Popular horse Rudy will have two Queensland starts before heading off on his seventh interstate campaign.
Rudy is set to have his first start in three months when he resumes in the Listed Goldmarket Stakes (1200m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Trainer Helen Page plans to back-up Rudy in a 1600m race at Doomben on Saturday week.
“From there we will head to Sydney with the JRA Plate (on April 21) as his main aim. He was very unlucky in that race last year,” Page said.
“After that we will follow a similar path to last year and come back for the winter starting with the Hollindale Cup at the Gold Coast (on May 7).”
“He has flown the flag for Queensland for years and it one of the reasons he is so popular.”
Page said wet weather had hampered Rudy’s preparation but he had been going well for his comeback.
Rudy passed $1 million in prize money when he won last year’s Group Three Tattersall’s Cup.
He raced in the Brisbane summer with his last run in the Shoot Out Quality on December 31.
“We were hoping to get him into the Magic Millions Stayers Cup but the leader in the Shoot Out walked in front and sprinted home in a very fast sectional so he had no hope,” Page said.
Rudy had his first interstate trip in December, 2014 when he won the Group Two Villiers at Randwick.
He has since been to Sydney and Melbourne on six occasions and contested some of Australia’s elite races.
“One thing he always tries and while he has a big weight on Saturday he has earned it,” Page said.
Rudy has drawn barrier 14 in a field of 15 on Saturday but the track is likely to be his favoured sift to heavy rating.
The Gold Coast was rated a heavy nine on Wednesday morning but strong winds and little rain are predicted for the next few days.
