Famous Seamus To Take Up Forward Position In 2015 All Aged Stakes

Trainer Noel Mayfield-Smith has revealed that Famous Seamus is likely to take up a forward position in the early stages of the 2015 All Aged Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend.

Famous Seamus will be settled closer to the speed in the early stages of the 2015 All Aged Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Famous Seamus will be settled closer to the speed in the early stages of the 2015 All Aged Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Famous Seamus has generally been ridden as a run-on horse throughout his racing career, but he showed that he was capable of being settled just behind the leaders when he scored a tough win in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 4 during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.

The Elusive City gelding will jump from towards the outside of the 2015 All Aged Stakes field tomorrow and Mayfield-Smith told Sky Racing HQ that he would not have a problem if jockey Kerrin McEvoy elected to take up a forward position on his star galloper.

“I think that we go forward in that because it is a 1400 metre race and we will just let him travel in a more forward position,” Mayfield-Smith said.

“I am not sure whether the barriers will be as important as they were if it is was a real hard track and we have plenty of races to see what is going on.”

Famous Seamus stamped himself as one of the most consistent sprinters in Australia when he took out the Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) and finished an unlucky third in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) in 2014, but he has been unable to replicate that form this preparation after finishing fifth in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick on March 7, ninth in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 27 and seventh in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 6.

Mayfield-Smith believes that Famous Seamus has had plenty of excuses for his lackluster record this campaign and he is confident that the six-year-old can return to his best form if he gets some luck in running in the All Aged Stakes tomorrow.

“He is good,” Mayfield-Smith said.

“Jay Ford has never ridden him before and he was very keen on his work.

“There is nothing wrong with the horse and he is going as good as he has in any other preparation, but he just hasn’t been on a track that suits.

“Moonee Valley he went down there, he drew wide and he got too far back, so he was no hope.”

Famous Seamus is currently available at 2015 All Aged Stakes odds of $51 with Ladbrokes, while Chautauqua ($3) remains a clear favourite from Terravista ($5.50), Lucky Hussler ($6.50), Shooting To Win ($8) and Wandjina ($8).

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.