In the big one, the Grade 1 WSB Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m, he has the favourite Rain In Holland as well as Nebraas and Litigation.

He said, “It is interesting Rain In Holland ran really well in the Met and they dropped her to 114. I then questioned whom she beat in the Colorado King Stakes and they used Nebraas as the line horse, despite him being deemed not good enough over 2000m, and raised her to 120, the highest mark of her career. So the handicapper is confident she is back to her best and hopefully she is. The yielding going might have helped last time, but she has in fact been well beaten twice in soft going. Her form in the winter going leading into the Durban season as a two-year-old was good, so she is effective whatever the ground. The lead fell into her lap last time. She won’t be looking for the lead this time and can come from off them.”

 

Rain In Holland, who has a nice draw of six, was ridden by S’Manga Khumalo in the Colorado King Stakes and Richard Fourie was aboard the more fancied Nebraas. Fourie is now aboard Rain In Holland and will be out to win a second Grade 1 on her, while Khumalo rides the Joe Soma-trained Red Saxon.

 

Nebraas will be ridden by Piere Strydom from draw two. 

 

Tarry said, “He is a model of consistency and is in a good space and has a good draw. Piere has got a good tune out of him in the past and I expect him to run well.”

 

Tarry has a fine chance with Bless My Stars in the Grade 2 WSB Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2000m. He mentioned her fine win in the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic and that she beat a top filly in Feather Boa in that race. She then finished a staying on 5,75 length fourth in the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks and he is not sure whether she was too far back or did not quite see it out. He reminded of his good record in the Gerald Rosenberg with fillies who had come out of the SA Fillies Classic and the Oaks. Two examples are Rain In Holland and Return Flight, both of whom won the SA Fillies Classic, the Oaks and the Gerald Rosenberg in successive races. He said Bless My Stars had had a good preparation and felt Gilded Butterfly and Terra Time were the dangers before concluding, “On best form she has to have a very good chance.” 

 

In the Grade 2 WSB SA Nursery over 1160m he runs the unbeaten Gimmethegreenlight colt Lucky Lad with Richard Fourie up and said, “He just seems to get the job done and doesn’t do more than he needs too. His work has been good and he never gets phased or fussed. This will be a nice test for him, because he is up against some impressive winners. Amber Rock’s connections have elected to go against the colts and there must be some merit in that and although we are better off at the weights with her now (after narrowly beating her last time) I have healthy respect for her.”

 

In the Grade 2 SA Fillies Nursery he runs Mrs Geriatrix from draw 3 with Fourie up and American Graffiti from draw 7 with Khumalo up. 

 

They are both unbeaten in two starts and Tarry said, “I am obviously very happy with how they won but elected to give both a little break because I hope to compete with both of them in KZN. I am happy with both of them, although this is stronger than they have met before. American Graffiti beat the boys last time but on the same day Mrs Geriatrix ran a quicker time. However, Mrs G now has a low draw of 3 whereas American Graffiti has a better draw of seven. Richard Fourie is sticking with Mrs G and had she not got draw 3 I might have preferred her.”

 

In the Grade 2 Camelia Stakes Tarry runs Full Velocity and Sweet Pepper and said, “Full Velocity has come right at the right time, I am pretty pleased with her. She needed her last two starts and is well weighted. She does have draw two but it is not a massive field. Sweet Pepper needed her last run and has come on since then. There have been no bright starts coming out of her two-year-old Grade 1 win, so she did get too high a rating but has come down now. She has an each-way chance.”