Mayfield-Smith looking for bold showing from Famous Seamus
FAMOUS Seamus will be aiming to score back-to-back triumphs in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes when the gelding lines up to contest the 1300-metre feature this Saturday at Sandown.
Trained at Hawkesbury by Noel Mayfield-Smith, the eight-year-old comes into the race following a last start win at his home track in the Listed Ladies Day Cup over 1400 metres.
That victory was his first since taking out last year’s Kevin Heffernan, with just one placing in his eight subsequent runs, a third in the Group 3 Cameron Handicap (1350m) at Newcastle.
Despite his form looking less than ideal on paper, Mayfield-Smith told www.HorseBetting.com.au that his charge is going as good as ever, making his $13 quote with Crownbet appealing for punters.
“He is running the same times he was running four years ago, he looks the same, he is eating the same – everything is the same,” Mayfield-Smith told Horse Betting.
“He won the race last year so we know he won’t have any trouble with the distance and he is rock hard fit so providing the track is fine this Saturday I expect him to run very well.
“It was an encouraging win last start at Hawkesbury. He had only been in one other race during the Spring that he was capable of running well in and that was the Cameron Handicap, mainly because of the track.
“I expected him to run well (at Hawkesbury) and I expected him to win because that’s what he needed to do.
“He did it and he did it very well.”
A winner of 12 of his 53 starts, Mayfield-Smith concedes unsuitable track conditions have plagued the son of Elusive City throughout his career, but says the bay campaigner is a serious racehorse on his day.
“He is pretty much an athlete through and through – if he gets the conditions that are right for him then he goes extremely well.
“The unfortunate thing which has affected his record is that he is nowhere near as good on wet or shifting ground.
“Particularly in Sydney he has had to face that in Autumn for the past few years so he hasn’t been able to perform to his best on that going.
“Other than that he is as good as any horse going around.”
Famous Seamus has proved his quality on numerous occasions. Mayfield-Smith’s stable star boasts some prestigious titles on his rap sheet, with six group or listed victories including the 2014 Group 1 BTC Cup at Eagle Farm.
He will meet a quality line-up in this Saturday’s $150,000 event including Under The Louvre ($4.60) and Illustrious Lad ($4.80), a last start winner of the Group 2 TAB.com.au Stakes at Flemington.
However, while the race looks challenging in the form guide, Mayfield-Smith says his sole concern is his horse and ensuring he is at his peak on race day.
“He had a short gallop this morning (Tuesday) to keep him up to the mark and he will travel down to Melbourne tomorrow night.
“He will just have a trot around on Thursday and may have a canter on Friday or we’ll take him to the beach and then he will have a trot on race morning.
“It is all pretty light this week, but he has been in work for a while so he doesn’t need a lot.
“He has competed against the best and has always held his own so I don’t tend to worry about the opposition too much.
“My only concern is the weather and how he is going and to an extent the barrier, of course.”
With 18 horses in work, a victory this Saturday would be rewarding for Mayfield-Smith and his veteran galloper which reportedly still loves being in training despite his legs being much older than they once were.
“He is the sort of horse which loves routine and he also puts a lot of trust in the people he knows. He has always been a wonderful horse to handle, that’s just how he is.
“He loves being a racehorse and he seems to form bonds with the other horses as well– he is next to another horse called Unequivocal and the other day when they ran at Hawkesbury he was whinnying for her after the race.”
And whilst he may not attract the headlines of star performers such as Winx or Hartnell, Mayfield-Smith says he doesn’t mind being the ‘dark horse’.
“He is a special part of the team. He has been with us for a long time and he has helped the place out during some difficult times.
“He has won about $1.3 million in prize money so he is definitely up there with the best I have had.
“Still, I suppose he has always been in the shadow of some of the bigger names but that doesn’t really bother me.
“It doesn’t affect the horse himself – he still goes out there every start and gets on with the job and gets it done.”
The Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes is race five on the card at Sandown this Saturday, with the meeting headlined by the Group 2 Zipping Classic.
Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes – market
Under The Louvre $4.60
Illustrious Lad $4.80
Lucky Hussler $5
Faatinah $7.50
Super Cash $8
Redkirk Warrior $9.50
Santa Ana Lane $10
We’ve Got This $11
Famous Seamus $13 with Crownbet
Durendal $17
Almighty Girl $21
Miss Promiscuity $21
Burning Front $31
Un De Sceaux $41