Rated the 87th best trainer on the TRC Global rankings, champion trainer Sean Tarry can move up a notch or two if Heaps Of Fun can crack the Flamboyant Stakes at Greyville on Sunday. The Grade 3 event is the traditional New Year opener and has attracted a smart field headed by the Gr2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner.
Tarry is in lethal form at present and add Anton Marcus to the mix and you have to add another length or two to the filly’s chances.
Heaps Of Fun (Nkosi Hlophe)
The daughter of Visionaire looks to have had the ideal preparation into this race. Given an extended break after finishing a couple of lengths back to Inara in the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes on July day, she has been given to sprints as a warm-up into this race. She bumped the ultra-promising Green Pepper in her comeback run and showed the benefit of that outing when second to the more than useful Joan Ranger over 1200m at the Vaal.
The mile will be right up her ally and she will have more than just a few supporters.
However, she does face a talented field. Dawn Calling has still only recorded a single win in her 10 starts but has been runner-up in two important features as a juvenile. With that in mind Duncan Howells built her up for a crack at the Gr1 CTS Cape Fillies Guineas last month but she ran into all sorts of trouble as Piere Strydom, battling a slipped saddle aboard Final Judgement, ripped across her bows and denied her any chance she may have had. It was a long and expensive trip spoilt by no luck in running.
Howells won this race two years back with now UK-trained Same Jurisdiction and is confident of her chances. Dawn Calling is in receipt of 5kg from her older rivals and the one gate over the Greyville turf mile is a huge plus.
Vaal-based Paul Peter saddles the consistent Fort Ember who looked a winner before being caught by Patchit Up Baby in a recent conditions race at Turffontein. Behind her that day was the luckless grey Negroamaro. Her recent Highveld form is very consistent but Howells will know what he is up against in Fort Ember as he trained Patchit Up Baby before she was moved to the Highveld.
Olma and Lala finished first and second respectively in this race last year and Frank Robinson is confident that Olma has finally turned the corner after a string of disappointing results.
“I gave her a break after her run in Johannesburg in August, so she needed the run at Scottsville. It was a preparation race for the Flamboyant and the ground was also a bit hard for her,” said Robinson earlier in the week. “She likes a bit of sting out of the ground and Greyville is in good condition at present. We have also worked on her joints since that last race and she has turned the corner. She has been working well and moving very well.”
Robinson went on to add, “If she is herself she will win this race.”
Lala comes into the race off good form, beaten a neck by the in form Little Chapel over the Scottsville mile giving the winner 5kg. Against her is a difficult draw.
By Andrew Harrison
