Sean Talks Stable Stars
Equus Horse Of The Year Princess Calla is back at Randjesfontein after her easy win in the Gr 1 City Of Cape Town Majorca Stakes And Sean Tarry spoke about her and his other stars as his stable, like it was doing at this time last year, builds momentum.
The superstar six-year-old Flower Alley mare is now a five-time Gr 1 winner and might attempt to add a sixth on March 2 at Turffontein Standside before her bid to win the Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes over 1600m for the second time on April 6.
Tarry said, “She might have a prep run over 1200m or she might go for the Horse Chestnut (Gr 1 wfa over 1600m) in the first week of March and then the Empress Club comes after that.
One of his charges who will be going for the Horse Chestnut is Cousin Casey.
Tarry was pleased with his 3,50 length third to Unzen in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1400m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday.
He said, “I thought it was a decent run. The horse getting 10kg (Unzen) was always going to be problematic. We were midfield and about 8 or 9 lengths off them coming into the straight and he made great progress and just seemed to empty out in the last 50m, so that run should bring him on very well.”
Meanwhile, the yard’s crack sprinter Thunderstruck is still in Cape Town and will be going for the Gr 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes over 1200m.
Tarry said, “He’s doing very well. You can’t fault too much of what he’s done in Cape Town up to now.”
At Turffontein on Saturday Tarry was not surprised by Vercingetorix gelding Hotarubi’s three length second in the Gr 2 TAB Gauteng Guineas to the superstar Sandringham Summit.
He said, “Very good run, but whether he achieved a 116 or not I’m not sure. His bad run before his last two runs was more of a surprise to me than his run on Saturday. He was coming on the right way and everything was going well with him and then he threw in that bad run (last in a Graduation Plate over 1700m at the Vaal). Last time over 1400m was a very good showing and he had to be better over the mile and he had the number one draw, so I did expect him to be in the money on Saturday.”
Tarry thinks Hotarubi will get 1800m, so he will be there for the Gr 1 SA Classic on March 2.
Tarry won’t be running The Africa House in the SA Classic and said he lacked a little bit of speed to be a sprinter and lacked a little bit of stamina to be a miler, so he personally believes he is a 1400m horse.
Tarry was happy with Storm Brasco’s 5,50 length sixth in the Gauteng Guineas under Richard Fourie.
He said, “I thought it was a very good run. There were two groups and he was in the back group. He came home really well. He didn’t make up ground on the winner, but I don’t think he lost ground either. He will go for the next leg. He’s a little bit immature still and I do think he’s going to keep on improving.”
In the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, the yard finished a 4,25 length fourth to the superstar Gimme A Nother with Let’s Go Now.
Tarry said, “She ended up a Iittle further back than she needed to be, but I think the first two were untouchable. She was squeezed late but whether we could have run third or not I don’t know. I’m hoping the 1800m (of the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic) will be better for her even though we have tried her over that trip already. The last time over 1800m I’m not sure what happened there, it may have been the going. She came out of Saturday’s race moving as good as ever and I’m sure she’s going to come on again with this run under her belt.”
The unluckiest horse on WSB Cape Town Met day could well have been the Tarry-trained Tail Of The Comet, who found all sorts of trouble before flying home for third in the R7.5 million Gold Rush over 1600m.
Tarry said, “Cape Town just didn’t work out for him at the end of the day. There were a lot of harsh critics who said he doesn’t stay, but his last run proved he stays. Around the turn we got kept in, then when those two horses dart to the outside we can’t follow them, and then when we do get out he gets taken out … it was a mess.”
The Gimmethegreenlight colt has several options.
Tarry said, “I think he is versatile and it just depends on whether we decide to go 1200m, 1400m or a mile. A possible starting point is the Byerley Turk (Gr 3 1400m Hollywoodbets Greyville 31 March) into the WSB Guineas. Or he could go for the Hawaii Stakes (Gr 2 1400m Turffontein April 6) and there’s also the Senor Santa (Gr 2 1160m Turffontein April 27).”
Litigation won a Listed event in what Tarry described as “gutsy” fashion recently over the Turffontein Standside 1800m and might go for the Gr 3 London News over the same course and distance on February 17.
Stayer Nebraas is back at Randjes after his good 0,75 length fourth in the Gr 3 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers.
David Thistleton