Trainer Peter Snowden is not concerned by a wide barrier draw for the two-year-old Seeiaye, actually favouring it.
The young horse, usually a front-runner, has missed the start on a couple of occasions in his five career starts. With this in mind, Snowden is content with barrier eight out of 12 for Seeiaye in Saturday’s Kia Ora Bloodlines to Headlines Handicap over 1200 metres.
“It’s better because if he blows the start drawn inside, they get across him and it’s no good,” Snowden said. “The wider the better. If he makes a mistake, he gets a second chance.”
However, Snowden is hoping Seeiaye will get away cleanly. On the three occasions he has started well, the colt won the Max Lees Classic (900m) at Newcastle, finished fourth in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) at Wyong, and placed at Rosehill.
“He likes to race right on speed,” Snowden noted. “He stepped better the other day and he raced better, so it’s imperative that he begins well and puts himself there.”
Although Seeiaye has not found the winner’s circle since his debut in November last year, his last-start second behind the exciting Omolong over 1100m at Rosehill had significant merit.
Omolong is being discussed as a potential spring carnival three-year-old next season, and Seeiaye was only beaten by half a length.
“His effort was good. He ran at a really fast pace and was up on speed doing most of the work,” Snowden stated. “The horse that won was backed for a fortune, and he did well to stick on and run as close as he did.”
Saturday’s race presents one of the final opportunities for the current batch of juveniles to secure a two-year-old win before they turn three on August 1, designated as the horses’ birthday.
Seiaye is competing third-up after an unplaced run on a heavy track in the Dalrello Stakes (1100m) at Eagle Farm in May, and a midfield performance behind Why So Hard at Rosehill last month, preceding his runner-up finish to Omolong.
His future racing plans will be contingent on his performance this weekend.
“We’ll see what he does on Saturday,” Snowden confirmed. “He’s had a trip to Brisbane and three runs now. This will be his fourth, so I’ll have a think about whether we press on any further or we pull up and get him back in the spring.”
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