Rubisaki shows talent in Flemington win

Rubisaki has drawn clear in soft conditions to win by 2-1/4 lengths at Flemington.

Two-year-old Rubisaki has backed up a convincing win at Seymour with another at Flemington to have her connections eyeing spring targets.

The Patrick Payne-trained filly was narrowly beaten on debut at Warrnambool last month before breaking her maiden at her second start at Seymour by 2-1/4 lengths on June 6.

A half-sister to stablemate Zizzis, Rubisaki took another step up on Saturday in the Gippsland Region Handicap (1400m) for two-year-olds, sitting midfield under jockey Jye McNeil before chiming in strongly on the outside in the home straight.

Rubisaki ($4.20) drew clear in the soft conditions to win by 2-1/4 lengths over The Astrologist ($7) with Hi Stranger ($31) a nose away third.

“She’s a ripper,” part-owner and syndicator Joe O’Neill said.

“Her sister, Zizzis, won on Wednesday at Sandown. We’ve had this filly for a while and Patrick contacted me and said ‘I think this is the real deal’.

“She went to Warrnambool and we thought she would win but she got beaten a nose.

“She bolted in the other day at Seymour and today she was just never going to get beaten.

“She’s a high class filly.”

O’Neill said he would talk to Payne about options for Rubisaki but said she could progress to the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington in two weeks before having a break and looking to the spring.

“She might be a Thousand Guineas horse,” he said.

McNeil was riding Rubisaki for the first time and liked the way she relaxed and saved her energy.

“I think that’s why she was able to produce such a good finish,” he said.