SA STAKES TEST FOR SEA WHAT I SEE

Impressive imported mare Sea What I See will be given a chance to extend her picket-fence form line when she tackles Saturday’s listed Centaurea Stakes (2019m) at Morphettville.

Trainer Danny O’Brien confirmed on Monday that he planned for the talented grey Sea The Stars mare to have a shot at black type race before she is spelled in time to be readied again for the spring carnival.

“We’ve always planned to give her a chance at a stakes race at the end of her prep and she’s done well since Mornington so it looks a nice race to have a trip away and have a try at a stake races,” he said.

“She will go down to the farm and have three or four weeks where she just goes out into the paddock for the day and have a freshen up.”

So impressive has she been in her five unbeaten Australian runs, Sportsbet has marked her an $11 equal favourite for the spring’s Caulfield Cup alongside the likes of dual derby star Riff Rocket and last year’s Cups double winner Without A Fight.

O’Brien said that the spring’s Caulfield Cup was a long way off for the veteran of just seven starts.

“She has been winning well but in rating 78s, so she’s a mile off them,” O’Brien said.

“She has plenty of options against the mares with races like the Matriarch (G2 over 2000 metres) in mind but I think she can be competitive in a good mile race.

“The record of mares in the Caulfield Cup is not what it used to be. Verry Elleegant won it after a couple of seasons of really good form and before that it was Jameka, who was also a very good mare.

“Now that we have gotten deeper into international participation it is not as easy for our up-and-coming mares to win it.

“We’ll try for a stakes’ win and we’ll just crawl before we walk.”

Story by Andrew Eddy for Racing.com

Pic by Racing Photos