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By Ray Hickson

Talented mare Rubisaki seems have a liking for New South Wales and is about to see a whole lot more of it when she heads for a spell but trainer Patrick Payne would like to send her out with an overdue win at Randwick on Saturday.

He’s banking on a wet track being the edge Rubisaki, who hasn’t won since successive Group 3 wins at Randwick in April last year, needs in the Listed $150,000 Drinkwise Winter Stakes (1400m).

Payne said it hasn’t surprised him that the mare has taken time to adjust to racing against all comers but her Group 1 placing in Adelaide and consecutive second placings at Flemington this prep tell him she’s close to a win.

Trainer Patrick Payne (Pic: Grant Guy)

“I think she is still furnishing so all going well the next couple of years the best might be ahead of her,’’ Payne said.

“They are very protected against their own age, especially three-year-old fillies, and it’s very deep water for them once they have to race against all horses.”

Rubisaki is unbeaten in Sydney from three starts.

She took the $1m Inglis Sprint on a heavy track at Warwick Farm just before the start of the pandemic then claimed the Group 3 PJ Bell (again on a heavy track) and James Carr Stakes (1400m) on a good track.

Payne said a combination of a minor injury and stepping out of her own age group conspired to end her spring early.

“She was extremely good against three-year-olds and she came back and had a bit of an injury,’’ Payne said.

“Maybe she was still adjusting to racing against the bigger and stronger horses. She had a nice rest and seemed to furnish a bit.

“They are solid handicappers she’s been racing against and she’s doing what she can. She’s a little sweetheart, she tries as hard as what she can do.”

Nash Rawiller is reunited with Rubisaki in the Winter Stakes, she was $5.50 with TAB on Wednesday, and Payne is hoping she strikes a seriously wet track as she did on Day 1 of The Championships last year.

“We just thought she needed a bit of an advantage and hopefully the soft ground is it,” he said.

“She doesn’t necessarily need wet ground but she is such an honest horse, she’ll try and run through whatever she can it’s just some others don’t.

“She seems to love having three weeks between runs so from a trainer’s point of view we are extremely happy.”

While Rubisaki will have a winter spell in the warmer weather in NSW, Payne said the Winter Stakes is far from an afterthought and expects her to hold her form.

“She’s definitely not showing any signs she’s at the end of her preparation but it will be the perfect time to give her a rest,’’ he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting