Linebacker posts win on debut

Linebacker on his way to winning at Hawkesbury on debut. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au

Waikato Stud’s Super Seth has struck a significant offshore blow with the Group One-winning son of Dundeel siring his first juvenile winner in Australia.

The race day covers came off his highly regarded son Linebacker at Hawkesbury this afternoon and the John O’Shea-prepared colt didn’t disappoint, coping admirably with a heavy track to romp to an effortless victory over 1300m.

“I like the Super Seths, they’ve got great minds and the ones I have got have been great to train,” O’Shea said.

“I’m quite bullish on this colt and I don’t want to overtax him as a two-year-old, he’ll be much better at three.”

Sent out a hot favourite off the back of a Randwick trial success, Linebacker was quickly into stride to make the running for Kerrin McEvoy and didn’t need to find top gear in the run home to be out on his own by four lengths at the post.

“He’s always showed promise and had performed really well at the trials and showed that out there again today. He is very much above average,” McEvoy said.

Bred by GSA Bloodstock, Linebacker was purchased out of Haunui Farm’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $160,000 by O’Shea and Suman Hedge Bloodstock.

He is a son of the English-bred Oasis Dream mare Garden Of Swans, who is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Sandown Eclipse Stakes winner and sire Mukhadram.

Linebacker’s brother was also secured by O’Shea with James Bester Bloodstock for A$80,000 at this year’s Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Super Seth has been represented in New Zealand by the winners Poetic Champion, also placed in the Wakefield Challenge Stakes and the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes, and Diablo Blanco from just six representatives.

His progeny were keenly sought after at the recent New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale with a top Book 1 price of $700,000 paid by Patella Bloodstock for Pencarrow Stud’s half-brother to Group winners Pearl Of Alsace and Zourion. -NZ Racing Desk