Picture: Bless My Stars is one of only five Gr 1 winners in the WSB Met (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Sean Tarry had a devastating second half of the season in 2022/2023 and only just failed to catch Justin Snaith in the trainers national championship.
His yard is building momentum as this season’s halfway mark approaches and he has a fair hand on WSB Met day.
His WSB Met contender Bless My Stars has been doing well at Randjesfontein.
The Gimmethegreenlight filly’s connections will be on tenterhooks as she, as well as Proceed, Winter Greeting and Storm Brasco, will be able to travel on the 23rd as long as there is no AHS case within a 30km radius of Randjesfontein between now and that date.
Bless My Stars has run third in Durban’s biggest race and third in Johannesburg’s biggest race and is now third favourite for Cape Town’s biggest race, the WSB Met.
However, both the Hollywoodbets Durban July and Betway Summer Cup are handicaps of sorts and the Met is a weight for age race.
She has a tough task with See It Again on the July form.
She was beaten 3,50 lengths by him and is now 2kg worse off.
However, she comes out well clear of all the other July runners who are taking part in the Met.
She beat Pacaya by six lengths in the July, despite being 3,5kg worse off than weight for age with him in that race, and she will now face him on weight for age terms.
She beat Rascallion by five lengths in the July and will now effectively be only 1kg worse off.
She beat Without Question by nearly eight lengths and will face him on the same terms.
Bless My Stars jumps from draw five and Richard Fourie rides.
Fourie also rides Equus Horse Of The Year Princess Calla from draw five in the Gr 1 City Of Cape Town Majorca Stakes over 1600m.
Tarry felt she went too soon in the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes, where she was nabbed on the line by Beach Bomb, whom she reopposes here.
Tarry said Princess Calla had been doing well.
The star Flower Alley mare is sure to be right there.
Tarry’s Rafeef sprinter Thunderstruck is in fine form and he said about his Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship chances, “He’s doing well. Obviously Isivunguvungu is the clear favourite but we will give him something to think about.”
Thunderstruck beat Isivunguvungu by 0,40 lengths over the course and distance last time out, but the latter was making his seasonal reappearance and would have come on from the run.
Proceed runs in the Listed WSB Summer Juvenile Stakes and Tarry said about this promising Gimmethegreenlight colt, “He was a bit disappointing on Tuesday, but he got his tongue over the bit and will need a tongue tie.”
He finished third in that 1000m race on Tuesdaay, but the winner and runner up, Pistol Pete and Ready Set Fire, look decent.
Tarry said about Gold Rush runner Tail Of The Comet, “He’s been a little bit disappointing in his last two starts, but being beaten five lengths in the Guineas, it’s not like it’s a shocker.”
Tarry is not concerned about the mile trip for the Gimmethegreenlight colt and said he would be at his best if settling and coming from off them. He did not relax well from draw eight last time and Fourie ended up taking him to the front. Hopefully he will be able to settle him and find cover this time.
Tarry was pleased with Pathfork gelding Storm Brasco’s run on Tuesday over 1600m at the Vaal Classic track where he produced a flying finish and failed by a shorthead to catch the still unbeaten and promising Taegan’s Champ. He finished ahead of the useful Guy Gibson, although he did receive 3kg from both horses. He is a dark horse in the Gold Rush, although he has to jump from draw 16 out of 16.
Tarry’s What A Winter filly Winter Greeting has been disappointing in her last two starts over 1400m and 1600m respectively, but she won well over 1200m before that and reverts to that trip in the Listed Olympic Duel Stakes.
Tarry is bullish about Nebraas in the Gr 3 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers over 2800m, in which he finished a half-a-length runner up last year.
“His prep has been perfect in Cape Town, he’s a big runner”, he said.
