German import Schabau has kept an unbeaten Australian record intact with a fighting win victory as a short-priced favourite at Flemington.
Schabau was successful at his Australian debut at Flemington on New Year’s Day and registered his second victory taking out Saturday’s Lawn Handicap.
Ridden by Mark Zahra, Schabau was sent out the $2.35 favourite in fighting off Looks Like Elvis ($14) by a half-head with Prince Ziggy ($11) a half-neck away third.
Trainer Robert Hickmott said the tempo of Saturday’s 2000m contest was against Schabau who will now be stepped up in distance if he’s to continue racing further into the autumn.
“He’s a mile-and-a-half plus horse but he still showed a turn of foot,” Hickmott said.
“They ran a 10.98 (second) last furlong. He did that very well and was brave to the line.”
Hickmott said if Shabau pulled up well he would be back at Flemington to run in the Listed Roy Higgins Quality (2600m) on March 2.
However the trainer said he wouldn’t hesitate in turning the four-year-old out for a spell.
Hickmott is already planning a path towards the 2019 Melbourne Cup with October’s The Bart Cummings at Flemington a target.
Victory in The Bart Cummings gains the winner an automatic start in November’s Melbourne Cup.
“We’ll have to work back from The Bart Cummings,” Hickmott said.
“We’ll need to have him peaking for that race so we’ll plan a program towards that and then it’s another month into the Cup, if he was to win it.”
