Sabaj set to shine in 2025 The Ingham Stakes
Initially, trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr were unsure whether Sabaj should continue racing after the Cranbourne Cup, but the gelding’s fantastic recovery has convinced them to push on to another major target.
Sabaj will now contest the $2 million Group 2 The Ingham at Randwick this Saturday, stepping out over 1600 metres just three weeks after his track-record victory in the $500,000 Cranbourne Cup (1600m).
Kent said the choice to continue his preparation hinged entirely on how well the five-year-old came through his Cup win.
“To be honest, immediately post-race we were in two minds whether to push on or not, but the following morning Mick (Price) was in the stable and he was delighted with what he saw,” Kent said.
“The horse ate very well overnight, he wasn’t too tucked up and whilst he ran a track record, we think the horse coped really well with the run.
“There was no travelling involved being at Cranbourne, that probably helped a bit, and for a lighter-framed horse he looks good in the body.
“He had a week out at my farm, at Kingshaven, where he had some time on the grass, we did some dressage work with him just to put some condition back on…I think he’s in the zone, he feels great.”
The Ingham drew 28 nominations, including Duke De Sessa, Gringotts, Robusto, Loch Eagle, and the in-form Yorkshire, who Sabaj could face at level weights.
To prepare, Sabaj galloped the Sydney direction at Cranbourne on Saturday and will do so again Tuesday before making the journey north on Wednesday.
Price and Kent now break their interstate trips into two stages after a previous runner fell ill from travelling straight through.
“We used to go right the way through but we had one horse get sick so we’ve changed our system and now we break the trip up,” Kent said.
“If you go in the middle of the day you miss all the traffic, (he’ll be) head down in a green grass paddock for five hours then it’s seven hours to Rosehill from Nagambie.”
Sabaj has already shown he can handle the journey, having raced in the Silver Eagle earlier this prep before returning south to win at Flemington and then claim the Cranbourne Cup.
Fans can check the latest The Ingham betting odds via Australian betting sites.
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