “I think he is a really nice horse and he has improvement in him and as Brenton and I said this morning, today was only the fourth time he has been out of the gates. He raced well, he was a bit keen early but came back and relaxed underneath him, quickened when he wanted him to. He is a nice horse." Plans call for Rubick to make his next start in the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude S. Feb. 8 ahead of the G1 Blue Diamond S. two weeks later. The winner's dam is a 3/4-sister to the top sire Redoute's Choice (Aus) (Danehill), but died in 2012. Her final foal is a yearling filly by More Than Ready. The colt's ownership includes breeder Muzaffar Yazeen's Teeley Assets, who offered the colt through Vinery at Magic Millions, but elected to retain a share post-sale.