While the Durban July festival taking place at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday will take centre stage this weekend, Sunday’s racing at Turffontein is full of quality too and horseplayers will do well to get involved.
Sean Tarry steps out some of his very best, including speed sensation and winner of the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint, Lucky Lad.
Lucky Lad, now back to best, won two thrillers in a row before making no show with valid excuses in one of the best races of the year, the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, many believed he may not be true miler even though he is bred for it. He ran with a cast shoe and suffered a wound that time.
But back over 1100m in Race 6, a Pinnacle Stakes, he should be much more at home especially as his record of four wins from six starts at Turffontein stands out among his contemporaries. Only negative is that with his amazing record he comes into the race not well in at the weights, but he patently looks better than his merit rating of 124.
In the headline act of the day, the Grade 3 Sea Cottage Stakes, Tarry has Hotarubi carded to run. He is up there with the best around and is weighted to win by a country mile. He is 8.5kg better off with the next best weighted horses, Biofarmer and Donna Mo, but it must be noted Hotarubi is currently a reserve runner for the Hollywoodbets Durban July run on Saturday and the final declarations must be taken note off.
If he doesn’t run, the race could go to fast-improving Master Of My Fate gelding Mastership for veteran stalwart trainer Dianne Stenger. He completed a hat-trick of wins. culminating in the Egoli Mile, and could be up to the task over 1800m based on his running style.
But it is Tarry’s earlier runners, his promising juveniles, that should be difficult to beat in their respective races.
World Of Alice rates the form choice in Race 1, a Fillies Juvenile Plate over 1400m. She is one of Tarry’s more forward fillies and on a line through the stable’s other high-class young filly, Rodeo Drive, who was only just beaten in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson, she should have the measure of many who she takes on this time.
She also holds Olivia’s Way, Twostep Queen and Famous Lady directly, but her last run could be the best pointer. She was beaten 2.25 lengths by Tony Peter’s top filly VJ’s Angel, who at time of writing is one of the leading fancies in the Grade 2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper on Saturday at Greyville.
If World Of Alice rates a big chance in Race 1, then Legend Of Arthur rates a massive chance in Race 2. As he has done with his filly, Tarry has bypassed a Grade 2 feature on July day and instead gone for easy pickings back home in the 1400m Juvenile Plate for colts.
Legend Of Arthur, a son of late stallion Lancaster Bomber who had great success in his first season, looks to have a bright future. He won his last two starts by a combined margin of 10 lengths and should just keep getting better.
While Mount Pinatubo and Spring Tradition (rested) have shown promise, the pair have been beaten 5.50 and 13 lengths by Tarry’s handsome bay colt. Zanthar, who is still a maiden, was second to Candice Dawson’s brilliant youngster Truth and carrying 5kg less than Legend Of Arthur, he could mount a challenge.
Clive Robinson
