BATHRUST driver Mat Rue has a long association with trainer Barry Lew, but combining to win back-to-back events with rising star Karloo Louie has been particularly sweet.
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After a dominant 27 metre win at Dubbo last month, Rue and Karloo Louie combined to win by almost 20m for the Dubbo-based Lew at Bathurst Paceway on Wednesday night.
Winning for Lew is nothing new for Rue but he feels even more of a connection with Karloo Louie given the three-year-old is a half-brother to one of his own stable stars, Fouroeight.
One of the best horses Rue has trained and driven, Fouroeight has a raft of feature wins to his name and has earned more than $300,000 in prize money.
"I know the lady who bred him really well and it wouldn't matter who had him, I would have had a soft spot for him," Rue said of Karloo Louie.
"It's worked out really well. I'm happy to drive him anyway. When Barry was keen on him I thought it would work out well and I'd still have something to do with him.
"He's a nice horse and give him another 12 months and you'll see a real horse."
After running ninth on debut in October of last year, Karloo Louie was sent to the paddock and when he returned this year he was a different horse.
He won two of five trials and didn't run worse than third in the others before cruising to victory at his home track last month.
On Wednesday at Bathurst, Rue and Karloo Louie ($1.70 favourite) sat midfield for much of the journey in Town and Country Rural Supplies Pace (1730m) before exploding down the back street on the bell lap.
He rounded up leader Carbaganoosh ($3.30) with relative ease and then powered clear in the straight to win by 18.2m in a mile rate of 1:57:3.
"He's super fast," Rue said.
"When he gets to the front he knocks off a little bit like a lot of good horses can do but he does give you a great feel when you first let him down, that's for sure."
Fresh from the win at Bathurst, Rue will look for more success at Dubbo Harness Racing Club on Friday night.
The Bathurst-based trainer-driver will have six drives at the seven-race meeting.
Two of the horses he'll drive - Treacherous Kiss and Something Borrowed - come from his own stables and the latter will be making her debut on Friday.
"Treacherous Kiss is going into the night really well but the only trouble is the one that can trouble her, Baxter Red, has drawn inside her," Rue said.
"I don't know if she can win to be honest with the way the barriers have fallen but she can be in the money somewhere and she's really consistent.
"Something Borrowed might not have a whole lot of potential but she's drawn barrier one over the short course so I still think she's a winning chance even though I wouldn't say she's shown immense talent.
"It does look a winnable race for her."
Racing starts at 6.52pm at Dubbo.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
