Equus Horse Of The Year Princess Calla made it five Gr 1 victories in the Majorca Stakes last time out (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Sean Tarry had a Gr 1 win at the Turffontein Standside Classic meeting last year with Bless My Stars and his best chances of repeating the feat on Saturday is also with a female, Princess Calla.
The Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes has been moved forward this season from the SA Derby meeting to the Classic meeting and Tarry runs the Equus Horse Of The Year Princess Calla and also the live wire Cousin Casey.
He said about the six-year-old Flower Alley mare Princess Calla, , “I’m very happy with her, she’s doing well.”
She travelled up from Cape Town to Randjesfontein straight after winning the Gr 1 City Of Cape Town Majorca Stakes on WSB Cape Town Met day and jumps from draw five here under regular pilot Richard Fourie.
He said about Cousin Casey, who has a tough draw of 14 out of 14, and Grant van Niekerk is back aboard, “He is in good shape.”
About the draw being a concern for Cousin Casey, he said, “Yes and no, because from that draw you know you have to come from off them, it won’t be in between. You never want to be drawn badly, but he wouldn’t have used a good draw to sit up third or fourth because I would like him to come from off them.”
Cousin Casey should be cherry ripe and Tarry confirmed he had likely come on from his last start.
He concluded, “He is a runner, there’s no doubt about it.”
About the dangers to his pair, he said, “I always have healthy respect for the opposition in Gr 1s. Dave The King is having his second run after gelding and ran a great race last time. At My Command is another horse to respect. Main Defender has to prove himself over the distance but is obviously a very good horse. Puerto Manzano may want further.”
Princess Calla is the best in at the weights in the weight for age event, being merit rated the highest (127) and receiving a 2,5kg gender allowance.
She will be going for her sixth career Gr 1.
In the Gr 1 TAB SA Classic over 1800m, Tarry runs Hotarubi from draw seven under S’Manga Khumalo and Storm Brasco from draw four under Richard Fourie.
He said, “If Sandringham Summit sees out the distance then he obviously looks hard to beat, but it is a Gr 1 and my two are well prepared and are there to pick up the pieces if there are any chinks in his armour.”
Hotarubi had the run of the race from pole position in the Gr 2 TAB Gauteng Guineas and stayed on for a three length second to Sandringham Summit. He is by Vercingetorix out of a speedy Var mare who won five times from 1000m to 1400m. However, Sean believes he will stay and pointed out that he had won his maiden comfortably when going to the front over 1700m. However, he does have a much tougher draw than in the Guineas.
Tarry has put a pair of blinkers on Storm Brasco and said. “We have done it to help him focus in the early parts, he has been giving away too much start. He’s doing well, hopefully he is going to be a lot closer (in the running) and I expect him to get a lot closer (in the finish). He moves well, he’s a lovely horse, he’s improving and will probably be a top four-year-old.”
Tarry runs Let’s Go Now in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic over 1800m.
He said, “It’s a similar story … Gimme A Nother looks very hard to beat. Let’s Go Now is also running with blinkers to help her focus. She’s in a very good space and has had a great preparation.”
She is by Gimmethegreenlight out of Silvano mare Star Express, who won a Gr 3 over this trip and won up to 2000m. Tarry expects her to see out the trip.
He runs Silver Hills in the Listed Wilgerbosdrift Acacia Stakes over 1600m and said, “Not a great draw but we can ride her conservatively and she’ll be running on, but we are going to give start to horses who are decent front-runners. She’s well and she’s definitely got a chance, but we have to hope for the best coming from off them.”
In the second race, the Listed Storm Bird Stakes over 1000m, he runs first-timer Rondebosch, who is by Gimmethegreenlight out of Gr 1 Garden Province winner Redberry Lane (Western Winter).
He said, “I don’t know if he is up to it, we are going to find out. He’s a nice enough horse otherwise we wouldn’t have put him in. It’s hard to say he will match Pistol Pete for speed but at least we are getting a chunk of weight.”
He runs Winter In Africa in a Maiden over 1160m. She is a first-timer by What A Winter out of a Horse Chestnut mare who won twice over 1600m and 2400m and who is a half-sister to dual Summer Cup winner Deo Juvente.
Tarry said, “She’s a filly that I like but the penny hasn’t dropped and I think she’s going to come on a lot from the run and she is quite a temperamental horse. She will be thereabouts, I do expect a nice run.”
