Randjes magician brings a bag of tricks to Turffontein

Sean Tarry could be very busy in front of the television camera and microphone on Saturday as he brings a powerful string of horses to Turffontein for a Standside meeting.

More than a couple of visits to the winner’s circle are on the cards for the conjuror of Randjesfontein – and it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that he could collect prize money from all nine races on the programme.

It’s hard to choose Tarry’s two or three best for the day with so many of his 18 runners bristling with good form, but perhaps the nod goes to Seehaam in Race 6 and Putontheredlight in Race 8.

The earlier race is the Listed Jacaranda Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m, one of two features on the card, and Seehaam looks well placed to take the lion’s share of the R100,000 purse.

The lightly raced four-year-old chalked up a winning hat-trick before disappointing in her last outing, when she had a difficult passage around the Vaal Classic mile course. With stable jockey Lyle Hewitson back in the plate, from the No 2 draw, with a light weight, Seehaam will be hard to beat.

The main threat appears to be Tarry’s second runner, Magical Flight, who ran third in the recent SA Fillies Classic over this course and distance. Mike de Kock-trained Sparkling Water was fourth in that race and could threaten, too.

The main feature is the Grade 3 Sycamore Sprint down the 1160m straight course and Tarry fields a trio of hopefuls: Spiritofthegroove, Tropic Sun and Spring Break. All are possible winners, but might have to settle for minor money behind Ashley Fortune-trained Winter Smoke.

This filly is developing into a sprinter of note, having never finished out of the first four in eight starts, and should have the drop on this field.

Tarry also saddles three runners in Race 8 and more than one pundit has suggested the champion trainer could make it 1,2,3 in the eight-horse contest.

Stable companions Wonderwall and Willow Express are coming off rests following dips in form and might need this gallop to tighten up.

Earlier, Tarry could get on the scoreboard in Races 3 and 4 with Route Sixty Six and Grappler.

And then there are more…

Sunday’s racing is at Durbanville in Cape Town, with the main attraction being a restricted race, the GG Gaming Klawervlei Farm Sale Graduate over 1250m, for a decent prize of R200,000.

There are a number of first-timers in the line-up, so it’s a punter’s nightmare. The only winner, Brett Crawford-trained Masked Vigilante, is drawn at 14; while the other horse with scrap of form, James Stewart’s Persistence, is at 13. Punters will need a slice of luck or a debutant popping up to get them through this leg of the Pick 6.

TURFFONTEIN SATURDAY

Race 1:

8 Franca, 3 Master Of Law, 7 Pyromaniac, 5 Noble Striker

Race 2:

5 Bingwa, 3 Captain And Master, 2 Kelpie, 4 Marygold

Race 3:

11 Route Sixty Six, 6 Hollywood bound, 14 Voltron, 5 Hamaama

Race 4:

3 Grappler, 1 Royal Wulff, 4 Love Lies, 2 Eyes On Tiger

Race 5:

1 Grimaldi, 11 Irish Willow, 2 Monterio ???, 6 Fast Draw

Race 6:

7 Seehaam, 8 Magical Flight, 9 Sparkling Water, 3 Ballet Shoes

Race 7:

2 Winter Smoke, 6 Risk Taker, 9 Spring Break, 3 Rio’s Winter

Race 8:

4 Putontheredlight, 2 Approach Control, 7 Willow Express, 1 Zouaves

Race 9:

5 Cleveland, 11 Sun Giant, 4 Silver Master, 1 Last Of The Legend

Best bet: Race 5 No 1 Grimaldi

Best value: Race 4 No 3 Grappler

Pick 6:

1,2,3,4,8,9 x 1 x 3,7,8,9 x 2,6,9 x 3,4 x 1,3,4,5,11 (R720)

PA:

5,6,11,14 x 1,3 x 1 x 7,8 x 2 x 3,4 x 5 (R32) 

DURBANVILLE SUNDAY

Best bet: Race 4 No 1 Camps Bay

Best value: Race 6 No 3 Alingalonga

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