John Sadler will aim dual Group Two winner Linton at this year’s spring carnival after a prominent international identity purchased the five-year-old from leviathan owner Lloyd Williams for an undisclosed figure.
Sadler, who has already taken over training the grey, said Linton’s anonymous new owner had never before raced a horse in Australia.
“He’s an extremely wealthy man and races horses all over the world but he has only got one in Australia at the moment and doesn’t want to be driven mad,” Sadler said.
“I understand that and I am happy to train one horse for him and that’s all he wants to have at present.”
Sadler, who formerly trained for Williams, was a big part of Linton’s early education but branched out on his own before the horse raced.
He said the gelding would not race in the autumn.
“The horse is in work and we will give him a preparation and turn him out and get him ready for the spring,” Sadler said.
Injury prevented Linton from making an impact last spring but he won the 2010 Group Two Alister Clark Stakes and the 2010 Group Two Herbert Power Stakes (2400m).
After finishing third last to Americain in the 2010 Melbourne Cup, Linton finished second to Shocking in the 2011 Australian Cup and third to the ill-fated Cedarberg in the 2011 BMW (2400m).
He was also Group One-placed as a three-year-old in the Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.
“I hope he still has a lot to offer, but I don’t know,” Sadler said.
Williams regularly streamlines his team and an auction of more than 60 horses is scheduled for early March.
Among them is C’est La Guerre, winner of the 2008 New Zealand Derby and third in that year’s Melbourne Cup.
AAP TURF
