A well-publicised plan to ride Rabbuka aggressively paid off when he left his rivals in his wake to score his first 2000 metre win in the Frank Underwood Cup at Rosehill.Trainer Gai Waterhouse believed the only way to really test Rabbuka's credentials at the distance was for Nash Rawiller to take Saturday's race by the horns and let the rest chase.Rawiller carried out the instructions to the letter and Rabbuka ($4.20) led from the outset and went to the line strongly, 1-1/4 lengths in front of t

A well-publicised plan to ride Rabbuka aggressively paid off when he left his rivals in his wake to score his first 2000 metre win in the Frank Underwood Cup at Rosehill.

Trainer Gai Waterhouse believed the only way to really test Rabbuka's credentials at the distance was for Nash Rawiller to take Saturday's race by the horns and let the rest chase.

Rawiller carried out the instructions to the letter and Rabbuka ($4.20) led from the outset and went to the line strongly, 1-1/4 lengths in front of the consistent Spinney ($5.50).

"The plan worked," Waterhouse said.

"When he came here he was a question mark at the distance so we decided he would be better off in front.

"The horses we thought would have the speed didn't so he could do what he wanted.

"He is a typical Gooree horse like Desert War was, one-paced.

"Mr Cojuangco didn't want to run him at first but I said `let's give him one more chance'."

In the joyful aftermath, Rawiller suggested Rabbuka could even run over longer trips.

"He travelled beautifully," he said.

"A stretch for him out further in distance might be on the cards.

"He was able to coast out in front. It was the right tempo and he was able to be left alone.

"He's got scope to take a step up (in distance) down the track."

One of the horses expected to have early speed was Zavite ($16) but the topweight missed the start and ended up on the fence behind Spinney before running on well for third.

"We wanted to be following the horse that won," trainer Anthony Cummings said.

"But instead we ended up behind Spinney.

"He still ran on well and is on target to go to Hobart and then New Zealand for the Auckland Cup."

Waterhouse said the win had opened up the options for Rabbuka who has now won eight of his 21 starts.

Rainbow Styling ($3.30 fav) made ground late for fifth but was never a real threat.

"I was hoping to be in the first four but the way I began stopped me from being where I wanted to be," jockey Jim Cassidy said.

The win brought up a winning double for Waterhouse after Gigas scored earlier on the program.

The premier trainer finds herself in the unusual position of third behind Chris Waller and Peter Snowden halfway through the season, but perhaps not for much longer.

"The leading trainer is never in the shadows," she said.