Rubick and Earthquake won well, but Blue Diamond will be more than a two-horse race

THERE is a lot more to the Blue Diamond favourites’ latest runs than meets the eye, says Ken Callander.

EARTHQUAKE may have looked more impressive than Rubick in their Blue Diamond Preludes at Caulfield on Saturday, but there is a lot more to the two runs than might meet the eye.

There was absolutely no pressure to the turn in Earthquake’s race and the first two on the corner were the first two at the judge whereas they went too fast in Rubick’s race with four horses spread across the track in the lead.

While Rubick showed courage to fight on and win you should note where the other three finished. Mohave, the second favourite, who was immediately outside Rubick, weakened to run 10th and the other two, Berlutti and Geromayo, caved in completely and ran second last and last.

I have a picture on my wall of a filly I part owned Zedagal winning the fillies 1990 prelude by 3 1/2 lengths from Mohaasin in much faster time than Earthquake and Rubick ran on Saturday, but in the grand final on Blue Diamond Day, Mohaasin, with a lot of pressure on up front, stormed past Zedagal, Canny Lad and Triscay to take first prize.

That’s why in two weeks, with the chaff eliminated, it will be so important to see where the speed is and what barriers Earthquake and Rubick draw. Caulfield, being the track it is, can make it tough if you draw inside and impossible if you draw outside. The ideal scenario is to draw six, seven or eight with a fast horse inside you.

At the moment I am sitting on the fence and I am definitely not declaring it a two-horse race.

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I thought my old mate Ronny Dufficy was on the drink last week in leaving Boban out of his likely Autumn stars, but perhaps it is me who has been on the drink as Boban raced very poorly in the Expressway Stakes on Saturday.

You should not can a horse on one run, but Boban did nothing, even when in the clear, and his Chris Waller stablemate Hawkspur raced just as poorly in the Orr Stakes at Caulfield.

Even though Foreteller ran home nicely in the Orr and Sizzling went OK in the Expressway, it was not a good day for Waller with the highly promising Hot Albert adding to the woes when he suffered a bleeding attack when in a winning position at Randwick.

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All honors at Randwick were with Guy Walter’s beautiful mare Appearance who showed sizzling acceleration in her Expressway win. Guy, one of Australia’s elite trainers, is going to have some fun at the Autumn carnival with Appearance, Streama, Toydini and Zanbagh, the Victoria Oaks runner-up who has been turning heads in recent weeks at Warwick Farm.

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Like all Sydney racing enthusiasts I am eagerly looking forward to the Golden Slipper carnival and The Championships, but leading radio personality, Tommy From Campbelltown, tells me I am becoming a silvertail and am too entrenched in million dollar racing.

To prove him wrong I am off to Nowra with him today and I will let you know about the country hospitality next week.

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One thing I am not in favour of is chasing international circuit races and international jockeys series for Sydney. I don’t think the punters give two hoots about these type of races and they would much rather watch and bet on the best of the Aussie stars in the Slipper, the Derby, the BMW, the Doncaster and the Queen Elizabeth.

We are never going to get the best international horses here unless we get the Japanese stayers and I would rather bet on Rawiller, Cassidy, Berry and Bowman than jocks who are here on a holiday.

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Very interesting to read the TAB annual report this week and see how much Fixed Odds turnover is encroaching on traditional tote betting.

Interesting too how many local identities are distancing themselves from former Queensland racing supremo Bob Bentley as more unfavourable publicity comes out on Baghdad Bob.