Five times champion trainer Sean Tarry has learnt to take the ups and the downs of racing better than most having operated at the highest level for a couple of decades and he was philosophical about the condition which has put his champion filly Rain In Holland out for the season.

“That’s the way it goes,” he said, after explaining she had been found to have an entrapped epiglottis which will require surgery.

In this condition, the rim of the soft palate that normally lies under the epiglottis folds around the epiglottis like a glove.

Epiglottic entrapment is corrected surgically by opening the fold that covers the epiglottis.

Surgical transection is generally curative, with a relapse rate of 5%. 

Therefore the prognosis looks good for her to come back next season.

The Duke Of Marmalade Drakenstein Stud homebred was leading the Equus Award standings in both the Horse Of The Year and Three-year-old filly categories in the last update after Champions Day at Turffontein.

Meanwhile, Tarry still has a lot to look forward to in the Champions Season and is bullish about his chances of picking up more silverware. 

He spoke about his plans earlier this week.

He has probably the best Grade 1 record at Hollywoodbets Scottsville of any trainer in history, having sent out 13 winners there at the highest level, one more than Dennis Drier, and he will have a strong hand in all of the Grade 1s at this year’s Festival Of Speed meeting on June 4.

He also has a couple of Hollywoodbets Durban July horses up his sleeve whom he believes represent good value.

On Tuesday his Drakenstein homebred Trippi filly Sweet Pepper impressed in a Maiden Juvenile for fillies to remain unbeaten and she has a fine chance of defending the yard’s crown in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championship.

Tarry believes his best value runner on the day at the Festival Of Speed meeting will be his Var entire Eden Roc, who is one of three Hollywood Syndicate horses who should be lining up in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint.

This five-year-old has not made the frame in four starts this season but is consequently seven points lower than the 118 merit rating he finished second off in last year’s Golden Horse Sprint.

Tarry said, “He needed his last run and was sent for home way too early. He has a short run in. Throughout his career he has never ever threatened winning when going for home early. If Kabelo had sat for another 150m he just about wins it. His Scottsville form is deadly and he will come in well weighted. He is spot on at present and I think he will be one of the horses to beat.”

Eden Roc won the Grade 1 Gold Medallion as a two-year-old.

Tarry will likely have two other Scottsville Grade 1 winners in Chimichuri Run and Warrior’s rest lining up in the Golden Horse too. They are both former winners of the Golden Horse and are both owned by the Hollywood Syndicate.

Tarry was thrilled with Chimichuri Run’s last outing when he came from way back to run fourth in the Grade 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400. The fact he was 40/1 in the betting showed what a strong field that was. He remains on a 115 merit rating which is effectively seven points less than his Golden Horse winning mark in 2019 because there was a ten point accross the board raise in the season after that win.

Warrior’s Rest was pulled up in the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes but came back to finish just three quarters of a length behind Eden Roc last time out over 1200m.

Tarry said, “He needed that last run and before the mile he finished second in a Grade 2 sprint (Senor Santa) and he has won a Grade 1 at Scottsville before.”

This big horse won the Golden Horse off a 113 two years ago and is currently merit rated 111.
Tarry is avoiding the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 with Grade 2 WSB Fillies Guineas winner Under Your Spell and aiming her at the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint instead.

She is another of Tarry’s Scottsville Grade 1 winners, having won the Allan Robertson last year.

Tarry said, “We are taking the more conservative route, but if the 1200m proves too sharp for her now, it will serve as a good prep for the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes.”

He will also have three-year-old Sound Of Warning involved in the SA Fillies Sprint. She is rated 111, eleven points lower than Big Burn. However, she beat the latter in the Grade 3 WSB Magnolia Handicap when receiving just 1kg.

Tarry said, “Last time (when a 0,75 length second in the Grade 2 Camellia Stakes) she went too hard and Richard (Fourie) would have been better off letting her go forward than fighting her, I think if he had done so she could have fought off the winner.”

Full Velocity, winner of the Listed Kwazulu-Natal Stakes and Grade 3 Poinsettia Stakes and who also runs in Hollywood Syndicate colours, might also line up.

He said, “She might still be a little shy in the merit ratings (108). She has improved from her first feature to her second and there is no reason for that trajectory to be capped.”

Her 3,25 length loss to Big Burn when receiving 7.5kg gives her a hard task on paper but Tarry pointed out the combination of the blinkers and being fresh that day had not helped her cause. She had previously got within a neck of Big Burn on worse terms than that.

Tarry believes Nebraas represents good value in the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

He said, “If they go slow and he takes it up I would like to be on him because he is going to stay on.”

He also thinks Flying Carpet represents good value. He was the unlucky horse in the Grade 1 TAB Premier’s Champions Challenge and will be able to turn it on at Hollywoodbets Greyville if they go a good pace.

Tarry is going to find a warm up race for Flying Carpet that won’t effect his current perfect July rating of 116.

Zillzaal is still in the July mix and Tarry said it had been a mistake to not go forward on him in the Champions Challenge considering the horse who was second in the running, clear of the rest, ended up being the winner.

Marigold Hotel runs in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 and a July call will likely be made on her after that race.

Shango ran a better race last time and will defend his crown on July day in the Grade 3 Campanajo 2200.

Tarry was not disappointed with Litigation in the Grade 2 WSB 1900, but rather with the way the race panned out because he believed had he been up there he could have gone close. He will now be rested until next season.

Tarry believed Sweet Pepper’s run on Tuesday was going to bring her on for the Allan Robertson so winning it must have been a bonus.

He also believes impressive second time out winner Thunderstruck will be competitive in the Grade 1 Gold Medallion.

Picture: Rain In Holland, the Wilgerbosdift Triple Tiara Heroine (Candiese Lenferna).