While his claim to fame might be a surprising barrier trial win over champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising, Linebacker appears to be in the perfect setup to find his way back to the winner’s enclosure at Rosehill.
The gelding has seen early support from $11 into $6 for Saturday’s Alan Brown Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill, where he will be striving for his first success since last year’s Silver Eagle (1300m).
He achieved that win off a similar build-up, having surprisingly relegated Ka Ying Rising to third in a 1000m hit-out at Randwick 11 days prior. Linebacker will again enter Saturday’s race exactly 11 days after another strong trial performance. Despite not having won for almost a year, the five-year-old has been competitive in some very deep form races.
“His first-up run last time in the Canterbury Stakes, he got beaten a length-and-a-half in what turned out to be a good form race. As was the George Ryder (Stakes),” co-trainer Tom Charlton said. “He gets in with 55-1/2 (kilos), so he’s well weighted against some of those top performers on his best form. And his run the other day, he couldn’t have done any more. It was a sit and sprint. I think he was the only horse to break 33 (seconds) home, and he can’t go much quicker than that.”
Linebacker will be second-up at Rosehill following a fourth-place finish behind fellow Alan Brown Stakes contender General Salute in the Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m).
He is a stakes winner over Saturday’s course and distance, and triumphed at the highest level as a three-year-old when he downed Broadsiding in the 2025 Randwick Guineas (1600m).
While the Alan Brown Stakes has only been elevated to black-type status for the first time this year, it has attracted a strong field with Linebacker being one of five Group 1 winners in the $1.5 million feature.
“It’s an incredible field and if it was a Group One, you wouldn’t be saying that’s wrong,” Charlton stated. “It’s a very hot race but if he can get a few things go his way, it wouldn’t surprise us (if he won).”
Zac Lloyd has the ride on Linebacker, who comes into barrier eight following three early scratchings.
Fancy a punt on this exciting race? Check out the latest betting markets for the race at betting markets for the race.