The Helen Page-trained Rudy is out to make history with a second Villiers Stakes win this weekend in Sydney after taking out the Royal Randwick summer feature two years ago.

Running as Randwick Race 7 at 4:20pm (AEDT) on Saturday afternoon, this season’s $250,000 Group 2 Inglis Villiers Stakes (1600m) field is down to 17 starters after the early scratching of the Michael Moroney-trained Loyalty Man who drew the outside barrier.

Two years ago Gold Coast-trained Red Dazzler gelding Rudy backed up from a string of nice Brisbane runs to take out the Villiers Stakes.

In the 24 months since the now six-year-old has won just one other race when beating home Jumbo Prince in the Listed Members’ Handicap (1600m) over the Doomben mile in mid-May.

This time in he has had two runs in Queensland, the latest seeing him cross only two lengths away fourth behind Cylinder Beach at Eagle Farm on November 26 in the Listed Recognition Stakes (1400m).

He won that race in 2014 on way to his Group 2 Villiers Stakes success and is back in Sydney this weekend for the first time since his fifth in the Group 3 JRA Plate (2000m) at Randwick in April.

Page also won the 1989 Villiers Stakes with Spot The Rock and if Rudy wins again this year she’ll join John Hawkes on three victories in the feature.

Holding the record of most Villiers Stakes wins by a trainer is the late great TJ Smith who enjoyed an impressive seven victories in the race.

Rudy is due into Sydney on Friday morning and Page is confident he’ll improve getting back out to a mile.

“He’s been very successful at a mile and he’s won this race before,” Page told the media this week.

“I’ve targeted it this year.”

The Members’ Handicap win in the winter was his last start at the distance and all up Rudy boasts a nice record of four wins and a third from his nine 1600m runs to date.

In the Recognition Stakes this year Rudy carried a hefty 59.5kg and the drop back to a far more manageable 56.5kg in the form of Glyn Schofield is another plus in the Villiers Stakes.

“I’m pleased he didn’t get any more weight by running places,” Page said.

“He’s run a couple of nice races coming into it and he’s doing very well.”

A proven wet track performer, Rudy won the Villiers Stakes in 2014 on a Soft (5) course and has outstanding form on Heavy going with four wins and a second from six starts in the mud.

The course proper at Randwick is currently rated a Soft (5) and any further rain over the week would only boost her horse’s chances according to Page.

“He loves the wet but he likes it any way so he’s a handy horse to have,” she said.

The latest Villiers Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au are firmly led by the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Fabrizio ($3.10) coming off back-to-back wins.

Rudy meanwhile can be found further down the Villiers Stakes betting markets at $26 to secure the 2017 Doncaster Mile ballot exemption.

To check out the full odds and offers on all the Sydney Summer Racing Carnival events make sure you head to Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering Odds Boost Extra on the Villiers Stakes 2016!