Mbube justifies market confidence with impressive Sandown debut win

Trainer Lloyd Kennewell is already setting his sights on a major Melbourne Group 1 sprint for three-year-olds following the debut victory of Mbube.

The two-year-old son of Rubick attracted significant support in the betting ring for the Sportsbet Fast Form Handicap (1000m) at Sandown on Saturday. Kennewell confirmed the colt would be sent to the spelling paddock on Monday to prepare for the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day.

Mbube, who was available at odds of $12 earlier in the week with various bookmakers, was backed into $3.50. Under the expert handling of jockey Billy Egan, the colt achieved a 1-½ length victory over the $2.90 favourite Stars Of Dom, with Aston ($6.50) a further short-half-head behind in third place.

"He will be in the paddock at Fulmen Park on Monday morning getting ready for hopefully a Coolmore prep," Kennewell said.

"He's a highly talented galloper, probably as good as I've got in the yard, and I've been waiting probably 12 months for this horse. Watching him canter around as a yearling, you sort of knew what you had, and it's a big call, because they need to gallop, which he could. He changed ownership because he was sold through a breeze-up sale for my other clients, and then we had to spend a lot of money to buy him back, but I knew how good he was."

Kennewell revealed his visit to Sandown to assess the track conditions, ensuring they were suitable for Mbube's initial race start. He expressed pleasant surprise that the track was in better condition than the Heavy 9 rating from Friday morning, anticipating an upgrade before the day's racing.

By the time Mbube entered the starting gates, the track had been upgraded to a Soft 7.

"He wasn't going to be running yesterday morning because of the track condition," Kennewell commented. "We had a few people walk it and I came and I walked it myself, and I said the track should be upgraded before the first, and it was. We wouldn't have been running on a (heavy) nine or ten, that's for sure. He's very good on top of the ground. He's got a beautiful action, a very good turn of foot, a very good brain for a colt. I'm looking forward to the spring. This is a pretty serious horse."

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