Shoreham has not recorded a race win for over 18 months, but trainer Saab Hasan is confident that the stayer can return to winning form when he steps-up to 3200 metres in the 2015 Andrew Ramsden Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.
Anicent King and Shoreham will clash again in the 2015 Andrew Ramsden Stakes at Flemington this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Shoreham started his autumn campaign with a credible performance in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on March 14 and he produced a string of strong efforts without winning in the Group 3 Easter Cup (2000m), Off The Track Plate (2000m) and Anzac Centenary Cup (2600m) before he was forced to lead in the Listed Warrnambool Cup (2350m).
Hasan told Racing Ahead this morning that Shoreham has taken plenty of benefit from his run in the Warrnambool Cup and the Flemington-based trainer is confident that the Reset gelding can improve on his fourth place finish in the Andrew Ramsden Stakes last year.
“He is very well,” Hasan said.
“He galloped on Tuesday morning and I am very happy with him.
“He worked two laps off the grass and he ran a solid 1600 metres in evens and he ripped off 36 and a half for the last 600.
“He carried 60 last year, got a bit of a bump on the corner and was probably at the end of his tether and never stayed as well, but this time in he is running more like a stayer.
“We are very confident about our chances leading into Saturday especially after the strong gallop on Tuesday morning.”
Steven Arnold has been booked to ride Shoreham in the Andrew Ramsden Stakes and has been given another chance on the five-year-old after he was forced to take up the running on him in the early stages of the Warrnambool Cup.
Hasan is hopeful that Arnold will ride Shoreham more conservatively in the Andrew Ramsden Stakes and he is confident that the tough stayer will receive a lovely run in transit behind the leading group before finishing over the top of his rivals.
“Steven Arnold is very keen to stick with him,” Hasan said.
“At Warrnambool things just didn’t pan out for the horse and he ended up leading, we didn’t want to lead, and we were a sitting duck for everybody with 59 and a half on his back.
“In hindsight dropping him back from 2600 to 2350 brought him unstuck, but he is back on track for the 3200.
“He gets back to Flemington where he has won all his races and he likes Flemington because it is a balanced track.
“He will probably go forward, just box-seat behind a couple and he is going to be very hard to beat.”
The 2015 Andrew Ramsden Stakes field has been released and Shoreham is set to face the likes of Sonntag, Tanby, Crafty Cruiser, La Amistad, Zabeelionaire, Sabor A Triunfo and Thubiaan in the Listed event.
