Sabaj is poised for a significantly different race when he makes his second start of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The galloper, trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, achieved a victory earlier in the week, winning a Listed race over 1800 metres at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.
Sabaj is scheduled to return to Flemington on Saturday for the 2026 Champions Stakes (2000m), where he will face the main contenders from the Cox Plate, which was run at Flemington two weeks prior to this upcoming race.
The gelding will be tackling 2000 metres for only the second time in his career, having previously finished fourth behind Light Infantry Man in the Australian Cup earlier this year.
Price commented that the increase in distance should be acceptable for Sabaj, though he pointed out that it is a considerably different race to the one he won on Tuesday.
“He should run well, but I would be surprised if he was to stand up and win,” Price conveyed.
“But I think sometimes you back them up through this Carnival, and they seem to run well.”
“It’s not like he’s second-up or anything. He’s conditioned up, he had a good 1800-metre hit-out the other day.”
“He went to the beach on Wednesday, was on the treadmill on Thursday, had a trot and canter on Friday, and then race day on Saturday and his best run was in the Australian Cup over 2000 metres.”
Sabaj was victorious on the corresponding program last year, winning a 1600m benchmark 84 on a soft track before proceeding to win the Cranbourne Cup.
Similar weather conditions are anticipated for Saturday, with cold and wet weather expected, although Price would prefer less rain.
“I don’t want to make it too much of a grind for him,” Price remarked.
“He’s had two 1400-metre runs, a mile, an 1800 and now he’s on the back-up.”
“I think his best distance is round that 2000-metre point, so it’s just a matter of whether he’s ready for it.”
Racegoers considering wagers on the Champions Stakes might find value on Australian betting sites.