Trainer John O’Shea has confirmed that Group One winner Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth) will bypass the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) after striking a minor setback in his spring campaign.
“He won’t go to the Epsom, he’s had a little setback,” O’Shea said.
“We had a day in Sydney where there was seven inches of rain. He must have just put his foot down awkwardly when he was trotting out to work and he just had a bit of a sprain of his ankle.”
“We’ve resolved that. He spent a week at the beach and it settled down.”
With the Epsom now off the table, O’Shea and his team have recalibrated Linebacker’s spring campaign.
“We’re probably going to trial him on the 7th at Randwick and then head to the Silver Eagle (A$1 million, 1300m) on Everest Day before heading to the Golden Eagle (A$10 million, 1500m) on November 1,” he said.
Winner of the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) in the Autumn, Linebacker resumed earlier this month in the Gr.2 Tramway Stakes (1400m), finishing seventh. While the result was plain on paper, O’Shea said there was no cause for concern.
“We weren’t too worried about that. We were actually really pleased with the way he was going,” he said.
“We were desperate to run him in the Epsom. Obviously, with 54 kilos, he was extremely well-weighted, and that was his main target in the spring.
“But anyway, it’s not to be, and hopefully we can get him back on track in the coming weeks.”
