"Speed, speed and more speed," famous American breeder A.B. “Bull” Hancock’s oft-quoted maxim of what is takes to make a stallion, is certainly apt in Rubick’s case. This recipe for success is further strengthened as he’s by a champion sire and from a champion dam line and had the looks to make $460,000 as a yearling. No wonder breeders think this Coolmore resident is the bee’s knees.
ANY horse who can attract more than 200 mares in his first season at stud must have really caught the eye of breeders and in Rubick’s case it’s easy to see why. The young Coolmore Stud sire was a $460,000 yearling who lived up to his looks and pedigree by shining at the track.
This brilliant son of Encosta de Lago showed exceptional speed at two and then demolished a classy group of older sprinters first up at three to win the Schillaci Stakes-Gr.2 (1000m). Not only is he by a champion sire, but his Gr.3-winning dam, Sliding Cube (Rock of Gibraltar (IRE)), is a three-quarter sister to multiple Gr.1 winner and champion sire Redoute’s Choice (Danehill (USA)). Sliding Cube’s siblings also include Gr.1 winners and sires Platinum Scissors (Danehill) and Manhattan Rain (Encosta de Lago) and the stakes winner and now NZ-based sire Echoes of Heaven (Encosta de Lago).
Their dam, Shantha’s Choice (Canny Lad-Dancing Show (USA) by Nijinsky), is a daughter of a Golden Slipper winner and a half-sister to the juvenile Gr.1 winners and sires Umatilla (Miswaki) and Hurricane Sky (Star Watch), the latter also a Gr.1 winner at three. Rubick’s fifth dam is 1982 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Best in Show (family 8f), a Gr.3 winner who became an outstanding producer and has founded a thriving international family.
So it’s no puzzle why breeders were lining up to use Rubick at $17,600 in 2015 and his fee remains the same in 2016. His arrival at Coolmore was perfectly timed as Encosta de Lago (Fairy King (USA)-Shoal Creek by Star Way (GB)) was retired from service in December 2014 after covering 34 mares in his 18th and final stud season. He got 15 live foals from that crop and left 2050 foals from his southern use, with his fee rising to as high as $302,500 in the heady days of 2008.
Punters soon got the idea Rubick was a pretty smart customer when the juvenile landed a 900m Rosehill barrier trial on January 7, 2014 by 7.25 lengths in 52.50. Ryan revealed he’d been working the colt against older horses. “He brains them and he does it on the bridle, it’s scary. That’s when you know they can stand up.” Rubick was hot favourite on debut at Randwick over 1000m on January 25 and sat second for most of the journey before clearing out in the straight to win by 2.75 lengths from Twirl with Valentia four lengths back in a class record 56.39, the last 600m in 33.29 on a dead track.
Rubick shaved 0.55 seconds off the record set by Earthquake earlier in the season. Ryan said he had not been this confident with a two year-old on debut since Snitzel when he won the Breeders’ Plate. Bookmakers reacted to the win by making the colt favourite for the Blue Diamond and top of the betting for the Golden Slipper. “Every time you show him something he picks it up quickly,” Ryan said. He’s got the attitude, he’s got the action and he’s got the ability and we will head for the Blue Diamond prelude in a fortnight and then the Blue Diamond.” The Prelude-Gr.3 (1100m) on February 14 gave the Sydney colt his first racetrack test of the reverse way of going and he was favourite as they went to the barriers.
Still a big baby, Rubick played up a bit before loading and was tardy at the start for rider Brenton Avdulla but soon kicked into top gear and gave a sustained display of speed to lead and dominate throughout, beating Jabali by a length and with Chivalry third. He ran 1:03.71 (35.27), the same time clocked by Earthquake in the fillies’ division, although her final 600m was slightly quicker (34.33). “He did a lot of work early in the race and will improve, he gets a good pass for that as he’s only been here for four days.
You like a good doer, but not as good as he is,” Ryan said of the eating habits of his laid-back colt. “I won’t do much with him before the Diamond.” As it turned out the filly had too many guns in the $1m Blue Diamond-Gr.1 (1200m) at Caulfield on February 22 and although he was second for most of the way, Rubick wound up fourth, beaten 2.75 lengths by Earthquake (1:09.87), with Jabali and Cornrow second and third.
He was sent for a spell, returning with a 900m Rosehill barrier trial win over Time for War and Law for new jockey Kerrin McEvoy on September 30, 2014. Back at Caulfield on October 11 for the $200,000 Schallici Stakes-Gr.2 (1000m) and with Coolmore now part of the ownership team, Rubick had racegoers cheering his brilliant display of sustained speed in the WFA feature as he duelled with Golden Slipper heroine Overreach for the lead all the way until they turned for home.
Rubick then changed gears in the straight, lengthening right out to shake off the Slipper winner, who was having her first start in 18 months, and defeated fast-finishing Platelet by a length with Overreach a neck back in third and Iconic in fourth. He ran 56.68 (33.33) against the older sprinters at weight for age and really impressed his trainer. “I’ve always wanted to get to Royal Ascot and I reckon this horse might get me there,” Ryan said. “He’s recovered from the virus that made us miss the San Domenico and he will go straight to the Coolmore (Ascot Vale) now. “I thought he might have been a bit vulnerable today first up against the older horses. It is always very hard for a three year-old in the spring against the older horses,” Coolmore’s Michael Kirwan said.
“Kerrin gave him a great ride and he’s a really good horse.” Rubick was beaten 11 lengths when 12th of 16 behind Brazen Beau in the Coolmore on November 1, his chances not helped when he drew the inside barrier and had to deal with a strong headwind down the straight Flemington 1200m, while the winner came down the outside fence. He was awarded a World Thoroughbred Ranking of 115 in 2014. Off the scene until March 7, 2015 Rubick was a luckless third behind Miracles of Life and Va Pensiero in the Challenge Stakes-Gr.2 (1000m) at Randwick after being blocked for a run rounding the turn then being badly bumped at the 300m and unable to get out.
Rubick was 2.4 lengths from the winner and just pipped for second (half-head). “We just had no joy, if we had a clear run we would have given the winner a run for the money,” McEvoy said. Rubick would have just two more starts, finishing mid-field in The Galaxy-Gr.1 behind Sweet Idea on March 21 and fifth of 10 in the Royal Sovereign-Gr.2 (1200m) on April 11 behind Delectation.
There were plans to take the horse to Queensland for the Gr.1 sprints in the winter but wet weather put an end to that. “He had no issue and he retired sound,” Ryan said in announcing the horse’s retirement to Coolmore in May. “He was a horse who never even went shin sore or had a sore day in his life, so he’s retired sound and it was just the right time to do it. He was by far and away the fastest two year-old I’ve ever trained and always been a stand out physically.”
The Colt purchased is out of the Sydney METROPOLITAN winning FLYING SPUR mare Federica. Flying Spur, who passed away peacefully in 2018 was a Champion Broodmare Stallion responsible for 76 Stakes winners including GROUP 1 Winners SEBRING, PREFERMENT, DELAGO DELUXE, HEADWAY, SPEAK FONDLY, GRAND JOURNEY and SHILLELAGH and had been a top 10 fixture on the Australian Broodmare’s Sires Premiership for the past 9 seasons. Interestingly, as a side note TRAVESTON GIRL who was his last Sired Stakes winner appears in this Colts pedigree! He descends from one of the truly great pedigrees of the stud book that includes TRISCAY-Champion filly who won the Group 1 AJC Champagne Stakes, GROUP 1 AJC Flight Stakes, GROUP 1 AJC Oaks, GROUP 1 Queensland Oaks but to name just a few of her successes, LA BARAKA-winner of the GROUP 1 AJC Galaxy Hcp, ALIZEE winner of the GROUP 1 ATC Flight Stakes and GROUP 1 Queen of the Turf Stakes, ASTERN-winner of the GROUP 1 ATC Golden Rose Stakes, DEFIER-winner of the GROUP 1 AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes, GROUP 1 George Main Stakes and GROUP 1 BTC Doomben Cup and DEMERGER winner of the GROUP 1 SAJC Adelaide Cup. Other GROUP AND BLACK type performers include TRAVESTON GIRL, STARCHEEKER, ALIZES, TSUIMAI, AGISTER, READYOR, MAGESTICALLY, VINTNER,FITOU etc the list just goes on and on! We work very hard to buy horses like these at value and I think everyone can tell how excited we are and you will certainly see that from Mick in the video that will be released shortly with share prices etc. Mick and I love this colt who had crystal clean x-rays and being so well balanced and short coupled, he will be going into Mick’s 2YO program mid-year and be given his chance as there is no waiting for his physical development because he is already very well developed and demands that we give him a try as a 2YO!!!
