Rico's Record-Breaking Shepparton Style

A record-shattering heat victory has brilliant Victorian youngster Hard Style Rico primed to claim a breakthrough feature race victory in Saturday night's Group 2 CKH Painting Shepparton Cup Final (450m).

Hard Style Rico, which is owned, trained and bred by Luckie Karabitsakos, produced an electrifying heat performance on Monday night at his Shepparton debut.

Drawn in box eight at his first appearance since finishing seventh in the Australian Cup Final on February 29, Hard Style started $1.80 favourite, ahead of four-time country cups finalist Crimson Vixen at $2.20.

Hard Style Rico out-paced Get Go Boy ($9.50) and Crimson Vixen and powered clear to defeat Get Go Boy by an ever-widening 5.76 lengths in 24.768 seconds, smashing the long-standing previous record of 24.82s, held jointly by Slater (2006) and Cape Hawke (2012).

"It was a pretty special moment for me to see the dog do that," said Luckie Karabitsakos.

"It was only his second look at the track too.

"But to be honest he nudged the record at Ballarat earlier in his career. He went a length and a half quicker than they went in the Ballarat Cup on the same night.

"I knew he had the ability to do it and it was the perfect night; the dog was feeling super, the track was spot on and he got a clear run.

"He pulled up with a couple of little niggles after the Australian Cup so I looked through the calendar to see what was coming up before the Easter Egg and decided to freshen him up for the Shepparton Cup.

"Now with the Easter Egg being put back I'll have to go back to the book to see what's after Shepparton."

Pearcedale-based Karabitaskos was then delighted when his home-bred January '18 son of Bella Infrared and Bella Rico once again drew the pink for Saturday's $47,000 to-the-winner Cup Final.

TAB reacted by installing Hard Style Rico as $2.40 favourite ahead of Melbourne Cup winner Whiskey Riot, a narrow 25.02s heat winner, at $2.90 and rails runner Jebrynah at $3.60.

With Hard Style Rico having finished unplaced in three Group 1 events already in 2020, the Australian Cup, National Derby and Silver Chief, Karabitsakos is upbeat that his rising star's turn will come at Shepparton on Saturday.

"I couldn't be happier with the box," Karabitsakos offered.

"In the three Group finals he's been in it's all come down to the box draws. A couple of times he's been drawn on the inside and dogs have come down on him but from out in box eight nothing will be coming down on him.

"If he gets a clear run I'm confident he will show his true ability. All he needs is a clear run.

"He's contested three Group finals and hasn't been able to win one yet but I think it's only a matter of time and hopefully it will happen on Saturday night!"