There is a well-worn theory that it takes a 2000-metre horse to win a big mile race at Randwick, and that should give supporters of Linebacker reason to believe he can be strong at the finish of the $2 million Five Diamonds.
The gelding will race beyond 1600m for the first time when he steps out in Saturday’s 1800-metre Rosehill feature, but he is a winner of the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) at three, and finished a desperately unlucky eighth in the 2025 Doncaster Mile (1600m).
Co-trainer John O’Shea is quietly optimistic, and says provided Linebacker relaxes in the run, he will give himself every opportunity to stretch his stamina.
“It’s a risk until you do it. He will just have to execute well,” O’Shea said.
“If he goes to sleep for the first part, he should be right.
“He’s in great form, and he’s coming to a nice peak on Saturday.”
While Linebacker has at times been a frustrating horse for punters, he has been racing in great heart this spring.
Resuming with a fourth in the Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m), he followed with an Alan Brown Stakes (1400m) placing behind the smart Formal Display, and beat all but Declichy Boulevarde in the Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m).
The latter will again be among his Rosehill rivals, and while Linebacker will have the benefit of a 2-1/2 kilos weight turnaround, O’Shea has no doubt Declichy Boulevarde will be hard to hold out.
“Full credit to ‘Declichy’ the other day. She has been airborne, so we knew she’d be the one to beat,” he said.
“He just got flushed out because he had a horse on his outside and he (jockey Zac Lloyd) said, “I mightn’t get the opportunity to take the run, so I had to go’.
“He ran well, and it was a good pipe-opener for this week.”
O’Shea and training partner Tom Charlton have also elected to back up Mr Chaplin following his seventh in a messy renewal of the Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick on Tuesday.
Vivy Air finished second in the Melbourne Cup Day feature last year before turning up to win the Five Diamonds four days later, and provided Mr Chaplin pleases the stable over the coming days, he will get his chance to do the same.
“It’s an opportunity only once in their life to run in this race,” O’Shea said.
“He’s a big, tough horse. He’s got a little improvement out of (the Big Dance), so it wouldn’t be outside the realms of possibility.”
Zac Lloyd will partner Linebacker from barrier seven, while Mr Chaplin has drawn gate eleven with Andrew Adkins to ride.
