Lucky Lad, pictured winning the Gold Medallion, will be out to win a second Gr 1 at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and looks well weighted in the Gr 1 Golden Horse Sprint. (Chase Liebenberg Photography)
Sean Tarry is the most successful trainer in the history of the Hollywoodbets Scottsville Festival Of Speed meeting with a phenomenal 18 Gr 1 wins and on two occasions he has gone close to doing the grandslam in one day i.e. he has twice won three Gr 1s on the day and gone close in the other Gr 1.
He spoke over the weekend about his preparation for Saturday’s Festival Of Speed meeting.
He began “There’s still a week to go, a lot has to go right, but at this stage we’re happy with where we are.”
In the Gr 1 Golden Horse Sprint he runs last year’s Gr 1 Gold Medallion winner Lucky Lad.
Lucky Lad is one of only three horses in the handicap and he only has to carry 54,5kg, which is just half-a-kilogram more than the minimum weight.
Tarry said, “It’s actually quite an interesting weight structure. Obviously it’s a true handicap with the bottom weight being 54kg and that has put quite a few horses under sufferance. I think Lucky Lad’s got a lovely weight. I’m not really focusing on what the others are carrying, but for him I’m pretty pleased. I think he is very well weighted.”
Lucky Lad missed the first half of the season after having a wind operation and the laser surgery appears to have worked a treat, because in his last start, when coming from a seemingly hopeless position to win the Gr 2 Jehan Malherbe Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m at Turffontein Standside, he produced as devastating a finish as he did when winning the Gold Medallion.
Lucky Lad’s chief target was initially the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, but when seeing the weight structure of the Golden Horse and also considering his dual Gr 1 winner Thunderstruck has been retired, he felt he would be silly not to run him.
He added, “I might even consider backing him up in the mile.”
Lucky Lad is drawn eleven out of the 16 runners in the Golden Horse. He in fact had the identical draw last year in the Gold Medallion.
Tarry runs the 113 merit rated Mrs Browning in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint, which makes her the third best rated runner in the race behind the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained three-year-old pair, the 115-rated October Morn and the 114-rated Winter Cloud, and he also runs the 108-rated Winter Greeting.
He said, “Both fillies hit the race on their third run after the rest, their peak runs, and I was very pleased with both of their last starts, so at this stage we’re optimistic.”
He continued, “Mrs Browning had a good season (from August to December), but was just a bit busy, so we just backed off of her and gave her a few months off. She needed her first run back, but it was still a good run, and I thought she might just need her second run, but she got the job done. So she has done well.”
He added, “Winter Greeting is just doing a bit too much when she goes further, but she’s got enough speed too. Even in the sprint last time she actually did too much. I thought if she had cover she would have gone very close. She only got beat a length, but if she didn’t travel too well early, she just about wins it.”
Tarry believes the tough Hollywoodbets Scottsville 1200m course and distance should suit Winter Greeting, provided she finds cover.
The yard send out Proceed and Cosmic Speed in the Gold Medallion.
Tarry said, “Their preps have been good. The form’s decent, so we’re just hoping. If there’s nothing too special, they’ll have chances.”
He said about Proceed, “I just thought his SA Nursery run was all wrong.”
He agreed this horse should be suited to the tough Hollywoodbets Scottsville 1200m as a progressive sort capable of running on well.
Cosmic Speed finished 1,75 lengths behind Fire Attack on debut over 1000m and the latter went on to win the Gr 2 TAB SA Nursery. Cosmic Speed then came out and won his second start over 1200m by a comfortable 2,25 lengths.
Tarry runs Rodeo Drive in the Allan Robertson Championship.
He said, “She just won a maiden the other day, but she won impressively. So we test the waters now and see how good she is.”
