Linebacker scores 2025 Randwick Guineas win
Linebacker has confirmed his class with a breakthrough win in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas, securing co-trainer Tom Charlton’s first elite-level victory.
Despite Broadsiding going in as the dominant $1.60 favourite, Zac Lloyd’s tactical ride ensured Linebacker ($9) was in the right spot to strike. In a gripping finish, the gelding held off Broadsiding, who finished half a length behind, while Swiftfalcon closed well for third, another neck away.
Charlton, who joined forces with John O’Shea in 2023, was elated with the result. “Unbelievable,” he said. “He’s always been a very talented horse.”
For O’Shea, it marked his 30th career Group 1 win, and he was confident in the stable’s race plan. “We wanted to out-tough them, and the plan worked,” he said.
Lloyd, having previously partnered Broadsiding in the Hobartville Stakes, made sure to keep both the favourite and Swiftfalcon under pressure. “Linebacker is a superior miler,” he said, having confidently fended off Broadsiding in the closing stages.
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