Rubiton
Encyclopedia
Rubiton was a champion Australian Thoroughbred
racehorse of the mid-1980s.
He was bred by the Oamaru Stud in Victoria. Rubiton's name was a combination of "Ruby" and "ton", a colloquial term for a century in cricket.
and coming third in the Newmarket Handicap
and Oakleigh Plate
to sprinters Placid Ark
and Special.
But in his four-year-old season he came into his own. He won his first four starts of the season dominating at weight for age in the Manikato
, Memsie
, Feehan and Underwood Stakes
.
He was then defeated by Drought and Fair Sir in the Caulfield Stakes
after ruining his chances by overexerting himself in trackwork.
Rubiton atoned for the defeat at his next start winning the 1987 Cox Plate
in track record time of 2.02.9, beating (Our) Poetic Prince, Fair Sir and Vo Rogue
.
He won a week later in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington
.
Having then gone out for a spell, tragically, he never returned due to a tendon injury. He was retired to stud with earnings of A$1,360,330.
Rubiton's progeny include 38 stakeswinners for 102 stakeswins. Besides Fields of Omagh, twice winner of the Cox Plate (2003 & 2006), Rubiton is the sire of sprinter Rubitano, (Newmarket Handicap
), Adam (Stradbroke Handicap
), Flavour (Victoria Racing Club Stakes), Patezza (Doncaster Handicap
), Dilly Dally (T J Smith Stakes
) and Monopolize (Hong Kong International Bowl
, twice).
Rubiton is also sire of dazzling sprinter Lucky Secret, winner of 14 of 23 race starts, including, respectively, the Group 2 MRC Schillaci Stakes, MVRC A.J. Moir Stakes and MVRC Stanley Wootton Stakes. Lucky Secret was desperately unlucky not to have won the Group 1 rated MRC Oakleigh Plate, having been pipped at the post by Swiss Ace. A $220,000 yearling, winner of over $950,000 in prizemoney, Lucky Secret is trained at Caulfield by Tony Vasil. Unhappily for the horse, bad legs and a serious bleeding attack have conspired to limit the horse from, Vasil claims, becoming "anything."
Melbourne Racing Club have long honoured Rubiton with his own race, the Group 3 Rubiton Stakes
, run in February.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse of the mid-1980s.
He was bred by the Oamaru Stud in Victoria. Rubiton's name was a combination of "Ruby" and "ton", a colloquial term for a century in cricket.
Racing career
Rubiton started off solely as a sprinter winning the 1,400 metre weight for age Futurity StakesFuturity Stakes (Australia)
The Futurity Stakes is a Group 1 Australian weight-for-age Thoroughbred horse race held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne. For most of its history it was a 1400 metre race but since 2006 it has become the first leg of the Asian Mile Challenge series, and its distance has changed to 1600 metres...
and coming third in the Newmarket Handicap
Newmarket Handicap
The Newmarket Handicap is a VRC Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia. The event is an open handicap race over 1200 metres...
and Oakleigh Plate
Oakleigh Plate
The Oakleigh Plate is a Group 1 Australian thoroughbred open handicap horse race, run over a distance of 1100 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne in February. Its prizemoney in 2010 was A$351,000...
to sprinters Placid Ark
Placid Ark
Placid Ark was an Australian thoroughbred foaled in Western Australia. His sire Arkenstone was a winning son of the Western Australian champion sire Zvornik and his dam was Northern Queen a mare bred in South Australia by the USA imported stallion Star of the North.Bred at Asprey Stud near...
and Special.
But in his four-year-old season he came into his own. He won his first four starts of the season dominating at weight for age in the Manikato
Manikato Stakes
The Manikato Stakes is a MVRC Group One Australian Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions, over a distance of 1200 metres at Moonee Valley Racecourse, Melbourne in September...
, Memsie
Memsie Stakes
The Memsie Stakes is a Group 2 weight-for-age Thoroughbred horse race run at Caulfield Racecourse over 1,400 metres . The total prizemoney for the race is A$201,000...
, Feehan and Underwood Stakes
Underwood Stakes
The Underwood Stakes is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race, held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne Australia. It is run over 1800 metres under weight-for-age conditions in late September each year...
.
He was then defeated by Drought and Fair Sir in the Caulfield Stakes
Caulfield Stakes
The VATC Caulfield Stakes is now a Melbourne Racing Club Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under weight-for-age conditions, for three-year-olds and upwards, at Caulfield Racecourse. The race was previously known as the Caulfield Stakes but since 1997 it has been referred to as the...
after ruining his chances by overexerting himself in trackwork.
Rubiton atoned for the defeat at his next start winning the 1987 Cox Plate
Cox Plate
The W.S. Cox Plate is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne every October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club to honour W.S. Cox, the club's founder. For three-year-olds and over, the race is considered to be the Weight for Age championship of Australasia...
in track record time of 2.02.9, beating (Our) Poetic Prince, Fair Sir and Vo Rogue
Vo Rogue
Vo Rogue is an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by American-bred Ivor Prince whose racing career ended from injury after just two starts. Ivor Prince was a son of the British champion Sir Ivor who won the 1968 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby. His American damsire, Dignitas, was a...
.
He won a week later in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington
Flemington Racecourse
Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is Australia's richest horse race. The racecourse is situated on low alluvial flats, next to the Maribyrnong River...
.
Having then gone out for a spell, tragically, he never returned due to a tendon injury. He was retired to stud with earnings of A$1,360,330.
Stud career
An outstanding sire at stud, he is one of only two stallions (the other being Heroic) to have won and sired the winner of Australia's greatest weight-for-age race, the Group 1 MVRC Cox Plate.Rubiton's progeny include 38 stakeswinners for 102 stakeswins. Besides Fields of Omagh, twice winner of the Cox Plate (2003 & 2006), Rubiton is the sire of sprinter Rubitano, (Newmarket Handicap
Newmarket Handicap
The Newmarket Handicap is a VRC Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia. The event is an open handicap race over 1200 metres...
), Adam (Stradbroke Handicap
Stradbroke Handicap
The Stradbroke Handicap is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred open handicap horse race, run on the first Saturday in June, over a distance of 1,400 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane...
), Flavour (Victoria Racing Club Stakes), Patezza (Doncaster Handicap
Doncaster Handicap
The Doncaster Mile is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race held at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney. Although the race has traditionally been held on Easter Monday, the race is now run on the third Saturday in April. The race is contested over 1,600 metres . The prizemoney in 2010 was A$1,510,000...
), Dilly Dally (T J Smith Stakes
T J Smith Stakes
The T J Smith Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age run over a distance of 1200 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in March or April. The TJ Smith is named after trainer Tommy Smith...
) and Monopolize (Hong Kong International Bowl
Hong Kong Mile
The Hong Kong Mile is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December....
, twice).
Rubiton is also sire of dazzling sprinter Lucky Secret, winner of 14 of 23 race starts, including, respectively, the Group 2 MRC Schillaci Stakes, MVRC A.J. Moir Stakes and MVRC Stanley Wootton Stakes. Lucky Secret was desperately unlucky not to have won the Group 1 rated MRC Oakleigh Plate, having been pipped at the post by Swiss Ace. A $220,000 yearling, winner of over $950,000 in prizemoney, Lucky Secret is trained at Caulfield by Tony Vasil. Unhappily for the horse, bad legs and a serious bleeding attack have conspired to limit the horse from, Vasil claims, becoming "anything."
Melbourne Racing Club have long honoured Rubiton with his own race, the Group 3 Rubiton Stakes
Rubiton Stakes
The Rubiton Stakes is a Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held under Weight for Age conditions, for horses aged three years old and upwards, over a distance of 1100 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne in February...
, run in February.