Racing Express, Wednesday 23 March 2022: Anton for Vinson visit

Jockey Anton Marcus makes a rare midweek visit to Turffontein on Thursday for just two rides – both of them for trainer Sean Tarry.

Marcus is slated to ride Carl Vinson in Race 4, a Maiden Plate over 1600m, and Magical Flight in Race 5, a MR 90 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1450m. Racing is on the Inside track.

But significantly, Carl Vinson is owned in partnership with Sean Tarry Racing (Pty) Ltd by brothers Craig and Ross Kieswetter, and bred by Highlands Ridgemont, who also sponsor Marcus. As a result, this ride looks the most likely reason for his trip to the Highveld.

Carl Vinson has only had one run and that was 82 days ago on New Year’s Day over 1400m on the Standside track at Turffontein. He was well supported to go off favourite at 1-1 but did not have much luck as he took a bump at the start and was reported to be making a respiratory noise. Nevertheless, he was still able to finish fourth, 3.75-lengths behind Naval Guard, and managed to produce the second fastest 400m to finish.

For Wednesday’s full edition of Racing Express, click here.

This time, with the experience under his belt, Carl Vinson should prove hard to beat, especially as his main rival – on paper at least – Mcebisi, has been withdrawn. But the three-year-old colt has a lot more going for him.

He is well drawn at No 3 and is beautifully bred by Dynasty out of Helleborus Blue, a dam with whose prodigy Tarry is very well acquainted. Carl Vinson is the fourth runner in his stable bred by her, and hopefully he turns out to be anywhere as good as the first two.

The Hangman was the first and he went on to win the Grade1 Premiers Champion Stakes at Greyville as a two-year-old as well as the Grade 2 Dingaans. Unfortunately, he had serious issues that kept him off the track for more than a year and despite winning two more races after his return, he never really had the same sparkle.

He was followed by Trip To Heaven, of whom one can safely say is the best horse never to win a Grade 1 race. He won nine times, four of them Grade 2s, and finished close up in five Grade 1 races.

The third runner Tarry trained from that dam was one-time winner Lainsberg Blue, who is a full brother to Carl Vinson.