Cranbourne co-trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are considering a trip across the Nullarbor after their exciting four-year-old prospect Sabaj made a one-act affair of the $150,000 Ronald McDonald House Charities Mile (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Sabaj gave jockey Mark Zahra the seventh of his eight wins for the carnival, and possibly his easiest, with a soft two-length victory.
Zahra settled Sabaj last in the 14-horse field before peeling out seven wide on the turn and making a meal of his opposition in the straight.
Experienced trainer Price was thrilled with the performance, with Sabaj proving himself versatile on the heavy ground.
“We’ve seen him on top of the ground and he’s been very impressive and we’ve got a good opinion of him, but you never know in this sort of ground,” Price explained.
“I would say, from my experience, most of the times I say ‘hail Mary, please can I handle this ground’, she says ‘no you can’t’.
“But he’s a horse destined for better races.”
Those better races could include the $1.5m Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 22, or his home-town Cranbourne Cup on the same day.
“I heard them (owners) talk about the Railway,” Price said.
“He’s obviously fit and a 1600-metre race…we mightn’t have to do a lot with him.
“It might be a nice race for him with his rating and a handicap mile at Ascot.
“That is one thing I’d think about…he’s clean winded and sound.”
If the trip west doesn’t proceed, then the $500,000 Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup could be the back-up plan.
“He’s a big long striding horse and I don’t know where he should position over a mile; but it is $500,000 so I guess we’d have a punt at it, yeah.”
Zahra was also impressed with the Manhattan Rain/Bouzy gelding who now has ownership of a four win and two placing record from his seven career starts.
“They were worried about the wet track, but I had a nice wet track run,” Zahra said post-race.
“I drifted back but it was a good effort.
“Second-up at the mile, he had to put in the fight in the last furlong.
“It’s hard work in the straight into the headwind on the wet track and the rain.
“It’s a tough track, so it was a good effort.
“He definitely handles the conditions well.
“To handle that second-up at a mile in those conditions was impressive.
“Today he had the choice to give up when the horse came up inside him, but he decided to put him away.”
The win of Sabaj was the eighth and final win by Cranbourne-based trainers across the four days of the Melbourne Cup carnival.
