AAP
Westbury Stud based stallion Reliable Man scored a clean sweep in the ATC Heritage Centre Tours Handicap (1800m) at Randwick on Saturday after Nobu (Reliable Man - Royal Prize) headed off Chris Waller-trained stablemates Duchess of Lennox (Reliable Man - Dunbarton) and Ombudsman (Reliable Man - Fifth Avenue).
Nobu, who was bred by the Whitby Bloodstock Trust, is now likely to head to the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) on June 8.
Waller sent Nobu across the Tasman for the New Zealand Derby in early March but the gelding was disappointing, beating just one runner home.
The trip away appears to be the making of the three-year-old gelding who won with ease on Saturday.
"He has come on in leaps and bounds since arriving back from what was a bit of a disappointing trip to New Zealand for the Derby over there," Waller's racing manager Charlie Duckworth said.
"Obviously he is right back on track now with the writing on the wall from his last start around this track.
"He will go onwards and upwards from here and hopefully he can link up with the rest of the potential Derby runners.
"A trip away for a young horse can do wonders for them and since he has come back he has really switched on."
Nobu is a half-brother to dual Group Two winner Saavoya (Savabeel) and Group Three winner Duchess Kate (Savabeel).
Duchess Of Lennox is also in the mix for a trip to Queensland for the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) a week before the Derby.
"She's a lovely filly. She's very raw but will take a lot of learning from that," jockey Kathy O'Hara said.
"She can take the steps she'll need to to make it to a race like the Oaks in Queensland." -AAP
