Trainer Sean Tarry (right) is interviewed during an event at Kenilworth Racecourse. Picture: Peter Heeger/Gallo Images
A man who knows how to train a horse to win a race over 1200m at Scottsville racecourse in Pietermaritzburg is Sean Tarry. He spends most of his time at Randjesfontein on the Highveld, but when he ventures down the N3 to the KwaZulu-Natal capital, watch out.
Tarry has saddled a remarkable 15 Grade 1 winners at Scottsville’s annual “festival of speed” fixture in early June. On that roll of honour are superstars Carry On Alice and National Colour.
Tarry has submitted nine entries for the four Grade 1 sprints that make up a Jackpot on the 3 June 2023 Scottsville card.
In the headlining Golden Horse Sprint, he has Thunderstruck, Under Your Spell and Full Velocity. Intriguingly, the latter two are females and are also nominated for the SA Fillies Sprint on the same day. Decisions will have to be made.
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The Scottsville 1200m is a straight, tough, course, but inside draws have tended to be more favourable in recent years, so Tarry might well conclude that Under Your Spell’s 12 draw in the Fillies Sprint gives her a better chance of glory than the rank outside gate of 31 she has for the Golden Horse.
Of course, the respective fields will cut up in the next couple of weeks and the sometime champ trainer will bide his time.
It’s much of a muchness for Full Velocity, with No 2 in the Golden Horse and No 7 in the Fillies Sprint.
Tarry also sends out mercurial Princess Calla in the SA Fillies – from the coveted pole position – and she is unsurprisingly a hot favourite in the post-nominations betting.
Tarry’s stables neighbour Mike de Kock has his classy filly Desert Miracle in the SA Fillies Sprint, drawn at an extreme outside 17. She is 11-2 second favourite for that.
But De Kock also has Desert Miracle in the Golden Horse, where she has a very handy No 7 draw. For that engagement, she is an 8-1 third favourite. Thinking caps will be donned at Randjes.
Tarry’s third Golden Horse entry is Thunderstruck, who is well acquainted with course and distance, having won the Gold Medallion here in 2022 as a juvenile. However, he has lost his way since that heady day and is likely to be at long odds.
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When the Golden Horse entries were unveiled, bookmakers placed top-rated Gimme A Prince, trained by Dean Kannemeyer, at the top of their boards – at 5-2.
The lightly raced four-year-old has won four of nine starts, including the Cape Flying Championship, and had a very satisfactory season opener when second to Trip Of Fortune in the 1400m Drill Hall Stakes recently.
Not long ago, Justin Snaith’s six-year-old Rio Querari was rated the top sprinter in the land and will surely still pose danger for the younger brigade – even from a wide draw.
Last year’s runner-up, Bartholdi, from the Azzie yard, is another who catches the eye on the early Golden Horse list.
8 Gimme A Prince (4G) 60 125 Dean Kannemeyer
18 William Robertson (4G) 60 125 Corne Spies
7 Desert Miracle (4F) 59.5 124 Mike de Kock
22 Rio Querari (6G) 59.5 124 Justin Snaith
3 Seeking The Stars (5H) 59.5 124 Vaughan Marshall
1 Bartholdi (5G) 57 119 MG Azzie/AA Azzie
10 Supreme Warrior (4C) 57 119 MG Azzie/AA Azzie
9 Surjay (4G) 56 117 Brett Crawford
29 Taikonaut (3G) 55 117 Roy Magner
5 We’re Jamming (3G) 55 117 Justin Snaith
25 Mercantour (3G) 54.5 116 Stuart Pettigrew
31 Under Your Spell (4F) 54.5 114 Sean Tarry
16 Thunderstruck (3C) 54 115 Sean Tarry
14 Cosmic Highway (4G) 54 113 Dean Kannemeyer
15 Good Traveller (4G) 54 113 Michael Roberts
8 Bon Vivant (4F) 54 112 JA Janse van Vuuren
4 Maharanee (3F) 54 112 JA Janse van Vuuren
13 Rollwiththepunches (4G) 54 112 Roy Magner
2 Full Velocity (5M) 54 110 Sean Tarry
20 Gladatorian (3G) 54 110 Stuart Ferrie
17 Countdown (3G) 54 109 Glen Kotzen
24 Smorgasbord (4G) 54 109 JA Janse van Vuuren
12 Stiptelik (AUS) (4F) 54 108 Brett Crawford
23 Whoa Whoa Whoa (AUS) (4F) 54 108 Brett Crawford
21 Tempting Fate (5G) 54 107 Dean Kannemeyer
19 After The Rain (5H) 54 105 Gareth van Zyl
26 Pearl Of Asia (6G) 54 105 Robbie Hill
30 Cartel Captain (6G) 54 104 Stuart Ferrie
11 Cleaver Greene (4G) 54 103 Mike de Kock
6 Tread Swiftly (5G) 54 103 Gareth van Zyl
27 Mufasa (4G) 54 99 Brett Crawford
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