Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Trainer Mitchell Beer is adamant talented mare Sunrise Ruby is worthy of another shot at the $1.3m The Kosciuszko later this year but says $150,000 races on offer in Sydney on Saturdays can’t be ignored in the meantime.

Trainer Mitchell Beer.

Sunrise Ruby started $9.50 in The Kosciuszko last year, she’s currently $15 in TAB’s all-in market, and finished midfield behind Art Cadeau.

The $5 Kosciuszko tickets are on sale via TAB until September 7 so there’s a lot of talk about potential contenders – Beer is happy to let Sunrise Ruby, one of a few hopefuls from his Albury stable, to do the talking on the track for now.

“She’s not on a one race campaign, at the end of the day it’s a great race and I’m a massive advocate of it but we will just keep training her and finding races for her,’’ Beer said.

“If she’s going good around that time and if it all falls into place then great.

“Because you’re not guaranteed a spot, and there’s so much money in Sydney with nearly $80,000 to win a benchmark mares race on Saturday I certainly don’t want to be bypassing that to be protecting her form and guarantee a slot.

“I’d be surprised if she didn’t end up in the race but the last thing I want to do is get fixated on it.”

On the evidence of a slashing first-up placing two weeks ago, Beer is confident the four-year-old is back to her best after he pulled the pin on a Country Championships in the autumn.

She raced just once last preparation and while Beer blames himself for rushing her back in then he also says it was the right call to send her back to the paddock.

“She went from a Benchmark 58 to a Kosciuszko in one prep then she didn’t have long off because we wanted to come back for a Country Championship,’’ he said.

“She was never going good, her two trials were fair and I gave her one start and she ran accordingly. There were no soundness issues, she was just going average and it was a great decision to stop and bring her back.”

Sunrise Ruby, $4.80 with TAB on Thursday, clocked 36.04 for her last 600m (Punter's Intelligence) when resuming over 1100m on July 9, two lengths faster than the winner Lady Brook and meets her 1.5kg better in the Precise Air Handicap (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday for a three-quarter length defeat.

Beer said on that occasion an inside alley played against her so is rapt with where she’ll jump from on Saturday especially considering it’s the final race on the program.

“She just couldn’t build momentum at the right time and the winner skipped away on her,’’ he said.

Sunrise Ruby runs second at Randwick on July 9

“She’s never won until she’s got to 1200m before, she strips fitter, she loves the heavy and I’m far happier being back on the outside of them. By race 10 they will be looking for better ground and she maps well on paper.

“She’s pleased us since she‘s come home, she came through the run very well and we haven’t had to do a huge amount with her. She presents in the same order just a touch fitter over a touch longer.”

Benton Avdulla rides Sunrise Ruby on Saturday. The Kosciuszko (1200m) is run on TAB Everest Day, October 15, at Royal Randwick.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting