Sabaj has reaffirmed its strong connection with Melbourne Cup Week, achieving a well-received victory in Tuesday’s $200,000 Listed Asahi Super Dry Plate at Flemington.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr-trained gelding notched its first win of the year, starting as the $2.60 favourite in the 1800-metre race.
Having been withdrawn from a Melbourne Cup Day support race to be preserved for Champions Day, where Mark Zahra was in the saddle, the son of Manhattan Rain was reunited with the two-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey on Tuesday.
“It took me a year to get back on him, they drive a hard bargain there at Price Kent (Racing),” Zahra said with a laugh.
“He’s a beautiful horse, obviously he’s been running in very good races, got back to his grade, or to a drop in grade today, he had every chance, and he was strong in the end.”
This marks the five-year-old’s first win since last year’s Cranbourne Cup, which he won the start following his Flemington success. His career earnings now total $911,645, with this being his sixth career win.
He crossed the line a half-neck ahead of the closing Darkbonee, who was a neck clear of the third-placed Magnaspin ($31).
The gelding’s previous starts included unplaced efforts in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m), Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m), and Toorak Handicap (1600m). Kent noted that Zahra’s ride, particularly the decisive squeeze through a tight gap in the straight, was instrumental to the win.
“He’s been in three Group Ones where he’s drawn wide and been back and widest every time,” Kent stated.
“It got a bit hairy there I must admit but in Zahra we trust and the horse was excellent.”
Sabaj is among the entries for this Saturday’s $3 million Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m), with Kent indicating that a decision on its participation would be made tomorrow morning. A trip to Perth, targeting the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m), is also a possibility.
Consider checking out the latest racing odds at betting sites to get involved with the upcoming races.
