Lucky Lad was reminiscent of the great Senor Santa himself when producing a breathtaking finish to win the Gr 2 Jehan Malherbe Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m at Turffontein Standside (JC Photos)
Sean Tarry’s five-timer on Saturday was achieved by five progressive horses who all have bright Champions Season campaigns ahead of them.
Lucky Lad’s win in the Gr 2 Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m was particularly impressive.
Tarry admitted he feared the worst at the 450m mark and added, “I actually thought that was the end. I thought he had no chance.”
He was referring to the horse still being in last place with about five lengths to make up and having been switched to the unfavourable inside.
Lucky Lad used his incredible turn of foot to put himself into contention within a matter of strides and a couple of deft changes of whiphhand by Richard Fourie ensured there was none of the hanging which had earned the rider a suspension when this horse won the Gr 1 Gold Medallion at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last year.
In the end he won easing up by 0,40 lengths from a running on I Am Giant.
“It was a phenomenal run,” said Tarry.
Lucky Lad has been scratched from Saturday’s Gr 2 WSB Guineas.
He is entered in the Hollywoodbets Durban July and Tarry said about the Varsfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight’s route into that race, “We decided to run him in the Senor Santa based on the poor draw he got for the WSB Guineas, otherwise we would have run him in the Guineas. The Drill Hall is not exactly in our favour either. In terms of preparing the horse, to jump from 1200m to the 2000m of the Daily News might not be that clever. I definitely hope to run him in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, but we will have to nominate him for the Golden Horse Sprint in case he draws poorly in the Gold Challenge. Unfortunately at Greyville you have to be very mindful of draws. We don’t want a bad run for the wrong reason.”
The Gold Challenge, on June 8, is only a week after the Golden Horse, so there is no thought of running him in both races.
Tarry said, “My first choice would be the Gold Challenge, but if he doesn’t draw well he may just go for the Golden Horse Sprint.”
He said about a run in the July, “I think he would have to have run in the mile and we would have to be very happy with that race … then we can plan the next step.”
Lucky Lad’s scratching from the WSB Guineas leaves Tarry with only one runner in that race, the promising Gr 3 Byerley Turk winner Mid Winter Wind. He is unfortunately drawn wide in 12. S’Manga Khumalo has been declared to ride him.
Lucky Lad’s stablemate Winter Greeting looked a possible winner in the Senor Santa when moving into the lead on the favourable outside at about the 400m mark. She was unable to match the best of the boys though and finished a one length fourth.
Tarry said, “She ran a good race. She might have done just a bit too much early, but she stayed on well enough.”
The four-year-old What A Winter filly will be targeted at the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint.
Tarry said, “She has the stamina to get 1400m and even an easy mile, but is doing too much in those races, so it makes more sense to keep her sprinting for a while.”
Tarry’s four-year-old Refeef filly Mrs Browning is also headed for the SA Fillies Sprint after winning the Gr 2 Camellia Stakes over 1160m on Saturday. She jumped from the perceived worst draw of one in the seven horse field and won from start to finish under Craig Zackey.
Tarry said, “I thought it was a very good, gutsy win. Both of those fillies (Mrs Browning and Winter Greeting) were having their second runs after a rest and they should be having their peak runs at Scottsville.”
Mrs Geriatrix was a disappointing 9,75 length seventh in the Camellia and Tarry said, “It is hard to know what happened. She has had a tough season. I do think that maybe a little muscle or something, she could be moving a little better this morning, nothing major, and also I don’t think she ever had a position where she was travelling well and she was asked a little bit early. That race looks like a little bit of a mess and I can’t put my finger on it exactly. Obviously when Richard feld he couldn’t be in the money he didn’t persevere so that made the run look a little worse. But we will just see how she freshens up. I don’t think we’ll be considering Scottsville. If I am happy with the way she freshens up we may look at the Garden Province, otherwise she would have the break that she probably deserves.”
Tarry said Mrs Geriatrix’s three-year-old career had not worked out and the Cape Town campaign might have been “counter productive”. He added he would not want her to carry a Gr 1 penalty again in the Tibouchina, so he is viewing her as having just one possible target left for the season.
Tarry’s progressive two-year-old Gimmethegreenlight colt Proceed won the Gr 3 Protea Stakes in fine style on Saturday.
He said, “He gave us a lot more encouragement this run than in his previous run … coming out of the Nursery we couldn’t find anything obvious, but we were very disappointed with that run. He is on track for Scottsville (Gr 1 Gold Medallion). He will definitely get further. But he has had a few runs already, so let’s just see how Scottsville goes. He’s obviously the sort of horse you would nominate for July day (Golden Horseshoe over 1400m). We will see from there.”
Tarry won the first two races on Saturday, both over 1600m, in impressive style with the Lancaster Bomber colt Legend Of Arthur and the One World filly World Of Alice respectively.
He said he would be aiming them at the Gr 1 Premiers Champion Stakes and Gr 1 Thekwini respectively, which are 1600m Gr 1s on Gold Cup day.
His three-year-old Vercingetorix gelding Hotarubi finished a good second in the Gr 2 TAB Colorado King Stakes on Saturday.
He said, “He’s coming on and improving, so he’ll probably go for the July.”
He was awaiting on the merit rating changes from Saturday to plan a route for Hotarubi.
He said about Future Pearl, who won did the stayers Triple Crown, the Gold Bowl, the Gold Vase and the Gold Cup, last season and ran unplaced in the Colorado King Stakes on Saturday, “He ‘s entered in the July. You have to put a line through his run on Saturday … he comes from off them and he led.”
Celtic Rumours ran a good second on Saturday in a 1400m contest and Tarry thinks she will go for the Tibouchina over that 1400m trip before a tilt at the Garden Province.
He said about Nebraas and Red Maple, who were beaten 10,25 lengths into sixth and 21,50 lengths into ninth respectively in the Gr 3 TAB Gold Bowl, “I tried taking the blinkers off Nebraas and don’t think it worked. I don’t think Red Maple stays as far as 2800m and 3200m. She does get a 2400m but I think we’re just pushing it a bit, especially at Turffontein. At Greyville you can get away with a lot, but on Saturday I think it was a bit testing for her.”
Gr 1 Computaform Sprint winner Thunderstruck might go straight into the Golden Horse, because the most suitable Pinnacle is in Durban, meaning travel, and the one in Jo’Burg is only two weeks before the race. Tarry said Thunderstruck would likely be retired to stud after running in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint on Gold Cup day.
One of the surprises of the July entries announcement was to not see Litigation there and Tarry said, “He didn’t pull up that well last time and I’ve just given him a little bit of time. I think he can still have a nice season next season, so we’re just going to give him a little bit of a break. We don’t have to milk it.”
