The powerful Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman training partnership struck gold in the first stakes race on the card at Pukekohe when Rubira and Ole Ole fought out the finish of the Diamond Lodge Champagne Stakes (1600m).
Forsman had expressed some trepidation about the duo handling the heavy surface before the race but those fears proved groundless as they set down to a tooth and nail struggle over the concluding stages that came out in favour of Rubira.
The pair had clashed over 1100m at New Plymouth earlier in the month where Ole Ole had beaten his stablemate home, however the Lope De Vega filly reversed that result with a polished display in the testing conditions.
"Stepping up to the mile was always going to be the go for her," said rider Danielle Johnson.
"She ground it out nicely at her last start, but the extra distance was always going to be her friend."
