By Ray Hickson
The Four Pillars is shaping as an early potential target for lightly raced mare Cabbucio beyond her return at Kembla Grange on Saturday.
Trainer Joe Ible had hoped she would develop into an Oaks prospect last season on the back of successive wins in March but those plans had to be abandoned and the bar will be set lower for the time being.
Ible said a trial and a jump out have her ready to kick off in the Hibbo All Play Handicap (1400m) and he’s content to see what happens in the short term.
“She showed plenty in the autumn and we probably wanted to take it further but she had a littler setback and missed out on going to Queensland,’’ he said.
“We were thinking after she put those two wins together we might look at going toward the Oaks.
"She’s stronger and more mature, I’ve been very happy with her trials and the way she’s working.”

Trainer Joe Ible (Pic: Bradley Photos).
The four-year-old’s maiden win came over the 1400m on her home track and she stepped out to the mile at Canberra and knocked over a Class 1.
Jean Van Overmeire, who has partnered Cabbucio to both wins, is on board again first-up and Ible said whether she can make it a hat-trick will depend on how the race is run given she’s drawn nearer the outside.
“I would have been confident with a softer barrier draw, we’ll probably have to play the cards dealt and if she’s hitting the line well I’m sure she’ll be right there at the end,’’ he said.
“We’ll step her through her grades now.
“A race like the Four Pillars could be something for her and if she progresses really quickly there’s always options around the spring carnival.”
That race is for Midway horses run on Golden Eagle Day over 1500m with $500,000 in prizemoney.
Cabbucio will be Ible’s only runner at Kembla Grange with stablemates Alamagan and Cheeky Sort headed for Wyong on Sunday.
Alamagan has been a little frustrating for the trainer and he’s hoping the addition of winkers will switch him on for the Star 104.5 Gina & Matty For Breakfast Handicap (1350m).
The gelding has won one from 10 and has been around the mark in four runs this time in but not finishing his races off to Ible’s liking.
He has won a trial since a last start fourth at Sapphire Coast over the mile in late July.
“They were all pretty similar runs, he was running around with them and not putting them away when he looks like he should. I think the winkers will make a big difference for him,’’ he said.
“He was running well at the provincials and we dropped him to country grade and he was running the same race.”
Runner-up in the Nowra trial a few weeks ago was stablemate Cheeky Sort and Ible is confident a win isn’t too far away as she resumes in the Ladies Of Brian Hilton Wyong Handicap (1100m).
She’s only been to the Central Coast track twice and been placed on both occasions earlier this year.
“She’s fit and forward, she has a great record at Wyong and I’d expect she will be hard to beat in that sort of maiden,’’ he said.
“She’s always threatened, I think she's the sort of horse that when she gets one she’ll get a couple in succession.”
Meanwhile, talented gelding Barrengarry is set to resume in a Midway at Randwick on Saturday week if he comes through his Moruya trial in good order.
All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Kembla Grange meeting