National Champion trainer Sean Tarry regarded his well-drawn Dynasty filly Swift Sarah as a “nice outsider” for the CTS Million Dollar at the Investec Day of Dreams meeting on Saturday and he also gives the higher merit rated but wider-drawn Right Approach colt Lunar Approach a shout.

Sean Tarry

Both horses arrived in Cape Town about ten days ago.

He said, “Swift Sarah has good gatespeed and is well drawn. In her only attempt at this 1400m trip she burst through the stalls and raced wide, everything went wrong, but on pedigree she should get the distance. She travelled exceptionally well and her work has been very good.”

Swift Sarah will jump from a plum draw of three with Cape Town-based jockey Grant Behr up.

Lunar Approach has won over 1600m before and was an impressive winner over 1400m at Turffontein last time out. The form of that last outing has been franked too. Tarry reckoned he could rise above his current merit rating of 96 and said, “I wouldn’t say he is a 110, but is close to 100. He has a shout but will need luck from the draw.”

If the four reserves come out, he will jump from draw ten in the 16 horse field and is to be ridden by S’Manga Khumalo.

Khumalo also rides the Tarry-trained Western Winter filly Bichette in the R1 million Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m and the Tarry-trained Dynasty colt Liege in the R1 million Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby over 2000m.

Tarry was still assessing whether Bichette had fully recovered from her 3,75 length eighth in the Gr 2 Sceptre Stakes over 1200m last weekend. If she takes her place, she should stay the trip, having finished a close second to subsequent Paddock Stakes winner Smart Call in the Gr 2 Ipi Tombi Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein. However, she will need luck from a wide draw.

Tarry regards the 2000m Cape Derby trip as perfect for Liege. This scopey colt bounced back to finish third in the Gr 3 Cartier Politician Stakes over 1800m last time out, having had legitimate excuses in his first two Cape Town outings. However, he is another one who has a wide draw to overcome and Tarry admitted he faced a tough field.

By David Thiselton