There’s only one start’s worth of evidence to work from but trainer Michael Freedman suspects Seascape might be one of those horses that saves her best for race day.
The filly hasn’t been the readymade two-year-old type like her Group 1 winning stablemate Manaal but she made a huge impression with a runaway debut win that Freedman hopes she can back up in the ATC Bookmakers Recognition Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
While there was some support at odds for her at Gosford two weeks ago, and she was expected to run well, the ease of her 4-3/4 length win wasn’t forecast by the Randwick trainer.
“She surprised me a little bit. I was happy with her trials going into it, but I didn’t expect her to perform like she did,’’ Freedman said.
“We’ve had to take our time with her because she is a big, rangy type of filly. She was never going to be one that was pre-Christmas.
“She has taken a little bit of time, she was hyperactive early on in the piece.
“Not that she hasn’t shown a bit at home, but she put it all together on race day. Hopefully she can keep doing that.
“She has come through it really well and seems to be on the right path.”
On the strength of that win Seascape was $2.50 with TAB on Friday. With two early scratchings she’ll jump from gate six in a 13 horse field.
Freedman said there are stakes races in her future, whether that’s as soon as next week – he said it’s not out of the question he and owner John Camilleri may wait a week – or the Scone carnival next month.
“If she was to stay here and run Saturday then we’d have a look at the fillies’ race at Scone, the Woodlands Stakes, as a possibility,’’ he said.
“The week after that in Brisbane there is the Carter Stakes for fillies over 1100. We’re just pondering which way to go with her.
“We will have a good look at the field and see where we think she is going to be in the run because it is a big field.
“It will probably set up quite a bit differently to what Gosford did. At this stage, with where she is at and how she has done this week, I’m probably slightly leaning towards the idea of running her.”
Stablemate Yiska is in need of a change of fortune when he runs in the Hot Rod & Custom Show Handicap (1200m) and Freedman has elected for a gear change.
The gelding has finished just behind the placings in all three runs this time in, the latest a closing fourth behind the unbeaten Briasa at Canterbury just over a week ago.
“I’ve put the visors on him. His last two starts he has half-baulked and he is a bit of a thinker,’’ he said.
“Sam (Clipperton) got off the other day and suggested trying a bit of headgear on him.
“I think kept fresh for the 12(00 metres), and on a bigger track like Rosehill, it should suit him.”
– Racing NSW