Sabaj has continued his successful association with Melbourne Cup Week, achieving a well-supported victory in the $200,000 Listed Asahi Super Dry Plate at Flemington on Tuesday.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr-prepared gelding achieved its initial win for the year, going to the post as the $2.60 favourite over the 1800-metre distance.
Having been withdrawn from a Melbourne Cup Day support race to be saved for Champions Day, where he was ridden by Mark Zahra, the son of Manhattan Rain was guided by the two-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey once more on Tuesday.
“It took me a year to get back on him, they drive a hard bargain there at Price Kent (Racing),” Zahra stated, adding a laugh.
“He’s a beautiful horse, obviously he’s been running in very good races, got back to his grade, or to a drop in grade today, he had every chance, and he was strong in the end.”
This victory marks the five-year-old’s first since winning last year’s Cranbourne Cup, an event that followed his previous Flemington success. His career earnings now surpass $911,645, with this being his sixth career win.
He defeated the charging Darkbonee by a half-neck, with Magnaspin ($31) securing third place a neck further back.
The gelding had previously finished unplaced in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m), Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m), and Toorak Handicap (1600m). Kent credited Zahra’s riding, particularly his skill in squeezing through a tight gap in the straight, as a significant factor in their triumph.
“He’s been in three Group Ones where he’s drawn wide and been back and widest every time,” Kent commented.
“It got a bit hairy there I must admit but in Zahra we trust and the horse was excellent.”
Sabaj is among the entries for the $3 million Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) scheduled for this Saturday. Kent mentioned that a decision on his race participation would be finalised tomorrow morning, with a potential trip to Perth for the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) also being considered.
Betting markets for the race are expected to be competitive; explore online bookmakers for the best odds.