Trainer Steve Wolfe eyes Railway Stakes at Ascot with River Rubicon after Nicopolis Stakes win

Trainer Steve Wolfe flagged a possible shot at the Group 1 Railway Stakes with River Rubicon after his outstanding Nicopolis Stakes win at Belmont Park on Saturday. Heavily backed into $3.90, the talented five-year-old thrived with a month between runs and dropping 6kg on his last start to the 54kg minimum. Jockey Shaun McGruddy settled River Rubicon eighth from barrier nine and he rocketed home down the outside in the straight to score by two lengths. Mood Swings ($8) fought on well for second ahead of Long Beach ($21). Rokanori, the $3.10 favourite, was a well-beaten in eighth. Co-trainer Grant Williams was disappointed by Rokanori’s run and said he will add blinkers for his next start. Wolfe said River Rubicon, a winner at seven of 18 starts, could emerge as a lightweight contender in the $1.5 million Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot in November. “He’s the real deal,” Wolfe said. “Race tempo is a big thing, the pace was on and coming to the 300 I said ‘well he’s home’. “We’ll just keep cruising along and probably try get around the better races in the spring and hopefully he can measure up to them. “He’s a miler. If anything, he could be a Railway horse. Whether he’s got that ability remains to be seen, but I’m sure that’s his distance.” McGruddy said River Rubicon was primed after recent placings behind Hint Of Mint and Aztec Ruler. “He was unlucky that a horse with 5kg less beat him first-up and then he was never in the hunt second-up,” McGruddy said. “He only had a week or two in the paddock and didn’t need much work to get him up for this one today. “I didn’t know myself either because it had been a while since I’d done that (ridden at 54kg), but in the back of my mind I guessed it was going to be worth it.” Powerful overcame the 61kg topweight to win Saturday’s Carnarvon Cup (2000m) for leading country trainer Darryn Pateman and jockey Alan Kennedy.