Sean Tarry has a happy knack for priming his horses for the big occasion and he saddles the filly Rain In Holland who has come to hand at just the right time for the R5 million Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July to be run at Hollywoodbets Greyville next Saturday, July 1.
She won all three legs of the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara last season that included the Gr2 SA Oaks over 2400m so the 2200m of the July trip is well within her compass. She did have a spell in the doldrums but has come back strong in recent starts culminating in a comfortable win in the Gr1 Woolavington.
Michael Roberts sends out Gr1 Daily News 2000 winner See It Again who has been the ante-post favourite for the past month. His position at the top of the boards was cemented with a smashing win in the Daily News. He does appear to be the horse to beat but does have a hefty 56.5kg to should for a three-year-old.
The eight-year-old Do It Again has been written off by many with his best years behind him. However, although one from last in the Gr1 Gold Challenge in his warm-up he did not get the best of passages as he was making his run. He has been similarly unlucky in the last two July’s that he has contested and with better luck could make it three wins in this historic race. Winchester Mansion has had two outings since being gelded. Arguably unlucky behind Pacaya in the Gr2 WSB 1900, he booked his place in the field with a breathtaking win in the Gr3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial. 1.
As Mike de Kock bids for his sixth July win, the one question that the large crowd that braved the early morning chill to watch the runners being put through their paces was; did Dave The King work like a winner or was he shown up by the seemingly modest gallop of stable companion Safe Passage?
The pair worked together at Hollywoodbets Greyville with Dave The King dwarfing his stable companion and seemingly hardly out of a canter as he used his huge action like a well-oiled machine. Safe Passage on the other hand was seemingly hard-pressed to keep up, with rider JP van der Merwe hard at work, but both recorded the quickest 400m to finish time.
De Kock said that Safe Passage is not a good work horse.
“Safe Passage last year caught me unawares in the Daily News. He gives away nothing at the track. Last year I thought he needed the run, didn’t think he could run well, he goes and wins the Daily News. He’s a funny horse, he gives away nothing when it comes to work. But he is as sound and as well as I’ve ever seen him and moving probably the best I’ve seen him move ever.”
Tarry has a strong chance of a Gr1 double in the Ridgemont Highlands Garden Province Stakes with the mare Princess Calla who is top class. She was a comfortable winner of the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville but she is equally at home over a mile. She is in smashing form at present and could again put one over Desert Miracle who finished second in the SA Fillies Sprint. However, Mike de Kock’s filly has some explosive form on this course and will enjoy the extra. Stuart Pettigrew’s filly Feather Boa was second best to Desert Miracle when last they met in the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes and does have a tough draw. But she is a big, strong filly and will run a forward race.
In the Gr2 Durban Golden Horseshoe, De Kock’s entry Gimmeanotherchance has a wide draw to contend with but he made good improvement after his maiden win to run out a facile winner of the Gatecrasher Stakes. The draw is a concern but he looks more than useful at this stage. The gray Guy Gibson found traffic in the Gr1 Gold Medallion and may well have finished a lot closer than third. The step up in trip should suit. The filly Gold Tatjana takes on a tough field of males but has yet to finish out of the money and Glen Kotzen has opted to skip taking on her same sex in Gr2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper.
Tarry has another strong hand in the Gr2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper with the unbeaten Mrs Geriatrix who is unbeaten in four starts and was a comfortable winner of the Gr1 Allan Robertson beating a high class field. She goes the turn for the first time but has a good draw and can keep her record intact. Biggest danger could be Distant Winter. Candice Bass-Robinson’s filly has not been further back than second in five starts that included Cape Town features and comes off a winning double. Egyptian Mau took on males in a strong Gr1 field last time out and Richard Fourie got a 10-day ban for causing interference that included Egyptian Mau. She won well on debut and should give a good account. White Pearl comes from a strong stable and both her wins have come over a similar trip. De Melo keeps the ride.
