Newcastle, Queanbeyan previews for Tuesday, February 18: Mark Minervini-trained filly to Serve it up to rivals

Mark Minervini has found the perfect race to help springboard the Gerry Harvey bred mare Rubi’s Serve into the upcoming Provincial Championship series.

The Mark Minervini-trained Rubi's Serve wins at Newcastle in December last year. PIcture: Bradley Photos

Mark Minervini’s prospects of saddling-up a runner in a $1 million race in 53 days’ time more or less rests on the outcome of what happens in a $42,000 race at Newcastle on Tuesday.

Money will be the furthest thing from the former master of Morphettville’s mind when the Gerry Harvey-bred Rubi’s Serve jumps away in The Adviser Collective Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1400m).

“Hopefully she can win and lift her rating so that she can get a start in the Provincial Championships Heat on the 20th of March at Newcastle,’’ Minervini said.

“I think if she can win one more now, it will almost guarantee her a start in the Heat.”

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Rubi’s Serve was a $3.50 TAB Fixed Odd favourite when markets were released, hardly surprising given her sheer consistency and depth of form.

The $25,000 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale purchase has raced 12 times for two wins and six placings, half of those seconds.

The most recent of her three seconds was at Newcastle in December behind the unbeaten and untapped Churchill’s Choice.

“I don’t think Tuesday’s race is a pushover but I don’t think it is any stronger than what she has been running in,’’ Minervini says.

“We’ve put the blinkers on for the first time and if they improve her at all, she’ll shake the life out of that.’’

RUBI'S SERVE (4m ex Serve and Volley NZ) is engaged @newcastleraces_ on Tuesday. The daughter of @SwettenhamStud RUBICK kept finding the line along the rails (replay) for a solid placing last time. @adam_sangster@mmsnippets@BaramulStud@BobDail17503595@minervini_markpic.twitter.com/8QLn8NcJcj

— Minervini Racing (@minerviniracing) February 17, 2025

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Rubi’s Serve was one of 173 foals from ‘Everest sire’ Rubick’s fifth crop.

She was the third foal of Harvey’s twice Sydney-metropolitan winning mare, Serve And Volley, herself a daughter of the Baramul boss’s own vastly underrated sire Swiss Ace.

Rubi’s Serve’s most famous Australasian relative is the 1996 Doncaster Handicap winner, Sprint By.

Her most famous American relative is Flying Paster who famously won the 1979 Hollywood Derby by 10 lengths and would have no doubt have been the designated Champion of his era if he did not have the misfortune of being foaled in the same year as Spectacular Bid, who beat the son of Gummo all four times they met.

Minervini aims to bookend Tuesday’s quick-fire six-race card with first starter Rose Of Dubai scheduled to make her somewhat anticipated debut in the opening event.

A daughter of Australia’s current leading sire (by earnings), Pride Of Dubai, Rose Of Dubai has set the scene for a bold showing after three successive trial placings since December 30.

Trainer Mark Minervini. Picture: Jason McCawley / Getty Images

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“She is a lovely big, scopey filly,’’ Minervini says.

“I think she will want more ground but she has trialled well enough to suggest that she is going to go there and be competitive for sure.

“She has been a bit of a headache in the barriers, a bit claustrophobic, because she is a big filly.

“But we seem to have won that battle so we’ll keep our fingers crossed that she is on her best behaviour.

“If she loads okay, I expect her to run well and you’d even be able to follow her as she gets up to 1400m and a mile and maybe even 2000m down the track a bit.

“I think the 1250m is the perfect kick off point for her. I wouldn’t be surprised if she went there and was good enough to beat them.’’

Win, lose or draw, Rose Of Dubai is shaping as a bargain buy for Minervini who paid a mere $4000 for the blue-blood at the 2023 Inglis Classic Sale.

Two lots later, in walked another Willow Park Stud offering eagerly snapped up for Minervini, this for $8000.

That horse was Shall Be, a three-time winner and recent Midway runner-up from just six starts.

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COWRA trainer Michael Lynch can pull off a rare feat at Queanbeyan on Tuesday as he chases a winning double with stablemates and siblings, Bolo Miss and Man From Brussells.

The pair are the first two foals of Better Take Cover, herself a daughter of Hay List’s father, Statue Of Liberty.

Their fifth dam is Light Handed who, as her name suggests, was a three-quarter sister to Light Fingers who will be forever remembered as being the first of Bart Cummings’s 12 Melbourne Cup winners, beating Ziema in the 1965 renewal.

First of the Willyn Dynasty-bred and owned siblings to race on Tuesday is Bolo Miss who makes her debut in the Qracing Membership Maiden Plate (900m).

The daughter of Rosehill Guineas winner D’Argento sent out some positive signs when an unhurried third in her one and only trial at Canberra 11 days ago.

“She trialled nicely,’’ Lynch said. “We didn’t ask her to do too much. I am not sure what kind of depth was in that trial, there were quite a few unraced two-year-olds in it, so it is a little hard to get a good line of that, but she got to the line nice and strong.

“We were in two minds whether to give her another trial or go straight to a race and we decided that being a 900m (on Tuesday), we elected to go that way rather than another trial.

“And she did everything right on the trial.

“I expect they might be a bit quick for her early but hopefully she is working on towards the finish.

“She has got a lovely action. She weighed in before that trial at 550 kilos which is a good weight for a three-year-old filly.”

Bolo Miss has the added advantages of barrier 3 and Amy McLucas in Tuesday’s assignment.

Man From Brussells meanwhile makes his second visit to Queanbeyan, having made a somewhat luckless debut at the venue himself back on October 29 in 2023.

Man From Brussells breaks his maiden in Orange! pic.twitter.com/baNDDJjq1W

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 11, 2024

“He is a little bit frustrating,’’ says Lynch.

“We think he goes better than what he’s been turning up with on raceday.

“As a young horse, he trialled well, and he was just beaten in a pretty strong maiden at his first start in a race. He did end up winning a race but we expected a bit more from him than what he is delivering so far.’’

Originally published as Newcastle, Queanbeyan previews for Tuesday, February 18: Mark Minervini-trained filly to Serve it up to rivals