Noel Mayfield-Smith-trained sprinter Famous Seamus has arrived in Melbourne ahead of the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Famous Seamus will be having just his second start in Melbourne when he contests the Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Famous Seamus has performed well in Sydney this campaign, winning the Listed Lightning Stakes (1100m) after promising performances in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) and Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m), but Mayfield-Smith has waited patiently to bring the Elusive City gelding to Melbourne for the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival.
The five-year-old won a barrier trial over 1175 metres at Warwick Farm last Friday in impressive fashion and Mayfield-Smith said that he is delighted with the condition of his star galloper heading into the Group 3 event this weekend.
“He is really well and I was happy with his trial,” Mayfield-Smith told Sky Racing HQ.
“They changed the trials to the all-weather track so we kept a good hold on him, he had never been on a track like that before, but he came through it really well.”
Famous Seamus failed to fire in his only previous start in Melbourne, finishing thirteenth behind Unpretentious in the Listed MSS Security Sprint on Melbourne Cup Day last year, but Mayfield-Smith said that the gelding had handled last night’s trip interstate in much better fashion than he did twelve months ago.
“He went down overnight and he is straight into his hay, bright and his temperature is good,” Mayfield-Smith said.
“He had one start in the MSS Security Stakes and I went straight down to Melbourne as soon as I laid eyes on him because I knew that he was in a lot of trouble.
“He had lost so much weight; he left home at 515kg and when we weighed him down there he was 494kg and never put it back on.
“He has put on weight in his of his runs and when he won the other day he was 526kg.”
There has been plenty of rain forecast for Melbourne this week, with a number of trainers concerned about running horses at the end of their preparations on heavy tracks, but the veteran trainer said a bit of sting out of the ground would be an advantage for Famous Seamus in the Kevin Heffernan Stakes this weekend.
“I’m not completely sure about an absolute bog and he is not comfortable on shifting ground,” Mayfield-Smith said.
“He is alright if it is raining, he handles that quiet well, and I would prefer that to a good three or firmer.
“I’m not really concerned about it and he has been at Caulfield before so he knows what it is all about.”
Famous Seamus has been victorious at Listed level on four previous occasions but is yet to record a victory in a Group event.
