Trainer Noel Mayfield-Smith is keen to stick to weight for age company with Famous Seamus who will head to the Group 1 $400,000 Brown Baldwin William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Famous Seamus will run in the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Famous Seamus was a final acceptor for the Group 1 $400,000 Canadian Club Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill last Saturday but was withdrawn because of a wide barrier and will now head to Melbourne.
“There were two reasons. There was the prospect of him having a tough run at Rosehill when he drew wide there and the other thing that makes a difference is the other two races (William Reid and TJ Smith) are weight-for-age,” Mayfield-Smith told AAP.
“I didn’t want to go to the TJ with what might have appeared average form because we’d drawn wide (in the Galaxy) and had no luck in the run.”
Mayfield-Smith could see Famous Seamus doing himself no favours having a tough run from a wide gate in the Galaxy which was won in fine style by the Gai Waterhouse trained Sweet Idea and will now head to the William Reid Stakes in to order.
After the William Reid Stakes Famous Seamus will head back to Sydney for the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 4, the first day of ‘The Championships’.
The Elusive City six year old has raced in top company over the last twelve months and proved himself at weight for age with a win in the Group 1 $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben during the 2014 Brisbane Winter Carnival.
And he followed that up with another win at weight for age in the Group 2 $200,000 Bloodstock.com.au Premiere Stakes over the same course and distance as the T J Smith Stakes during last year’s Sydney Spring Carnival.
Since his Premiere Stakes win Famous Seamus ran a close third behind Lankan Rupee and Angelic Light in the Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley followed by a sixth to Terravista in the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington over the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Famous Seamus was then given a short break and resumed with a fifth to Miracles Of Life in the Group 2 $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on March 7.
