After the win of the crack Sydney colt Rubick, in the colts and geldings Blue Diamond Prelude, this is the answer to a promoter’s dream, the battle “Of The Titans”, the unbeaten colt against the unbeaten filly since the inception of the race 43 years ago it can hardly get better than this.

Rubick didn’t let his army of supporters down, if he was going to get beaten it was going to be on Saturday when everything didn’t go exactly as planned.

They all wanted to take him on from the outset and it didn’t help much when he was inconvenienced at the start.

He absorbed a lot of pressure early in the race, he had a much harder run than the filly, and in fairness to her in a stronger field, as you would expect.

His trainer, Gerald Ryan, formerly from Melbourne, had no hesitation in quoting his colt can improve lengths.

“He’ll improve on that, he did a lot of work early, he dwelt at the start, he sustained his speed throughout, it was a pretty good effort,” said Ryan.

Both Prelude winners were drawn close to the fence on Saturday, the all important barrier draw could be the determining factor as to who starts favourite on Saturday week

Rubick brilliant winner.

Little separates, Earthquake and Rubick, both were dominant in winning their respective Preludes leading into the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes back at Caulfield in two weeks.

Both ran identical times for the 1100 metres of 1min 03.71, each is unbeaten after two starts and they didn’t begin as well as expected, in both instances the races could have been lost at the start.

The interest centred on both juvenile races was the main attraction, those that left air conditioned grandstands to stand in the boiling temperatures got their money’s worth.

Those that took the short odds of $1.55 about Earthquake were in for an early shock when she simply walked out blowing the start.

She was no odds on shot when the field settled down; Eloping was leading with Top Sight on her outside, the odds on favourite in the centre.

Once Damien Browne let the favourite down, at the top of the straight, we witnessed a class act; she put the field away with ease, going to the line with her ears pricked.

All eyes were on her in the post parade; she stood out, a beautiful bay with black points, all quality as we have seen from the Darley trained team of Peter Snowden, and his son Paul.

She will derive great benefit from her first start in the anti clockwise direction; furthermore, she had not raced since the middle of November.

“She’s got talent, I was surprised when she wobbled around the corner a bit, it was class that won the day,” said Peter Snowden.

“I always like to see them do it twice, if they can do the same or better than the first run, you know they have got talent,” he added.

Earthquake - A class act

Lloyd Williams has announced that over the next 18 months he will vacate his Macedon Lodge based racing empire and relocate to the Mornington Peninsula.

The Williams family has more than 1200 acres on the Mornington Peninsula where the family is now based.

Macedon Lodge is a magnificent property; in fact a horse haven built by the late Kurt Stern, a fortune has been spent on it since with stabling for 75 horses, with its ultra modern facilities it would most likely be out of the league of local trainers.

The move is not immediate, it will take time and that may be required as a lot of dollars will be needed.

Damian Browne to ride Earthquake

Damian Browne is the replacement rider for Earthquake in the Blue Diamond Prelude for fillies Saturday, in the absence of Kerrin Mcvoy who is still recovering from a knee injury.

Browne, who hails from Brisbane, is no stranger riding for Darley; he also rides Carillo in the Autumn Stakes and Mohave, in the Blue Diamond Prelude for colts and geldings, for the leading stable.

Diamond Fancies draw Poorly

Chivalry has drawn barrier 16, and Nostradamus 18, for the Blue Diamond Prelude, any chance they had is now sadly depleted from those wide gates.

The favorite, Rubick, has fared much better in 2 and is sure to shorten further after a favorable draw.

Numbers wise, the colts and geldings division looks much stronger than the fillies, there is more depth among the males for a change.

A Winner for Jerilderie

Jerilderie, once a thriving racing community, was back in the news on Wednesday when Final Jest, trained by Philip Sweeney, won at Caulfield.

When Ken Sweeney, Philip’s brother, was training there the old town used to buzz, he always had about 40 horses in work and at least three or four good apprentice riders attached to the stable.

Jerilderie will always be recalled by historians the time Ned Kelly held up the local bank in the centre of the township.

The same bank, many years later, was the custodian of the Melbourne Cup trophy won by Russia tucked away in the vault.

Mick Price holds the Aces

Mick Price looks to hold all the aces in the Schweppes Rubiton Stakes with the small field of eight, his two runners, Lankan Rupee and Lion Of Belfort, are vying for favoritism.

Both showed excellent spring form and each is primed to press on for what promises to be a successful autumn.

Lankan Rupee is the preferred favorite over his stable mate, but only by 20 cents, the scales could tilt either way by post time.

Sydney trained filly, Nayeli, staked her claim for a berth in the Blue Diamond Stakes after winning the Group 3 Mal Seccull Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield 

She defeated colts and fillies alike, there were no excuses for the beaten brigade, they were simply not in her class.

Bugatty led her up until the home turn; thereafter he had little to offer, it was just a matter of how far when the harbour city filly was stoked up by Vlad Duric, the daughter of More Than Ready cruised to an effortless win.

The filly a $260,000, out of the Sydney Easter Sales, is a quality youngster with an outstanding pedigree; a million would now be the asking price if she was put on the market 

Nayeli was bred by prominent breeder at George Altomonte’s Corumbene Stud, at Dunedoo, where the two Golden Slipper winners, Sebring and Overreach, first saw the light of day.

It is doubtful if the filly would back up in the Diamond Prelude next week, she is likely to be kept fresh; the three weeks break between runs previously has done her no hard.

Nayeli is raced in the same interests as the champion two year old colt of two seasons ago, Pierro, he is now at stud.

 Nayeli by More Than Ready 

Sistine Demon continued on his winning way, adding the Thomas North Handicap to his impressive list of five wins in succession 

He was in full flight at Caulfield yesterday, just galloping, in his customary style, at the head of affairs, leading all the way 

His winning sequence began at Donald back in November, he has been in work since then, the secret is keeping him fresh 

His trainer, Andrew Noblet, has the key to the son of Excites, a few days in the paddock after a win and a trip to the water walker, is the formula that has worked to date.

The gelding is still on course for the Listed Kilmore Cup that was the original intention after his Flemington win, and nothing has altered since.

Sistine Demon by Excites

He was ridden the perfect race by Jamie Kah, her first Melbourne winner since coming over from Adelaide, the eighteen year old was the first apprentice jockey to win the Adelaide premiership in 15 years.

She is currently on loan to Caulfield trainer Mick Price, he has given her a few nice rides to date, she is fitting into the routine quite well.

Jamie Kah