Little Miss Kubi ready for Stakes challenge

Little Miss Kubi ridden by Blake Shinn wins the Evergreen Turf Handicap at Sportsbet Sandown Hillside Racecourse on May 15, 2024 in Springvale, Australia. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos)

Trainer Cliff Brown believes he has a ready-made replacement for the horse he was initially intending to run in a Stakes race at Caulfield.

Little Miss Kubi will represent Brown in the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) on Saturday after the trainer had originally been keen to run last start Caulfield winner La Danseuse Rouge.

That was until La Danseuse Rogue earned herself a suspension after playing up in a recent jump-out at Sandown and a trip to Julien Welsh for some remedial barrier work.

La Danseuse Rogue ran 0.01 seconds outside the 1100m course record when successful on June 1 and the Sandown jump-out was seen as an ideal stepping stone to Saturday’s contest.

“She’s now at Julien Welsh’s having barrier education,” Brown said of La Danseuse Rouge.

“She trialled at Sandown but missed the start by 10 lengths after playing up but finished with them.

“It was an amazing trial, but she got barred, so I thought I’d send her to Julien to straighten her out.

“He’s really happy with how she is going.”

With La Danseuse Rogue out of the Sir John Monash, Brown thought Little Miss Kubi would be an able replacement after she showed her campaign was back on track with a jump-out victory at Sandown on June 26.

Little Miss Kubi won over 1000m at Sandown on May 15 before beating just two home over 1200m at Flemington on June 8.

Brown said there were excuses for the mare’s flop that day.

“If you forgive the Flemington run where she pulled-up with a heap of mucus, her form is good,” Brown said.

“She’s had a jump-out since then at Sandown, which she won, and this race has come around at the right time.

“You have to look at these races and with her as she loves a wet track too, but the tricky part is the (barrier) eight of eight.”

Brown said Little Miss Kubi was up to a race like Saturday’s, pointing out the mare was a Stakes winner, scoring over Group 1 Oakleigh Plate victor Queman in a Listed race in Adelaide last year.

Brown has called on Thomas Stockdale to ride the mare on Saturday.

“He hasn’t ridden her, but I don’t think that matters,” Brown said.

“He’s riding really well which is important, but the barrier is a bit of a worry.”