Racing: Seachange can thrive out wide

Hurrah may be tempted to go forward early. Picture / Martin Sykes

At first glance Seachange's No 9 barrier in tomorrow's $150,000 Stoney Bridge Stakes looks like a negative.

It could turn into a massive positive.

Hastings is a wonderful racetrack - except for its 1600m starting point.

It's a shocker. Its placement is approximately 100m back from the bend into the back straight and you can't count the number of horses that have been beaten by barrier draws.

Inside draws can be as bad as wide positions, often worse.

The likely leader and trailer tomorrow, Kristov and Sir Slick, have drawn inside gates, which is ideal for speed horses because anything close to the inside running rail that does not sprint from the 1600m start gets shuffled back along the rail by the outside horses crossing over.

That's what Seachange will be doing.

With the outstanding mare's natural speed from the gates, she will have a straight run across to the bend from out wide and Gavin McKeon will be able to place her exactly where he wants to be.

Had she drawn in closer she may have been dictated to.

Kristov should lead and Sir Slick is likely to trail him. That leaves Seachange either parked outside the pair without cover or one out with cover if something like Hurrah went forward.

Seachange's wonderful asset is her ability to settle perfectly without pulling.

Like everyone else, her trainer Ralph Manning is excited about the race and can find no negative after Seachange's win in the lead-up Mudgway Stakes.

"I couldn't be happier. Her work has been super and she's right at her peak. And she'll need to be, the others like Kristov and Darci Brahma will have taken a lot of improvement out of the Mudgway."

Manning fears Kristov more than Darci Brahma.

"Kristov's run in the Mudgway was terrific. They ran the first 800m in 45.2 and he had to get to Seachange in the lead then work to get past her.

"And, he was a fair way short on fitness."

Seachange quickly ran past Kristov at the 320m in the Mudgway, but Manning is not anticipating a repeat of that.

"We're not going to get past Kristov as easily this time."

Seachange once again worked with stablemate and race rival Rags To Riches at Cambridge yesterday morning.

The fast plough offered lightning times and Seachange broke 34 seconds for her last 600m with her head on her chest.

You might imagine Rags To Riches would by now be getting tired of galloping with such a brilliant partner, but Manning says it has done him good.

"Rags To Riches is improved - he's as well as just before he won the Easter.

"He won't be a threat to the mare, but it wouldn't surprise me if he got some of the money. He hasn't had a great deal of luck."

Phillip Stevens is delighted with Kristov, who fought remarkably well in the Mudgway for his level of fitness.

Stevens says Kristov is now a much happier horse since having the metal plate and wiring removed from his broken jaw two days after the Mudgway.

"He's improved a ton lately.

"I don't think there's much between us, Seachange and Darci Brahma and I think it will come down to the horse that gets the best run."

We know where Kristov will be - leading them up - and it comes down to the luck Seachange gets early and where Darci Brahma parks himself from his wide barrier.

* The TAB's odds: $3.25 Darci Brahma, $3.50 Seachange, $4.50 Kristov, $8 Hurrah, $11 Calveen, $18 Legs, $21 Sir Slick, Shikoba, $26 Lilakyn, $31 Rags To Riches, $51 Irish Rover, $61 Danz Star.