RULER ON THE RIGHT TRACK

MAREEBA trainer Alex Malliff does not want to get too carried away but believes Ruler is on the path to becoming one of the better horses in north Queensland.

The Malliff yard is one that has struck red-hot form, collecting two winners from its last three starters, and they head south to Townsville today with a strong team of horses.

Ruler comes from trainer Les Kelly on the Gold Coast, having won on three occasions to go with eight minor placings from 18 starts before heading to Mareeba.

It was not that Kelly did not rate Ruler, he just did not have enough room in his stable and a local group of FNQ owners were more than happy to buy the chestnut gelding.

Ruler had two starts late last year when the five-year-old first arrived, but was quickly sent to the paddock to sort out a few issues, and is back this afternoon at Cluden Park in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1000m).

Malliff is aiming Ruler towards 1200m-1400m later this preparation and would have gone around first-up at Pease Park last Saturday if the meeting was not abandoned due to the extreme heat.

“He is a really nice horse,” Malliff said.

“We have not seen the best of him since he has come up yet.

“I reckon, without getting ahead of myself, he is probably one of the better horses in north Queensland.

“I have that high of an opinion of him.

“He is going super.”

Malliff and the Ruler ownership group – led by Chris Jorgensen, Josh Oliver and Helen Torpy – have one eye on the Battle of the Bush later this year with the gelding.

Horses need five non-TAB starts to qualify for the event and Ruler will take another step on that journey in the near future.

Meanwhile, local jockey Braydn Swaffer returned to track work riding yesterday morning at Cannon Park after receiving a stay of proceedings from his QRIC ban.

Local trackwork rider Swaffer, a former race jockey, was banned for seven months for leaving a racetrack without providing a urine sample late last year.

Swaffer applied for a stay of proceedings through the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which was recently granted.

“Jockey Braydn Swaffer has been granted a stay of proceedings and has been cleared to ride pending a QCAT review,” Racing Integrity Commissioner Ross Barnett said.