Trainer Peter Snowden finds a wide barrier draw for the two-year-old Seeiaye to be preferable rather than a hindrance.
The colt, typically an on-speed runner, has experienced missed starts in a few of his five career races. Consequently, Snowden is content with barrier eight from a field of 12 for Saturday’s Kia Ora Bloodlines to Headlines Handicap (1200m).
“It’s better because if he blows the start drawn inside, they get across him and it’s no good,” Snowden explained. “The wider the better. If he makes a mistake, he gets a second chance.”
Nevertheless, Snowden is hopeful Seeiaye will execute a clean start. On the three occasions he has, the colt achieved victory in the Max Lees Classic (900m) at Newcastle, secured fourth place in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) at Wyong, and registered a placing 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.”
While Seeiaye has not won since his debut in November last year, his recent second-place finish behind the promising Omolong over 1100m at Rosehill was a strong indicator of form.
Omolong is being tipped as a potential spring carnival three-year-old contender for the upcoming season, and Seeiaye was only defeated by a half-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 represents one of the final opportunities for the current crop of juveniles to secure a two-year-old win before they turn three on August 1, the official horses’ birthday.
Seiaye is racing third-up after an unplaced run on a heavy track in the Dalrello Stakes (1100m) at Eagle Farm in May, and a midfield effort behind Why So Hard at Rosehill last month, prior to his second to Omolong.
His future racing plans will be decided based 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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