Six days ago at Gosford, Rustic Steel captured the $500,000 The Coast (1600m) and he backed up at Scone on Friday to win his first Black Type race taking out the $200,000 Listed Scone Cup (1600m).
Trained by Kris Lees, Rustic Steel has been handled patiently and allowed to work his way through his grades making good progress since the start of the year.
He handled the heavy track and quick back up from last Saturday, enjoying a good run in transit for Kerrin McEvoy to find the line strongly for a half length win.
Rustic Steel has the tidy record of seven wins from 13 starts with prizemoney topping $645,000, but there is a big payday looking for the son of Deep Field.
Rustic Steel has secured himself a start in the inaugural $2 million The Big Dance (1600m) with his Scone Cup victory.
To earn a spot in The Big Dance at Randwick on Melbourne Cup, horses must finish one-two in a list of 25 qualifying Cup races run throughout NSW.
"He had to pull out all stops and he was tough all the way to the line," Lees said after the race.
"He's a real racehorse and it's a pleasure to win for Ron and Judy (Wanless) and a nice race like the Scone Cup is terrific.”
Lees will plot a path to The Big Dance for Rustic Steel, who is clearly on an upswing.
"It's a great concept," Lees said.
"He'll measure up well and we've got to come up with a plan to get him there."
A $500,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Newgate Farm draft for Tasman Bloodstock, Rustic Steel runs for Ron and Judy Wanless.
Foaled and raised at Newgate, Rustic Steel is the best of three winners from Ten Carat Rock, an unraced sibling to Group I winners Redoute’s Choice, Manhattan Rain and Platinum Scissors.
Ten Carat Rock has had a few ownership changes, most recently when bought by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock for $400,000 from Newgate at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Rustic Steel is the 14th stakes-winner for Deep Field, who stands at a fee of $88,000 this spring.
