First Seal On The Drift In Tramway Stakes Betting

First Seal has drifted out to 2015 Tramway Stakes odds of $3.80 and trainer John Thompson admits that the talented mare will need some luck in running to take out the Group 2 event at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

First Seal is on top of 2015 Tramway Stakes betting markets. Photo by: Steve Hart

First Seal is on top of 2015 Tramway Stakes betting markets. Photo by: Steve Hart

First Seal was a clear favourite in early betting markets for the Tramway Stakes and was as short as $3.40, but there has been very little support for the daughter of Fastnet Rock after she was allocated the outside barrier when the Tramway Stakes field was released yesterday afternoon.

Thompson said that First Seal has the ability to be settled close to the speed, but he admits that jockey Tommy Berry will likely be forced to settle her towards the tail of the field in the early stages of the 2015 Tramway Stakes.

“Where she is ridden is completely guided by barriers,” Thompson told Sky Racing HQ.

“If she drew a good barrier she could box-seat very easily and be a lot closer, but with the wide barrier like that we are going to need a bit of luck.

“Tommy is confident that he will get the job done.”

While Thompson was not happy with the Tramway Stakes barrier draw of First Seal, he is happy with the physical condition of the Group 1 winner ahead of the start of her 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign.

A foot abscess kept First Seal out of the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on August 22, but Thompson is confident that she has bounced back from the issue and will have no excuses if she fails to fire in the Tramway Stakes.

“She got an abscess, it was a deep seated abscess and now she has a hole in her foot where it busted out,” Thompson said.

“We don’t have too much rain because with the mud around it is not good for that because it can get back in there and flare up again.

“You just have to cross your fingers and hope that she is over it, but she seems alright.

“Her gallop the other day at the races was terrific and she wasn’t out there to break any records, but she went through the motions nicely and on Tuesday she galloped nicely with a mate.

“She looks a million dollars and we are ready to go.

“We are still on route for the George Main and the Epsom.”

First Seal remains on top of the 2015 Tramway Stakes betting market with Ladbrokes, but Arabian Gold has been a clear market mover and she is into $7.50 to take out the Group 2 event.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.