Last Saturday’s Rosehill winner Seaway has sailed into Epsom Handicap calculations after taking out the Listed $$150,000 Maldives Travel Connection Winter Challenge (1500m).
Seaway, above, might be set for the Epsom Handicap after winning the Winter Challenge at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Seaway scored his sixth win from fifteen starts and trainer Chris Waller hasn’t ruled out aiming the rising five year old towards the Group 1 $1m Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on October 5.
“I think Seaway’s a Group 2 horse, maybe for a race like the Shannon Stakes in the spring,’’ Waller said.
“But who knows, he could be a rough Epsom chance, he won’t just be making up the numbers.’’
Seaway was having his first run for a month but that didn’t Waller who knew the gelding likes to have his races spaced.
“Seaway goes well fresh so the month between runs wasn’t a concern,’’ Waller said.
“We could have run him two weeks ago (Winter Stakes) but it was just a bit too wet.”
Winning jockey Tommy Berry did a great job in getting Seaway over from a wide barrier and was able to settle just behind the leader Cradle Mountain who set a fairly steady tempo.
Berry let Seaway challenge for the lead at the top of the straight and the four year old fought hard all the way to the line to record a quarter of a length win over the Bjorn Baker trained Goodfella with the winner’s stablemate Eckstein running on for third.
“The good track helped today and Tommy was able to get him across outside the leader early, then they backed off the speed mid-race and he was able to hold on for a good win,” Waller said.
Eckstein was sent out as the $3.20 favourite for the Winter Challenge while Seaway was the stable’s second pick at $8.50.
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