Tarry’s Past Computaform Sprint Champions
The G1 TAB Computaform Sprint is one of South Africa's top sprint races. Some of the country's top sprinters will line up in Saturday's Turffontein feature. Classy four-year-old Lucky Lad, already a dual G1 winner, will be bidding for a third top-level Grade One win when he lines up in Saturday's R1 000 000 sprint. With horses like Thunderstruck, Carry On Alice, Mythical Flight, and National Colour, Sean Tarry has previously had success in the Computaform Sprint. Learn more about a few of these outstanding past Computaform Sprint champions:
NATIONAL COLOUR: National Assembly – Rainbow Cake, by Mr Eats
National Colour was a true champion who has left a lasting mark on both the South African and Australian studbooks. Bred by Advocate Altus Joubert and raced by Chris Van Niekerk, the flashy grey won well at the second time of asking at two but really showed her worth the following season. At three, the brilliant speedster won her last four starts, all graded, in a row – namely, the G3 Man O' War Sprint, G1 Computaform Sprint, G1 South African Fillies Sprint and G1 Mercury Sprint. National Colour was subsequently named Joint South African Horse Of The Year for 2005-2006 for which season she was also crowned Equus Champion 3YO Female Sprinter. Sent to further her campaign overseas, National Colour enhanced her reputation when winning in Dubai and finishing a good second, beaten just half a length, in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes of 2008. National Colour was also unlucky when contesting the 2008 G1 Qatar Prix de l'Abbaye, when a false start made a mockery of proceedings.
Retired to stud in Australia, National Colour proved an outstanding broodmare, despite dying young. Her sons Rafeef and Mustaaqeem (both by Redoute's Choice) won the G1 Computaform Sprint and G1 SA Nursery on the same day, with Rafeef having since gone on to become a top-class stallion. (His full brother, Mustaaqeem, was named Equus Champion 2YO Colt of 2016-2017.). National Colour's daughters have also done well at stud, with one daughter, Sarraq, dam of dual Australian G1 winner Celestial Legend and another, Circle Of Speed, producing G3 Poinsettia Stakes winner Full Velocity.
MYTHICAL FLIGHT: Jet Master – Mythical Bird, by Harry Hotspur
One of the fastest horses of his generation, the flashy chestnut Mythical Flight won eight of 19 starts in South Africa, and he was named Equus Champion 3-Year-Old Male Sprinter of 2007. The son of Jet Master, two G1 wins, included the 2007 Computaform Sprint. In landing the 2007 Computaform Sprint, Mythical Flight made it seven wins on the trot, with the champion's winning streak including the G3 Lebelo Sprint (which he won by four and a quarter lengths) and the G1 Cape Flying Championship. Mythical Flight showed his class when thrashing champion sprinter Rebel King by two and a quarter lengths in the Computaform Sprint. Ridden in the Computaform by Brett Smith, Mythical Flight was a lightning-fast performer.
CARRY ON ALICE
Captain Al – Carry On, Katie, by Western Winter
Dual Equus Champion Carry On Alice was a hugely charismatic and talented filly who won Grade One races at two, three, four and five. One of more than 100 stakes winners sired by Captain Al, the Klawervlei Stud bred Carry On Alice was produced by G2 The Debutante winner Carry On Katie, a daughter of multiple champion sire Western Winter. Carry On Alice, who raced for Chris Van Niekerk, Dr Warner and Klawervlei Stud, was named Equus Champion Sprinter and Equus Champion Older Filly/Mare in 2016-2017.
The champion, who earned just under R5 million during her remarkable career, won the G1 SA Nursery at two, the G1 South African Fillies Sprint at three, the G1 Computaform Sprint at four, and both the G1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship and the G1 South African Fillies Sprint at five.
In short, Carry On Alice, who won 11 races in total, won or was placed in no fewer than 12 Grade One races and won a total of seven graded features. Unsurprisingly, Carry On Alice's progeny have proved very popular in the sales ring. At the 2023 Australian Easter Yearling Sale, a Snitzel colt out of Carry On Alice was sold to China Horse Club / Newgate / Go Bloodstock / Trilogy for $1,100,000, with a Snitzel filly out of Carry On Alice making $775,000 when going through the ring at the 2024 Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
THUNDERSTRUCK: Rafeef - Varikate, by Var
Now standing at Ridgemont, the blue-blooded Thunderstruck emulated his Computaform Sprint-winning sire when he won the 2024 G1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint. After the fillies Iphiko and Golden Sickle had gone hammer and tongs out front, Thunderstruck encountered a bump or two before ghosting up and finding his best stride under the professional guidance of Richard Fourie. In a drive to the wire, Thunderstruck upped his game to beat the gallant filly Golden Sickle by 0.30 lengths. Winner of the G1 Gold Medallion at two, Thunderstruck retired to stud having won eight of 18 starts and was the Equus Champion Sprinter of 2023-2024, with the bay winning five of his final six starts.