Rubitano carries on his winning way
By Mark Ryan of AAP Racing 03/08/02

Outstanding sprinter Rubitano made it five straight wins when he scored an easy victory in today's Group Three $100,000 Bletchingly Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield, but trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith is far from convinced that he can handle rain-affected going.

Mayfield-Smith said that jockey Nash Rawiller told him that Rubitano, the odds-on favourite, had cruised until hitting the home turn where he was not as sure-footed in the dead going and then dipped on straightening.

"I wouldn't want to run him on a track on the worse side of dead or worse than that," said the Flemington trainer.

After Rubiton mare Ruby Slipper came from near last to get within almost a length of Rubitano, the Rubiton five-year-old responded under pressure and scored a comfortable 2-1/4 length win from her with Dandy Kid, who won the Bletchingly two years ago, three lengths away third.

"He's winning because he's so far above them but I'm not convinced he's a wet-tracker," Mayfield-Smith said.

The trainer said Rubitano was still not anywhere near fully wound up at this early stage of his spring campaign.

"With his ability it's silly to have him wound up because he's too good for these horses," he said.

"But I was worried how the track was playing and told Nash to ride his own race and don't worry about what the others are doing."

Rubitano jumped well and shaded Sports on his inside before the 1999 Bletchingly winner started to feel the pinch on the home turn.

Mayfield-Smith seems to be leaning towards trying for a second Group One victory with Rubitano in the $350,000 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 14.

The gelding hasn't previously raced at the Valley and Mayfield-Smith said he could run in the Listed $150,000 Ian McEwen Trophy (1000m) there on August 17 for experience on the StrathAyr surface.

Rubitano's first Group One victory was in last year's Newmarket Hcp (1200m) at Flemington and today's victory took his record to nine wins and three placings from 12 starts.

Mayfield-Smith said he hadn't ruled out running Rubitano in the Group Two $200,000 J J Liston Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 24.

"In a race like the Liston he could lead and do it easy and then they've got to catch him," he said.

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