Racing: Rusty Seachange class above

Seachange showed plenty of class at Te Rapa on Saturday, but she displayed even more at Ralph Manning's stable overnight.

Manning couldn't believe that Seachange's feed bin was empty yesterday morning.

Here was a horse that was clearly way short of full fitness, had not raced for six months, had a total gut-buster and fronted up the next morning as if she'd had a day at the beach.

It's what separates the true greats from the very, very good.

"How she could eat after the guts she had to show yesterday is beyond me," said Manning, who is not easily moved.

"She's got constitution."

She's also got class to spare.

Seachange is a roll-on horse who does not need the whip. Apprentice Craig Grylls had to go for the whip a long way out - fully outside the 300m - and the filly had to totally guts it out to keep her unbeaten record intact.

There was only half a head to spare from Daniel Sampson with a long neck to Zamfir.

There will be those who say "she didn't beat a lot, it's not the stuff of champions".

Consider this. Seachange drew wide. Grylls had to use petrol to ease across to the rail to avoid covering extra ground around the big bend at the end of the back straight.

Grylls might have been best served getting hard up against the rail. When he sat one width off, jockey Opie Bosson on the stablemate Rags To Riches twice kicked up on the filly's inside to annoy her.

When a horse hasn't raced for six months the one factor you look for is a 400m stretch when the rider can get the horse to relax. Seachange was unable to relax for one stride and, don't forget, this was 1400m, not 1200m.

It was a brilliantly brave effort.

Manning and Rick Williams, manager for Queensland owner Dick Karreman, were staggered how much Seachange blew after the race.

"I thought she was a lot fitter than that," said Williams. "In fact, you can say I can't believe this."

The astute Manning summed it up.

"She's been working the place down, but when a horse can run the brilliant sectionals she's capable of, they are not actually doing a lot of work. They are not being extended.

"She'll pull a lot of benefit from that race."

Manning, Williams and Karreman, who saw Seachange race for the first time on Saturday, now know they are lucky the decision was made to go into the rich Hastings treble with two races behind Seachange, not one.

It's now clear Seachange will need her next run in the Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa on August 19 to be fit enough for Hastings. If the Foxbridge Plate had been her campaign debut she would not be ready for what will be three very tough races.

"If that had been the scenario, not only would we have not had a chance to win at Hastings, we would probably have flattened our horse."