Sean Tarry and his son Daniel hold two more trophies gathered at their happy hunting ground, Hollywoodbets Scottsville. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
Sean Tarry is the most successful trainer in Hollywoodbets Scottsville history and the “King Of Pietermaritzburg” spoke about his nine entries for this year’s Festival Of Speed Meeting, which takes place on May 31.
The crack Lancaster Bomber Gr 1-winning filly Rascova is all set to have her first start for the yard and will attempt to give Tarry a ninth win in the Gr 1 weight for age SA Fillies Sprint over 1200m.
Rascova has not raced since winning the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes where she beat her arch rival Double Grand Slam by a shorthead.
The pair will have their twelfth clash in the SA Fillies Sprint with the score currently 6-5 in Double Grand Slam’s favour.
Double Grand Slam has the potentially tricky draw of one, considering the field often drifts over to the inside leaving the inside horses cramped for room.
Rascova is drawn five out of the 14 entries still standing.
Tarry said Gavin Lerena, who has ridden her in her last two starts, would retain the ride.
He said, “Obviously 1200m is not her thing and just looking at her form she appreciates a turn. But she is in a good space, I am happy with her. Looking at her form she was beaten 3,30 lengths by October Morn last year and as a juvenile in the Allan Robertson she was beaten 6,60 lengths by Mrs Geriatrix.”
However, Rascova has speed and class and won two of her first three starts down the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth straight. The Tarry Hollywoodbets Scottsville magic will see her in with a chance.
However, Tarry has two fine back ups in Mia Moo and Mrs Browning.
Mia Moo comes off impressive victories in the Gr 3 4Racing Sycamore Sprint over 1160m and the Gr 2 TAB Camellia Stakes over 1160m.
Tarry said, “She is coming along the right way and I am very happy with her.”
Mrs Browning was beaten just a neck last year in the SA Fillies Sprint, but has been off form for most of this season. Encouragingly, she ran a 1,70 length second to the smart Chasing Happiness in the Gr 2 TAB Senor Santa Stakes last time, a fine performance against the boys and she was also giving Chasing Happiness 2kg.
Tarry said, “Mrs. Browning had a lovely prep run for this race and is headed in the right direction. She was unlucky to lose last year, but she’s only just managed to regain form now and we’re hoping that will bring her on for the next run.”
Tarry has entered the two crack juvenile fillies Green Diamond and One Fine Winter in both the Gr 1 Allan Robertson and Gr 1 Gold Medallion.
Green Diamond has won two out of three starts including the Gr 2 TAB SA Nursery over 1160m against the boys by two lengths and the Gr 3 TAB Protea Stakes over 1100m by 6,50 lengths.
One Fine Winter also comes off an impressive victory. She was a 2,30 length runner up in the Gr 2 TAB SA Fillies Nursery over 1160m before winning the Gr 3 TAB Pretty Polly Stakes over 1100m by 4,50 lengths.
Both of them have drawn in the middle in the Allan Robertson, while Green Diamond has a low draw of three in the Medallion and One Fine Winter is in the middle.
Tarry is favouring running Green Diamond in the Medallion, where she will get a 1,5kg gender allowance, because he is of the opinion that juveniles run away from the Hollywoodbets Scottsville grandstand, especially those who have never run there before, so her inside draw should in that case be favourable.
Tarry has four entries in the Gr 2 Golden Horse Sprint and is not concerned that all four of them are slightly under sufferance. All four of them are set to carry the minimum weight of 52kg.
The 104 merit rated filly Rodeo Drive is an interesting runner as she has shown a lot of class before and might not yet have shown her best this season. Tarry agrees she is a big runner.
He said, “She hasn’t really got going. She improved last year and then she had a little bit of a break again and needed her last run.”
He continued, “Troppo Veloce (105) has come along the right way. She’s definitely run against decent horses and would have a chance at the weights.”
He added, “DantonfromSandton (108) found his form last time out. He’s run against some of these three-year-olds, who are now giving him weight.”
He continued, “Green Sapphire’s (104) done nothing wrong. Last time she was trapped wide in the Fillies Guineas so put a line through that run. Otherwise her form is spot on and she will have no problem stepping down in trip.”
He concluded, “We now just need to see who gets in at the end of the day. I’m not too sure if it’s a panel or who decides, but at this stage I’m really happy with the horses that I’ve entered on the day.”
Tarry has won 20 Gr 1s at the Pietermaritzburg venue.
Sadly there is no ackpot of Gr 1s at the Festival Of Speed meeting this year as the Golden Horse Sprint has been downgraded to a Gr 2.
Tarry has twice gone close to doing the Hollywoodbets Scottsville Festival Of Speed grand slam, winning three of the Gr 1s and coming second in the other one on two separate occasions.
The grand slam this year might not have as much glamour attached to it as previously with the downgrade of the Golden Horse Sprint, but Tarry’s record is going to take a halcyon effort from somebody to ever match it.
He lamented the loss of another Gr 1 and pointed out that when people talked about the great Gr 1-winning feats of jockeys and trainers from the past they had some 36 Gr 1s to aim at and now there were only about 27.
He also questioned whether any races would ever be upgraded and pointed out the high class of this year’s Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes, which had no fewer than eight horses rated between 129 and 123.
“Will that race now get upgraded to a Gr 1?” he asked.
