Hoping for some good ‘Fortune’ at Bathurst

MAT Rue is one of the Western District’s hardest workers and puts many kilometres behind him in his quest to place his horses in suitable races.

Rue has often travelled to Tabcorp Park Menangle on a Saturday night and then been on the road early the next day to travel to a Sunday afternoon meeting west of his home base of Bathurst.

Last Friday night Rue headed to Dubbo and despite the wet conditions that prevailed, he came away all smiles after landing a winning double.

“I do not know why it is, but I always seem to have plenty of luck at Dubbo,” said Rue.

“I think I have won the drivers’ premiership there for the past five or six years.

“The Dubbo track is without a doubt my favourite half-mile track and I am always happy to race my horses there as it plays fair and everyone seems to get their chance to win.”

Mat combined with his father Ken to win the first of his double when handy mare The Runnin Kind made it two wins on the bounce.

His second winner came aboard the John Lew-trained pacer, All Spruced Up, which went one better, making it a hat-trick of wins.

Rue now holds a handy lead over his arch-rival John O’Shea in the Dubbo drivers’ premiership with the pair well ahead of fellow Bathurst reinsman, Nathan Turnbull.

Tonight, Mat is at home at Bathurst where he boasts a strong book of drives in seven of the nine races.

“I really am keen on my two-year-old, Weona Miss Fortune in the opening race,” said Rue.

“Saying that, I am a bit cautious that she is taking on the older horses and has not trialled since I freshened her after winning at Dubbo in April.

“But I do have a huge opinion of the filly and I am grateful that owner Trevor Swan has been as patient as I have been with the filly.

“Our main aim with her is the NSW Breeders Challenge in a few months and I will just keep taking things easy with her until then.”

Of his other drives, Rue felt that Ideal Denny (Race 3) was a good each-way chance and he also had a big wrap on the prospects of Pat McGarry (Race 4), despite his awkward second-row draw.

• MICHAEL DUMESNY