Denied in the boardroom, Stonehenge lost nothing in defeat when running the race of his life in the Gr2 Colorado King Stakes at Turffontein yesterday. Beneficiary of the objection was last season’s Dingaans winner Unparalleled (9-1) with hot favourite French Navy (6-10) a spent force some way out and a well beaten third ahead of Mac De Lago.

It was a plan that possibly went awry for Sean Tarry as Stonehenge looked set up as pacemaker for French Navy but the Algoa Cup winner responded with a tremendously courageous front-running effort and it was a bit of rough justice to lose the race on an objection.

Sean Tarry (Nkosi Hlophe)

JP van der Merwe wasted no time pressing Stonehenge into the lead setting a solid gallop and opening a gap of three lengths on a chasing Killua Castle who in turn was four ahead of French Navy who was being shadowed by Mac De Lago.

Come the straight most expected Stonehenge to fall away and French Navy to accelerate into the lead. But the incredulity was clear in commentator Alistair Cohen’s voice as Stonehenge kept rolling and French Navy bobbed along one-paced. With all eyes on French Navy, Bernard Fayd’Herbe slipped Unparalleled almost unnoticed up the inside fence reeling in Stonehenge stride for stride. Two jumps from the line an exhausted Stonehenge ducked sharply inwards into Unparalleled, holding on to his lead but doing enough damage to have the result overturned in the boardroom.

Unparalleled was off the track for almost nine months after finishing six lengths back to Wylie Hall in last year’s Premiers Champion Challenge and Johan Janse van Vuuren will be hoping that his charge can emulate Wylie Hall with victory in the Colorado Stakes going on to the Premiers Champion Challenge at the end of next month.

It’s difficult to read anything into French Navy’s run as he was given every chance but just didn’t fire. It was his second below par run in succession but given that runners from the Tarry yard are almost invincible at present, it would be folly to write him off for the Champions Challenge but there are now more questions than answers.

Coennie de Beer, with his one good horse, has not been shy to travel and Talktothestars knows well the inside of a horse float. In his travels to Flamingo Park, Scottsville and Kenilworth he proved himself a hard-knocking handicapper but he reaped a deserved feature race victory when getting the better of a titanic struggle with the smart filly Lazer Star in the Gr 2 Senor Santa Stakes. The final furlong turned into a cavalry charge worthy of the Light Brigade as a dozen runners were in contention but Talktothestars and Lazer Star edged clear of the pack over the final 50m. It was heads up-and-down at the line but the photo showed the 25-1 shot snatching the verdict from the favourite.

This was his eighth win from 21 starts and by far the best son of Overlord.

The Tarry machine may have slipped a cog in the Colorado King but it was back to its smoothly oiled best in the Gr 3 Sycamore Sprint. The race drew a competitive field of fillies but there was nothing competitive in the finish as Tiger’s Touch simply smoked home. S’Manga Khumalo asked for an effort a long way out and the Australian-bred daughter of Where’s That Tiger put the race to bed in a matter of strides with another Aussie-bred, Sensible Lover, stepping out of the pack late but still over three lengths adrift of the winner.

The Tarry machine rolled on in the Oaks Trial with Inaninstant taking full advantage of her 4kg pull in the weights. She led early in the straight and try as she may, stable companion Intergalatic couldn’t make up the leeway as the daughter of Silvano kept finding to win rather comfortably.

The Derby Trial fell the way of the Brian Wiid-trained Bankable Teddy who made short work of some rather modest opposition. The word was out on course that Bankable Teddy was the right one and he duly obliged under Chase Maujean, romping home by over four lengths.

By Andrew Harrison