Highlighted by many as their best bet leading into Saturday’s racing despite drawing one of widest barriers in the $500,000 Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m), the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr trained Manhattan Rain 4yo Sabaj looks to have better things ahead of him after his stylish victory.
Coming off an easy length and three quarter victory last time out during Cup week at Flemington when having only his second start fort his new stable after starting his career in South Australia, Sabaj clearly has potential and looks a future group winner in the making.
Going back after jumping away from barrier 12 in the 13-horse field, jockey Beau Mertens was content to allow the 4yo to find his feet, and although he travelled slightly wide in the run, there was a nice tempo upfront with Charterhouse (GB) leading the field.
With 600m to run, Mertens started to bring Sabaj round the field, and into the home straight he was one of the widest but was making good ground quickly.
Chasing down the last start Group 2 Linlithgow Stakes winner Warnie (IRE), Sabaj appeared a class above his rivals as he pulled clear for a three-quarter length victory from Enxuto who worked home well down the outside into second.
Darting back towards the inside of Sabaj, the Cambridge Stud colour-bearer Holymanz (NZ) finished just behind the runner-up in third.
Having trained last year’s Cranbourne Cup winner Globe (NZ), who just six starts later caused an upset when defeating Treasurethe Moment and Buckaroo (GB) to land the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m), it would not surprise to see Sabaj reach those heights with time.
Speaking post-race, co-trainer Mick Price had a twinkle in his eye when looking forward with the gelding.
“We've got the autumn here in front of us with this horse if we want,” enthused Price.
“This is sort of a brand new horse. He's perfectly sound, feet, knees, fetlock, lovely. He's lightly raced, good ability. He's clean winded and I think if we look after him he will be fine.
“I have to do my sums, but I imagine him with a light weight and a big track - I know he handle the wet over the carnival - so the Doncaster is certainly a race you’d put a circle around.
“Light weight, big track, that’s him. He got himself out of jail here on this track, but the one good thing about being here is there’s a long 900-metre run so you ar not jerking him around. He was off the fence, well balanced and he finished off strongly.
“I don’t reckon I have to go past a mile. I will put a circle around the Doncaster if I can because I don’t think he’s bottomed out so if I spell him now I’ll have a lovely horse in the autumn, which is very close.”
With jockey Beau Mertens content to sit wide and ride Sabaj like he was the best horse in the race, Price felt this was a good plan.
“He did and sometimes outside gates is when you ride them cold,” said Price.
“That's good and it worked out well. There was just enough tempo, he balanced up nicely, he relaxed nicely and he finished off strongly.
“I did say to him, be the deepest horse. Don't follow anything into the race because I wasn't confident there was a horse where we would be.
“It gets his rating up and I would say it puts his rating up. I don't need to be tempted because he should have some sort of rating to have a nice horse in the autumn."
It meant a lot to Mertens to take out the Cup aboard Sabaj.
“It's unbelievable,” said Mertens. “I didn't think it would hit me as hard as it has. I was apprenticed to Michael Kent here throughout my years at Cranbourne and now I have an association with Mick Price and Mick Kent Jnr.
“Mick Price has been a big part of my career for a very long time and we've had a great connection and a great association. It's fantastic to deliver in such a fantastic race."
“I don't think it (the race) could have worked out any better from the barrier we had. He's not fast out of the machines and I just let him naturally travel in a position he was comfortable in.
“We ended up on the back of Steparty in the three-wide line. I got dragged into the race where I didn't have to do too much work and when I popped him out, he accelerated that quickly underneath me. He feels like a very, very nice horse and he put the race away very quick.”
When asked about Sabaj’s ceiling, Mertens was confident that Sabaj will only improve.
“The ceiling is the limit on the feeling he gave me today. I've done a bit of trackwork on him, but today, on the feeling, he's a very nice horse and he's going to get better and better."
Taking his overall record to five wins and two second placed efforts from eight starts with earnings of $550,145, the Ms A Rossi, Joe Piteo, Paul Piteo and Pat Hodby bred son of Manhattan Rain is the second winner, and first stakes winner out of the Uncle Mo mare Bouzy.
The third foal out of the mare is the unraced 3yo Peltzer gelding Bred 'Em All who was a recent Morphettville barrier trial winner for Sabaj’s original trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly, and while the mare missed the following season, she has since foal two colts by Peltzer in back-to-back years.
From a strong Mill Park Stud raised family which includes stakes winners Run Fox Run, Majestic Music, Serious Speed, Guard Of Honour, Victory Chant and Reldas, the 4yo holds a nomination to the Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) at Ascot on December 6, but connections look likely to put their focus into his upcoming Autumn campaign.
Sabaj became the 21st individual stakes winner for the Geisel Park Stud based Manhattan Rain with the Group 1-winning Encosta de Lago half-brother to Redoute’s Choice standing a at a bargain fee of $5,500 (inc. GST) this season.
