Champion Warrior wins easily under Piere Strydomn to make it two wins in succession following a two year drought (JC Photos).
The Sean Tarry machine is yet to fire up this season, but his yard is still working its magic and this was seen in the performance of Champion Warrior at the Vaal today in a 1600m race down the straight.
Piere Strydom recounted how the horse used to hang inward quite badly but was now running straight, so the Tarry yard look to have got on top of this horse’s issues and he is now starting to fulfil his potential.
He won his first two career starts in Cape Town and loooked to be a potential leading three-year-old at that stage.
However, he then had a drought of almost exactly two years, ending on Octobet 10 this year when winning under Strydom over 1400m at the Vaal.
Today was his eighth start for Tarry and he won the 1600m handicap in impressive style.
Strydom got a tow from the well backed favourite Parisian Walkway and when switching outward at the 400m mark the horse quickened superbly and powered into the lead running as straight as a dye.
The five-year-old Twice Over gelding won by 2,50 lengths off an 86 merit rating from Skittle Skies and Parisian Walkway.
Tarry thanked Joao De Mato of Glistian (Pty) Ltd and Lance Michael for their patience and said one of the keys was Champion Warrior, unlike many other horses who tend to pull here, enjoyed running down the Vaal straight.
He could be a big runner for the Grand Heritage and the 1475m trip of that big field race should be right down his alley.
