Highveld-trained horses clean up at Durban July meeting

Randjesfontein trainer Sean Tarry didn’t carry off the main prize on Hollywoodbets Durban July day, but he nonetheless had a stellar afternoon with three good victories – and even a consolation third place in the big one.

Indeed, Highveld-trained horses completely dominated South Africa’s biggest race meeting, winning the first nine of the 12 races.

Tarry’s diminutive filly Mrs Geriatrix impressed with a performance of the highest order in the Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper (Grade 2).

The daughter of Vercingetorix is owned by a syndicate for 10 women and seven of them were at Greyville to cheer home their darling.

‘Amazing syndicate’

“With 100m to go, we knew she had it won and we looked at each other and jumped up and down!” said syndicate member Fundi Sithebe, who is CEO of operator 4Racing. “This is an amazing syndicate, and it shows you don’t have to be ultra-rich to own a racehorse; you can join a syndicate and be part of the fun.”

It was the second victory of the day for Tarry, whose three-year-old gelding Future Pearl stamped herself as one of the country’s premier long-distance gallopers by easily accounting for highly rated staying opposition in the Grade 3 Gold Vase.

Then in Race 8, the Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes, Tarry’s mare Princess Calla proved once again she is one of the finest horses in training, winning a second Grade 1 within a month – one over 1200m and this over 1600m. Many pundits expected old rival Desert Miracle to have the upper hand over the mile, but Princess Calla kept rolling down the straight to land one of the most prestigious titles in the game.
Cape-based jockey Richard Fourie partnered all Tarry’s winners.

Sandringham Summit

Race 1, a Bloodstock SA sales race, went to Stuart Pettigrew’s juvenile filly Betula, at odds of 7-1 under a powerful ride from Diego De Gouveia. The second, the colts and geldings Sales Cup, saw Tony Peter’s Main Defender keep his unbeaten record in his third outing.

Western Cape-based Brett Crawford’s name was in the race card alongside 40-1 shot Crimson King as he shocked in the Splashout 2200. The five-year-old is actually trained in Joburg by Crawford’s son James – as is Winchester Mansion, the 8-1 chance who landed the big one, the R5-million Hollywoodbets Durban July itself.

Turffontein resident David Nieuwenhuizen – one of the most under-rated conditioners – led in a very promising two-year-old colt in the Durban Golden Horseshoe (Grade 2).

It was a remarkable performance from Sandringham Summit, who jumped awkwardly from the 1400m starting gates and was caught behind a tight bunch in the straight. Jockey Calvin Habib needed all his skill to find a way through the congestion and win going away – to the chagrin of Mike de Kock runner Gimmeanotherchance and rider Keagan de Melo, who seemed to be galloping to a comfortable victory.