Co-trainer Tom Charlton has a novel take on Linebacker being dealt an early slice of bad luck by drawing an outside gate for his Tramway Stakes return at Randwick.
“One way of looking at it is we’d rather get it out of the way early,” Charlton said.
“It’s his first-up run and it’s a run that is going to get him to his next couple of runs so it’s not the end of the world by any means.
“He’s got good improvement from Saturday.”
As is the case for many of his Tramway Stakes (1400m) rivals, Linebacker’s primary targets fall deeper in the spring.
The Randwick Guineas winner is being aimed towards the Epsom Handicap (1600m) in October when he will be hoping for a measure of redemption following a luckless eighth in the Doncaster Mile (1600m) over the same course and distance last autumn.
The Epsom will be a fork in the road and determine whether Linebacker is freshened for the Golden Eagle (1500m), which is Plan A, or possibly put on a Cox Plate (2040m) path.
“It’s an option. You could make a good case for him potentially getting to 2000 metres and he is shaping that way,” Charlton said of the Cox Plate.
“All roads lead to the Epsom but we could consider going up in trip if needed, if the 1500 was looking a bit sharp for the Golden Eagle.”
While Linebacker is expected to improve on whatever he produces first-up, he does have a strong fresh record and the stable has advised stewards he will be ridden positively from the outside gate.
Meanwhile, the Brad Widdup-trained Jedibeel will take on the likes of Group 1 winners Jimmysstar, Mornington Glory and Lady Shenandoah in the Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick after being scratched from the Moir Stakes (1000m) in Melbourne.
The gelding claimed the Challenge Stakes over the Randwick 1000-metre course first-up in the autumn and Widdup is keen to see how he measures up on Saturday.
“He’s at the pointy end now. There is no hiding and ducking and weaving with him,” Widdup said.
“I’ve got to see how he competes and go from there.
“He’s not one of those horses you can put in a race and be overconfident with but if he gets the right sort of run he can be very dynamic.
“He’s a good first-up horse and he is in pretty good order.”
Jedibeel is owned by Mulberry Racing which has secured an Everest slot for the first time this year.
