Tin Pan Alley gave jockey Malesela Katjedi his first Graded win and stamped himself as a three-year-old to follow for the season. Part-owner Laurence Wernars was obviously thrilled with Katjedi’s fine ride (JC Photos)
Sean Tarry was on fire at Turffontein Inside on Saturday and did the Joburg Spring Challenge double, with the exciting three-year-old prospect Tin Pan Alley taking the Gr 2 Betway Joburg Spring Challenge over 1450m and the five-year-old Vercingetorix mare Callmegetrix winning the Gr 2 Betway Joburg Fillies and Mares Challenge over the same course and distance.
Furthermore, he got the exacta in the latter race as Rodeo Drive finished second.
Tin Pan Alley, in his first run as a gelding, ignited a season which could see him reach for the stars and he gave Malesela Katjedi a career first Graded success, while Luyolo Mxothwa’s journey to Joburg for just three rides paid dividends as Callmegetrix always seemed to have the measure of dogged stablemate Rodeo Drive in the fillies and mares race and the rest of the field were in a different province.
Three-year-old Moutsonhoek-bred The United States gelding Tin Pan Alley cantered down to the start of the Spring Challenge a warm favourite and carrying just 50kg he returned in impressive style to win by 0,70 lengths under an excellent ride by the ever-improving Katjedi.
Smartly out of the starting gates from their no 2 draw, Katjedi secured a ground-saving position on the rail for the 15/10 favourite, tracking the early leaders into the straight. Highveld Winter Series hero Choisaanada had sat in a one out and one back position in the running and took the lead in the straight, but Tin Pan Alley was resolute and hit the front at the 150m mark before staying on well.
Betway Summer Cup winner Atticus Finch Atticus put in a magnificent reappearance effort as he came from near the back with a storming late run to pip Busstopinhounslow for second. The latter had also run on well from near the back. Choisaanada was overtaken late by the latter two but managed a one length fourth and there was then a further 2,10 lengths back to fifth-placed Nyaka Nyaka. The Tarry-trained second favourite Lucky Lad begun a threatening looking run early in the straight but found little extra and might revert to sprints.
Atticus Finch put in the best performance as his Gr 1 penalty meant he carried topweight of 60kg and he had to give Tin Pan Alley 10kg. He was thus 2kg worse off than weight for age with the winner and yet lost by just 0,70 lengths. This augurs well for the defense of his Summer Cup crown.
Tin Pan Alley is out of the Querari mare The Entertainer and is owned by Laurence Wernars and family & Dayalan Chinsammy.
A R500 000 National 2yo Sale purchase, Tin Pan Alley is now a winner of three races from his seven starts and he has four places. He was a Gr1 and Gr2 placed as a two-year-old and took his stakes earnings to R887 969.
Speaking after the race, trainer Sean Tarry commented, “His work has been phenomenal. He had the draw and he had the weight… so I’m very pleased it’s all come together.”
Malesela Katjedi was over the moon with his first Group race win, commenting, “As we hit the bend, I would say at about the 1200m mark, he started taking a hold as the pace came back slightly on to us. I would have liked for him to get a bit more relaxed so that he could get a better finish, but he was still looking around. We did touch the rail twice I think.” He added, “A big thank you and congratulations to Mr Tarry and to Mr Wernars and Mr Chinsammy for giving me this opportunity.”
The fillies and mares race was run earlier and was a two-horse affair with the favourite, Callmegetrix, coming from a handy position two back on the rail to get the better of stablemate Rodeo Drive, who had dictated at a good pace. Callmegetrix won by just 0.3-lengths. Third-placed Destiny Of Fire was a further 7.6 lengths back, slightly ahead of Minogue.
Callmegetrix is a five-year-old daughter of Vercingetorix out of Rathmor Stud’s twice-winning Kabool mare, Clarion Call, and is owned by Mario Ferreira.
A R450 000 BSA National Yearling Sale purchase, Callmegetrix has now won 6 races with 15 places from her 23 starts and stakes of R1 140 627.
Tarry was vocal in his tributes to both riders. “I must just say a very big thank you to Katjedi for taking the ride at short notice. And thanks to Louie Mxothwa for flying from Cape Town to come and help me, because there were jockeys suspended. I always scratch my head in wonder at how we can confirm jockeys and then they get suspended after being confirmed for feature races. But those are the rules, we made a plan at the last minute, and without the help of these two jockeys I would not have been able to get these horses out today. I am very thankful to them. There are no egos, they did their bit, and they deserve the accolades today. I appreciate their attitude and it goes a long way and we don’t forget those favours that jocks do for us from time to time.”
