Mitchell Beer says Sunrise Ruby is “110 per cent” ahead of this Saturday’s $1.3 million The Kosciuszko at Royal Randwick.
The Albury trainer has targeted the country showcase with horses in the past, coming as close as two tenths of a length when second with Redouble in last year’s race.
In what will now be the fourth running of The Kosciuszko, Beer is confident he has the right horse for the job.
Having won four of her six career starts, Sunrise Ruby will head into the race as one of the more fancied gallopers after a terrific win over the 1200m at Randwick in a Class 3 Highway event on July 31.
“It’s almost too good to be true at the moment,” Beer said.
“Probably Saturday morning was the best piece of work I’ve ever seen from her.
“With the weather forecast for Saturday, we really couldn’t ask for much more.
“She’s 110 per cent.”
In Sunrise Ruby’s four career wins, three of those have been on a heavy surface, so the weather forecast for Sydney has peaked Beer’s interest even further ahead of the big race, with the trainer saying any rain “is only going to help” the mare’s chances.
Despite being beaten in the race 12 months ago, the trainer says he hasn’t changed too much in his quest to win the race, given that like Redouble, Sunrise Ruby races well off a freshen-up.
The talented mare was selected to be a runner by a slot holder relatively early in the piece, which gave the Albury-based trainer plenty of time to keep her fresh ahead of Saturday which has been the key to her success in the past.
“She’s sort of similar to him; she goes very well fresh,” the trainer said.
“She’s had two first-up runs for two wins, albeit in pretty lesser grade than what she faces on Saturday.
“Having been able to obtain a slot pretty early, just gave us plenty of time.
“She had probably 10 or 12 days in the paddock in between her runs from Sydney and this trip – it just allowed us to bring her along slow.
“We took her over to Wagga and gave her a quiet trial.
“We haven’t had to go back up to Sydney or go down to Melbourne and try and prove our point and get a slot by giving her another run and then going into The Kosciuszko with a bit of a tired horse.
“She’s in absolutely terrific order.”
Glen Boss will partner the daughter of Casino Prince once again after he won on her on July 31, which is a huge thrill for Beer given that the three-times Melbourne Cup-winning jockey wanted to lock himself in for the ride a long way out.
“He won a Group 3 for me when I just started training down in Mornington,” Beer said.
“He fills you with confidence.
“I said to him on the Saturday morning before she run (July 31) that I think she is as good as I’ve ever had, and he said ‘that’s a big call,’ but talking to him that night after the race he said ‘I reckon you’re bang on’.
“He said she’s definitely a Saturday, could be a Group sort of mare in the making.
“He was pretty quick to stick with her before she even had a slot a long way out.
“There’s one bloke that’s got a pretty good track record at getting the job done in the big ones and we’re rapt to have him on.”
Sunrise Ruby is a $16 chance in this year’s running, while 2019 winner Handle The Truth is the $4.60 favourite.
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