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Sabkhat does it again with front running display at Doomben.

4 August 2018

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By Glenn Davis

Former Godolphin sprinter Sabkhat produced another bold front running display to post back-to-back wins at Doomben on Saturday.

Sabkhat gave apprentice Jackson Murphy a race-to-race double when the eight-year-old downed Lordag by a long head in the Eureka Stud Open Handicap (1630m).

Lord Coconuts was third, a further 1-1/2 lengths away.

Sabkhat strolled home by more than three lengths after setting up a huge midrace lead at Doomben last Saturday.

Trainer Steve O’dea was not concerned by the quick seven-day back-up and was always hopeful the son of Reset could live up to last week’s victory.

“He’s definitely a horse who has matured as he’s got older,” O’dea said.

“He’s more relaxed and is better for it.

“He came to me with a tag of being a problem horse but he goes best when his races are spaced.”

O’dea has done a magnificent job placing Sabkhat in Brisbane after the gelding had a long career with Godolphin’s former trainers Peter Snowden and John O’Shea.   

“He’s well placed up here in these off season races,” O’dea said.

Earlier premier jockey Jeff Lloyd survived a pre-race scare before winning the Benchmark 70 Handicap (1110m) on the Toby Edmonds-trained Linlithgow.

Lloyd, who plans to retire before the end of the year, was dumped by the five-year-old mare who was later passed fit to run by stewards.

Linlithgow’s career has been plagued by injury which has restricted her to only four starts despite being a five-year-old.

The daughter of Drumbeats was also entered for the Gold Coast but Edmonds pulled the right reign by heading to the city.

“You never know with her so you’ve got to chase the bigger prizemoney if you can,” Edmonds said.

“She’s a five-year-old who has only had a handful of starts so you can see she’s had issues.”

Edmonds said Linlithgow had bad front legs and was involved in a paddock accident as a young horse when she hurt a hind leg.

Edmonds is preparing for a big spring carnival in Melbourne.

Recent winner Winter Bride will run in the How Now Stakes at Caulfield as well as other mare’s races while stablemate Granny Red Shoes will run at Moonee Valley next month ahead of her main mission in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas.

Granny Red Shoes won two Stakes races during the Brisbane winter carnival including her latest in the Listed Winning Edge Stakes at Doomben in June.

2017 Magic Millions winner Houtzen and talented sprinter Whypeeo also are Melbourne bound.

Racing Queensland webnews   August 4