HAWKESBURY’S best horse, Famous Seamus, scored a courageous win in the Premiere Stakes at Randwick on Saturday and will head to Melbourne later this month to take on the nation’s best sprinters.
The BTC Cup winner from the winter was out of his comfort zone in a slowly run race over 1200 metres, but he was good enough to overpower Charlie Boy by a long neck after being posted three-wide.
Trainer Noel Mayfield-Smith praised jockey Tim Clark for giving his horse a chance to win.
“It was a hard, grinding win and he overcame the difficulties,” Mayfield-Smith said.
“I don’t think covering the extra ground was that bad.
‘‘The concern was the fact there was no speed on and he is a horse who likes to come off a strong speed.”
Clark was mindful that he would struggle to win if he just sat at the rear of the field and had no issues taking Famous Seamus out three deep to make it a tough test for his opponents.
“I didn’t think I could win the race being last and with Rain Affair coming out it was just going to be a dawdle,” Clark said.
“I did not want to be giving horses with good ability that much start with the sprint home so he began really well and put himself a bit closer today and travelled good.
“Even though he covered a bit of ground they went slow and it made it a fair bit easier.
“Noel and everyone has done a great job on him and I pretty much only get on his back race day and trials and they do fantastic job.”
Famous Seamus will head to Mooney Valley on October 24 for the Manikato Stakes.
“He ran second to Lankan Rupee in the Heffernan Stakes but never handled the downhill run to the turn,’’ Mayfield-Smith said.
‘‘Tim said if he had of got on the right leg he would have made it interesting.’’
