Leading driver Mat Rue believes two-year-old Sibby has a promising future ahead after breaking through for a maiden win at Dubbo on Sunday.
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The filly took an impressive win in the Grapevine Cafe 2YO Pace (1720 metres) for trainer Greg Rue, proving too good for the competition.
Starting from barrier six, Rue’s plan was always to try and get across to lead and it went to plan. The $2.30 favourite did exactly that, showing plenty of speed to lead into the first turn.
He controlled the pace and was rewarded with a steady first half of the final mile, covering it in 63.7 seconds.
Behind Sibby, Soldtoyoulady ($7.40, Mitch Hutchings), Tulhurst Terror ($5.60, Nathan Hurst) and Julenjode ($3.30, Mark Hewitt) were also jostling for good position.
The pace quickened in the closing stages but Sibby was never threatened and Rue brought her home 10.6 metres ahead of Tulhurst Terror, with Soldtoyoulady just a nose behind in third.
Sibby came home in a mile rate of two minutes and 0.6 seconds after a significantly quicker second half.
Mat Rue said he impressed with Sibby and was pleased to see her get a first win.
“She’s got good gate speed and its so important on these little track sot be up the front so we always wanted to be up there,” he said.
“The best thing about her is she found the front easy and came back to me, she didn’t fight which will go a long way to her winning more races. You have to have racing manners and she’s got plenty of them.
“She was a bit unlucky to miss out on a good run at a race in Sydney last night but it’s a good consolation to come here and pick up the prize money plus an owners bonus as well.”
Rue said he was impressed to see a two-year-old filly run a two minute mile on the tight Dubbo track.
The filly will have at least one more race before a substantial spell, Rue said, and he expects her to have another strong year when she returns as a three-year-old.
”There’s a race at Bathurst in a month’s time I know Greg is looking at, that’s the Breeder’s Challenge regional finals,” he said. “With that win today she will pick up some points and hopefully gain a start in that. With a kind draw, I’m sure she’s some kind of hope.
“She hasn’t been over-raced and that’s the way it will be for the remainder of the season. She’ll have a nice spell, possibly after that race at Bathurst, have three or four months off and come back and same thing, she won’t be over-raced next year.”
Rue finished the day with a treble after wins for Barry Lew with Karloo Threeothree and Karloo Damajor.