Co-trainer Tom Charlton isn’t too fazed by Linebacker’s wide draw in Saturday’s Tramway Stakes (1400m), viewing it as a minor setback early in the campaign.
“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,” Charlton said.
The Randwick Guineas winner is being aimed at October’s Epsom Handicap (1600m), where connections hope to atone for his luckless Doncaster Mile eighth. Depending on the outcome, Linebacker could then be freshened for the Golden Eagle (1500m) or tested over further in the Cox Plate (2040m).
Meanwhile, Brad Widdup’s Jedibeel resumes in the Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick after being scratched from the Moir Stakes.
The gelding won the Challenge Stakes over the same course in the autumn, and Widdup said he’s keen to test him against top-line rivals.
“He’s at the pointy end now. There is no hiding and ducking and weaving with him,” Widdup said.