Nick Vass has is no doubt where his loyalties will lie should Kubrick (Shooting To Win) and Exceedance (Exceed And Excel) hit the front together in Saturday's stallion making G1 Golden Rose S.
"Kubrick of course," Vass told TDN AusNZ. "The other one has gone and is not in my possession any more, I'll definitely be barracking for Kubrick, he's my preferred winner."
Vass, who has a myriad of thoroughbred interests, became involved with Kubrick after Denise Martin's Star Thoroughbreds purchased the colt from the first crop of Darley's Shooting To Win for $250,000 from the Two Bays Farm draft at the 2018 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.
"I'm a good friend of Denise's and I've supported her a bit. I had looked at Kubrick and was fairly keen and took a small share in him," he said.
Kubrick as a yearling
"Chris (Waller) had given him a good wrap and so had Denise. I was a little bit sceptical with the Shooting To Wins to start with, but he was a good physical type and that's why I got into him."
It’s been a rapid rise for the Waller-trained Kubrick, who is the equal second least-experienced runner in Saturday's race.
Having won on debut at Cranbourne in May, he was then successful in a Saturday's 2-year-old race at Rosehill before tackling the G1 JJ Atkins S. at Eagle Farm at just his third start, running an unlucky second to Prince Fawaz (Fastnet Rock).
"To come from barrier 13 and miss by such a short margin, it was a big effort. We wished he'd won that day and put us all to rest," Vass said.
Kubrick, whose sire Shooting To Win ran third in the Golden Rose in 2014, strengthened heading into his 3-year-old season and Vass said his confidence in the colt grew when James McDonald got on him for the first time at his first trial back this time in.
"He has come back really good. His (first) trial was really good. James got off him and told me he was definitely sticking with him. He had the choice between Kubrick and Yes Yes Yes (Rubick), and he chose to stay with him."
McDonald hopped aboard Kubrick when he was a closing fourth in the G2 Run To The Rose, behind three of the horses he will meet on Saturday.
Jockey James McDonald
While he needs to improve off that run, having finished 5l behind the winner Bivouac (Exceed And Excel), he looks the horse with most scope for improvement.
"The proof will be in the pudding on Saturday. We are keeping our fingers crossed with him, but we are not getting too excited. We’ve got barrier one in an eight-horse field, so we should do ok," Vass said.
"The proof will be in the pudding on Saturday. We are keeping our fingers crossed with him, but we are not getting too excited." - Nick Vass
"James McDonald has stayed on him, which is important. We'll keep our fingers crossed."
Exceedance on the rise
Vass will also be closely tracking how Exceedance performs for Team Hawkes, with the colt also making rapid progress in his career.
Vass bred the colt out of his mare Bonnie Mac (NZ) (Thorn Park) and offered him for sale, as he does with all of his yearlings, at the 2018 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Exceedance as a yearling
"When we sold him at Easter, he only made $180,000. I was hoping for a heap more than that," Vass said.
"But I do sell them all and I'm glad he's come out and has done what he has done. He's been a terrific horse. Obviously he's got a fair degree of intestinal fortitude."
"But I do sell them all and I'm glad he's come out and has done what he has done. He's been a terrific horse. Obviously he's got a fair degree of intestinal fortitude." - Nick Vass
Vass sold Bonnie Mac (NZ) at this year's Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale to Allam Racing/Andrew Williams Bloodstock for $375,000 in foal to Capitalist, while he retains her yearling Sebring filly who will be offered by Newgate at January's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
"If someone I know buys her, I might keep a leg, but I usually sell them all," he said.
Exceedance's full brother was sold by Vass at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale earlier this year for $125,000 to Singapore-based trainer Stephen Gray, while Bonnie Mac has a nomination back to Exceed And Excel this year.
Exceedance's full brother sold by Vass, for $125,000, at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale
A couple of days after Bonnie Mac went through the Gold Coast ring, Exceedance stormed home to finish third in a Rosehill 2-year-old race, stamping himself as a colt to follow in his 3-year-old year having won on debut at Wyong.
He then returned to upset Bivouac in the G3 San Domenico S. last month, relishing the heavy track and stamping his credentials as a potential stallion prospect for his ownership syndicate, which is led by Vinery.
Bivouac then turned the tables in the G2 Run To The Rose, but like Kubrick, Exceedance has only had four starts and looks to have plenty more upside.
It shapes as an intriguing edition of the race, with the smallest field since 2015, but plenty of quality among the eight runners.
Vass' heart and head are very much with Kubrick, who will race in the famous purple with white stars, but he’ll be keeping half an eye out for the green colours of Exceedance.
