Linebacker out to continue 3YOs heady Doncaster run

John O’Shea says Linebacker’s Doncaster Mile preparation “has gone exactly how we have wanted”.

LINEBACKER.
LINEBACKER. Picture: Bradley Photos

John O'Shea  is content he couldn't have Linebacker in any better shape for the Doncaster Mile and the rest, he says, is up to the horse.

The colt remains favourite at $6 after coming up with gate 14 at Tuesday night's barrier draw and O'Shea says Linebacker's campaign has been faultless.

"The things we can control we have under control," O'Shea said.

"He is a very fit, healthy horse. Whether we're good enough, we're going to determine that on Saturday.

"The preparation has gone exactly how we have wanted. He will have a couple of nice easy days going into the race on Saturday.

"The horse is in great form, the rider (Zac Lloyd) is in great form and the stable is very relaxed with his preparation."

Three-year-olds have won close to a third of the past 30 renewals of the Doncaster Mile, the latest Celestial Legend last year, and O'Shea has followed a similar template to the one that horse's trainer Les Bridge adopted.

Both claimed the Randwick Guineas and like Celestial Legend, Linebacker has been given a month between runs with a barrier trial in between.

The O'Shea-trained Café Millennium finished third in last year's Guineas and taking a line through him, O'Shea believes the signs point to this year's instalment being even stronger.

"Last year, we ran third in the Guineas and there was about half a dozen of them all going to the line together so I was thinking maybe the Guineas wasn't that strong," he said.

"This year's Guineas, they ran time, there was a long distance from first to last, they went a good gallop."

The unknown is how Linebacker will measure up against more more seasoned rivals but with just 49kg in a spread that has Another Wil topweight with 56.5kg, O'Shea is happy to find out.

"It's a matter of analysing how he lines up against what was a very strong George Ryder Stakes and a very strong All-Star Mile," he said.

"Those horses are probably weighted up to their best in a Doncaster, so we're probably going to have to utilise our weight advantage and hopefully get a position in the running that gives us a chance to be in the finish."

The Doncaster barrier draw didn't have a major impact on markets, Gringotts ($7) and Tom Kitten ($7) both holding their place high in betting after drawing barriers six and one respectively.

Japanese raider Geoglyph eased slightly to $26 after coming up with the outside gate in the field of 20 plus four emergencies.


Racing and Sports

Randwick

Saturday, 05th April 2025

8
16:35
(local)

THE STAR DONCASTER MILE (G1)

Age: 3yo and up WT: 49.0kg Type: OPEN
AUD $4,139,250
1600m TURF GOOD
8
16:35
(local)
AUD $4,139,250
1600m GOOD

THE STAR DONCASTER MILE (G1)

Age: 3yo and up WT: 49.0kg Type: OPEN


FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 8. STEFI MAGNETICA (AUS) 4yo M
ALL TOO HARD (AUS) - MID SUMMER MUSIC (AUS)
JASON COLLETT
BJORN BAKER
$18
54.5kg
Ridgmont (Mgr: M Cunningham), K Salagic, Currie & Young Family Racing (Mgr: J D E Currie) & J Vitek

Sales Information

2nd 7. ROYAL PATRONAGE (FR) 6yo H
WOOTTON BASSETT (GB) - SHALOUSHKA (IRE)
TIM CLARK
GAI WATERHOUSE & ADRIAN BOTT
$14
54.5kg
ROYAL PATRONAGE OWNERSHIP SYNDICATE

Sales Information

3rd 18. ENCAP (AUS) 4yo G
CAPITALIST (AUS) - ENQUARE (AUS)
REECE JONES
GARY PORTELLI
$51
51kg
G Portelli, R El Daghl, Valeri Racing (Mgr: F Valeri), Bamboo Bloodstock, MGSE, D T Carter, N J Cusick, R M Dick, Tudey Racing, G1G Colts & Breeding Pty Ltd, S R P M Racing, A T Staudacher, W Vasili, D J Wilson, Mrs C A Winfield, J A Forrest, P T Blair, Kiamala Racing, Ms C M Cox & M J Cox

Sales Information

4th 21. RISE AT DAWN (NZ) 4yo G
ALMANZOR (FR) - KAY'S AWAKE (NZ)
TYLER SCHILLER
BEN, WILL & JD HAYES
$21
51kg

Sales Information

5th 5. PERICLES (AUS) 5yo G
STREET BOSS (USA) - ACCESSORIES (GB)
BLAKE SHINN
JAMES CUMMINGS
$61
55kg
6th 1. ANOTHER WIL (AUS) 5yo G
STREET BOSS (USA) - AROHANUI (AUS)
JAMIE MELHAM
CIARON MAHER
$8.5
56.5kg
7th 3. TOM KITTEN (AUS) 4yo G
HARRY ANGEL (IRE) - TRANSFERS (AUS)
BEN MELHAM
JAMES CUMMINGS
$6
55.5kg
8th 20. LINEBACKER (NZ) 3yo G
SUPER SETH (AUS) - GARDEN OF SWANS (GB)
ZAC LLOYD
JOHN O'SHEA & TOM CHARLTON
$5.5
49kg

Sales Information

9th 14. PORT LOCKROY (AUS) 4yo H
BETTER THAN READY (AUS) - FREEZETHEMILLIONS (AUS)
CRAIG WILLIAMS
ANNABEL & ROB ARCHIBALD
$61
53.5kg

Sales Information

10th 6. MILITARIZE (NZ) 4yo G
DUNDEEL (NZ) - AMERINDIA (GB)
CHAD SCHOFIELD
CHRIS WALLER
$61
55kg

Sales Information

11th 2. GRINGOTTS (NZ) 5yo G
PER INCANTO (USA) - MISS BLUEBELL (NZ)
TOMMY BERRY
CIARON MAHER
$7
55.5kg

Sales Information

12th 19. FIRESTORM (NZ) 4yo M
SATONO ALADDIN (JPN) - DANCING EMBERS (NZ)
JAY FORD
CHRIS WALLER
$9
50kg
13th 15. AL MUBHIR (GB) 6yo G
FRANKEL (GB) - MUFFRI'HA (IRE)
ANDREA ATZENI
WILLIAM HAGGAS
$61
53kg

Sales Information

14th 10. MOIRA (CAN) 6yo M
GHOSTZAPPER (USA) - DEVINE AIDA (USA)
ZAC PURTON
CHRIS WALLER
$11
54kg

Sales Information

15th 17. IOWNA MERC (AUS) 5yo G
WINNING RUPERT (AUS) - MERCEDES (AUS)
ASHLEY MORGAN
BJORN BAKER
$41
52kg
16th 13. KOVALICA (NZ) 5yo G
OCEAN PARK (NZ) - VITESSE (NZ)
KERRIN MCEVOY
CHRIS WALLER
$41
53.5kg

Sales Information

17th 11. JUST FOLK (AUS) 8yo G
MAGNUS (AUS) - FAST RUBY (AUS)
DANIEL MOOR
GAVIN BEDGGOOD
$61
54kg

Sales Information

18th 4. GEOGLYPH (JPN) 6yo H
DREFONG (USA) - AROMATICO (JPN)
DAMIAN LANE
TETSUYA KIMURA
$31
55kg
19th 16. NEW ENERGY (IRE) 6yo G
NEW BAY (GB) - FOR JOY (GB)
DYLAN GIBBONS
CIARON MAHER
$201
52.5kg

Sales Information

20th 9. ANISETTE (GB) 5yo M
AWTAAD (IRE) - TUTTI FRUTTI (GB)
MICHAEL DEE
CHRIS WALLER
$61
54kg

Sales Information