National Champion Trainer Sean Tarry clinched a double in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas on Saturday when Heaps Of Fun crossed the line first under a top class ride by S’Manga Khumalo. The yard won the race last year with Siren’s Call, who subsequently went within a stride of landing the Triple Tiara.

Tarry is not certain Heaps Of Fun, a Summerhill-bred filly from the first crop of Visionaire, will go the 2450m Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks trip.

However, he believed she would be looking for the 1800m of the Gr 1 Wilgersbodrift SA Fillies Classic.

Heaps Of Fun dictated at a slow pace on Saturday under a perfectly judged ride and was able to stave off Negroamaro throughout the length of the straight to win by 0,9 lengths.

Owner Nchakha Moloi was away in Australia and was overjoyed to be awoken by a phonecall from Tarry. Tarry was introduced to Moloi by Summerhill’s Mick Goss. Moloi’s first horse in the yard was a share in a Summerhill-owned and bred horse. Since then he has added to his interest and Tarry praised him in the winner’s enclosure as an understanding owner. Moloi reaped the rewards on Saturday and is unlikely to miss out on the Classic next month, which is the second step towards the Triple Tiara.

Tarry will still have a big runner in the SA Oaks regardless, because Witchcraft has “always been our Oaks horse.” This Kahal filly is also bred by Summerhill and won a MR 74 Handicap for fillies and mares on Saturday by an emphatic 2,6 lengths under Khumalo.

Tarry said yesterday (Sunday) Heaps Of Fun’s 4,25 length second place finish in the Gr 3 Fillies Mile on SANSUI Summer Cup day had given him hope, because she still had “strengthening” to do.

Her comeback run on January 16 over 1160m in the Listed Swallow Stakes, where she finished a head second, had then “excited” him.

The only “surprise” of her career to date was next up and this was caused by how badly she ran, finishing 7,9 lengths back in the Three Troikas Stakes over 1450m, beaten 7,7 lengths by Negroamaro.

However, there were genuine excuse because she had been widely drawn, she had got her tongue over the bit and was later scoped and found to “have mucous”.

Tarry hoped ahead of Saturday her increased strength could take her two or three lengths closer to Negroamaro, as long as it excluded the factors which had blighted her Three Troikas run.

In the pre-race discussion he had asked Khumalo to “commit” from his good draw of six and added, “Don’t panic if you find yourself in front. If she pricks her ears around the turn she’s a big runner.” The plan worked to perfection.

• Racegoer’s Brendan Pather was probably the only pundit on the ball for Saturday’s Gauteng Fillies Guineas and tipped Heaps Of Fun, who landed odds of 20/1, in the Mercury and Cape Times.

By David Thiselton