Gr 1 SA Derby winner Legend Of Arthur will be looking to bounce back to form ahead of the Betway Summer Cup (JC Photos)
Sean Tarry has a potential team of six to try and land him a sixth victory in his hometown of Johanesburg’s traditionally biggest race, the R6 million Betway Summer Cup.
Tarry’s first win was with Aslan (Silvano) in 2009 and he later had a dominant period when winning it three times in a row and four times in five years with Liege (Dynasty) in 2017, Tilbury Fort (Horse Chestnut) in 2018, Zillzaal (Silvano) in 2019 and Flying Carpet (Judpot) in 2021.
His entries this year are the Gr 1 SA Derby winner Legend Of Arthur (Lancaster Bomber), the Gr 2 Wilgerbsortsdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks runner up and third-placed pair World Of Alice (One World) and Cocomelon (Willow Magic), former Equus Champion Stayer Future Pearl and the two talented but enigmatic sorts Hotarubi and Don’t Cry For Me.
Legend Of Arthur ran two well below par runs after his SA Derby win and was then scratched from the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
However, he is now doing well and ready for his reappearance.
Tarry said, “ I’m happy with him,I’m just running out of time to find the right prep run for him. I mightactually have to just step him out in an 1160, which is probably going to be way tooshort for him and then into the Victory Moon.”
He said World Of Alice was also doing well and added he would also have to try and squeeze a run in for her over a trip short of her best and she would then go for a fillies race over 1800m on Allied-Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile day and also possibly the Victory Moon. She is running in a 1450m Graduation Plate at the Vaal Classic race meeting next Thursday.
He sounded bullish about the well-being of Future Pearl, who hasn’t raced for close to nine months.
He said he had had a little bit of a hiccup and so it was decided to give him a long break.
He said, “It seems to have done him a world of good. He’s looking fantastic and moving fantastic. If I can have him better than I’ve had him in the past at this time ofthe year going into that race (the Summer Cup) it wouldn’t shock me. We’ve always had a high opinion of him but the last few years he’s only brought his A game in Durban. It is hard for me to accept something like that. This time we’ve given him a proper break and I just started again with him and it seems to be working well. We will also have to find a race for him over a distance short of his best.”
He said Cocomelon’s disappointing last run could be explained as she was found to have a bit of mucus after a scope and he said he would draw a line through that race. He added that as a horse who had now dropped to a 100 rating there would have to be reservations about her considering that if the highest rated entries run in the Summer Cup (the 125-rated pair See It Again and Royal Victory) a five-year-old would have to be rated 113 to be in the handicap and a four-year-old like her would have to be rated 112. He said her preparation would have to be monitored before any confidence could be placed in her Summer Cup chances.
Sean said Don’t Cry For Me’s inconsistent form was due to him being one who took a bit of a hold, so his best form had been in the masterful hands of the now retired Piere Strydom.
Hotarubi is a talented horse, but unreliable and Tarry has admitted in the past to being frustrated by him.
Don’t Cry For Me is rated 104 and Hotarubi 106, so both have a bit to do to get into the big race.
