Randjesfontein-based trainer Sean Tarry on Sunday day joined a unique band in the world of horseracing by notching up his 2,000th winner.

The moment came as the sun set over Turffontein racecourse in race nine, the second last race of the day, with Flash Burn, Tarry’s last runner of the evening.

Ridden by champion jockey Lyle Hewitson, the three-year-old colt took the 1600m Maiden Plate by leading virtually all the way.

Tarry (50) has risen rapidly to the top of the ranks of South African trainers in recent years.

To date, he has saddled 50 Grade 1 winners including the winners of the unofficial ‘Big Three’, the Vodacom Durban July (twice), J&B Met and Summer Cup.

Alastor was his first really big race winner when winning the Met under Garth Puller in 2005. His two July winners, Pomodoro and Heavy Metal came in 2012 and 2013 respectively, Piere Strydom on Pomodoro and S’Manga Khumalo on Heavy Metal both for stalwart owner Chris van Niekerk. Aslan won the Summer Cup in 2009 and the Gold Cup two years later.

Most recently it was his expert handling of twice Horse of the Year, Legal Eagle, who until recently had been unbeaten in 10 starts over 1600m, the gelding’s record including the L’Ormarins Queens Plate and the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes three times each in succession.

Other champions among his 50 Gr1 winners included the two crack sprinting fillies Carry On Alice and National Colour. Sean with the assistance of his very strong team build a horse’s physical condition progressively, never forcing a horse to race before it is ready to ensure that it will do itself justice. “The horse will show you when it is ready,” is his motto.

Tarry savoured the moment of his 2000^th winner, praising his team for their hard work and said he was happy to be joining a select band of about half a dozen trainers who had achieved the feat.

Saturday will be the seventh consecutive time that Kenilworth hosts the Cape Town Prawn Festival and events officer Clinton Theys, who has been working at the course for the past ten years, is aiming for a record crowd.

“The idea is to keep people entertained while they are here and I always believe that their day starts in the parking lot,” he says as he outlines his marketing strategy with all the fervour of kid entering a sweet shop. “Coming in from the Wetton Road side, you walk through the market and, as you do so, you are already getting some sort of vibe of the excitement.”

This is the Barn Market which Theys used to boost the crowds during the Durbanville season and add atmosphere to Guineas day. “You move from there into the eventing area, you purchase your prawns – this year there is also a variety of other sea food, get your kids sorted out in the entertainment area and then you’ve got seating, shading and everything you need plus R70 000 worth of prizes.

“These giveaways are household appliances which seem to be the favourite for draws other than a car. But when you have a car you only have one winner and we are trying to spread the love. At the end of the day all the tickets go back into the drum – just one entry per person – and the winning ticket gets one prize of R20 000 worth of appliances.”

Not a word about the racing you will note. The critics regularly seize on this point and every year the crowd – usually second only to Met day – is tinged by negative comments about the event doing nothing to attract people to racing and little to boost racecourse revenue.

Theys is used to it and he strongly disagrees. “Before the Prawn Festival started there were no people at this meeting. Last year we had over 4 000 through the gates and at any given time there were plus or minus 2 000 of them here. On Saturday, despite the difficult economic times, we are hoping to have between 4 500 and 5 000.

“We particularly want to encourage people who have never been to a racemeeting before. I know admission is free but people add value and atmosphere, and they have a positive effect on turnover.  We are giving them a taste of what racing is all about as well as letting them know that it is open to everybody – not just for the elite as some critics were saying last month – and that it is about celebrating the equine factor which, for me, is the key element. It’s not just the racing, there is something about the horses that attracts you.

“Kids get excited by them and that in turn excites the parents. You will hear a father say ‘My son loves that horse, let’s put ten bucks on it.’ These small bets are racing’s bread and butter. So why charge the people to come in? We want them here, we want to introduce them to horseracing and show them a different world – and that’s what racing is, an entertainment but an entertainment with a difference.”

The Theys enthusiasm is infectious and he is the first to admit it. “I love what I do and I love doing it properly. I know we can’t please all the people all the time but we are going to do our damnedest to give them the experience we want to give them, to let them feel the excitement that racing generates and which will help us to build our industry.”

By Michael Clower

The Vaal Classic tracks stages an eleven race meeting tomorrow and there could be one or two opportunities for punters on an otherwise competitive card.

An MR88 handicap over 1800m is the highest rated race on the card and forms the first leg of the Jackpot. Odd Rob could be the one to side with. This seven-year-old by Mambo In Seattle has always had talent but appeared to have an aversion to being in front so his finishing run had to be timed right. However, lately he has become ultra consistent and has won two of his last three so he has fulfilled his potential late in his career. He proved last time he is effective over this trip, having generally raced over further, and off only a two point higher mark and a fair draw he can fly up to win again. On paper Hakeem should beat him being 1,5kg better off for a mere 0,4 length beating but he is the sort who needs a good draw as he likes to sit handy. If he has some luck from a draw of six out of nine he will be right there. Divine Odyssey has ability and has dropped to a competitive merit rating over what should be an ideal trip. 

In the first leg of the PA Mighty And Magic is coming into his own in the typical style of a son of Twice Over and is a proven stayer so is the one to beat under Hewitson. Village Deep was only just touched off by a fair staying sort in Earth Sky last time and he now has pole position. Highlander can be relied on to be running on and it is tough to ignore the topweight Brand New Cadillac, who is a decent stayer, as well as the improving Festive Linngari. Kurt’s Approval also warrants consideration in his first attempt at a staying trip. 

In the first leg of the Pick 6 over 2000m Spring Poetry was raised four points for her win last time over this trip but has a fair draw and could follow up as she is coming into her own. The ultra consistent Sunshine Silk has to be included. Guns And Roses has always been one with talent so is interesting over this step up in trip being by Trippi, whose progeny have speed but can stay too. Seville Orange is improving and has good form and can be considered despite a tough draw. It is hard to ignore Pilgrim’s Progress who is course and distance suited.

In the sixth race over 1600m Electromagnetic has caught the eye before and is interesting with first time blinkers on, although it is his second run after a layoff. Whosethebossnow was earmarked for big things at one stage and having dropped down to a mere 68 merit rating must come into the equation. Ragoon won well last time and looks to be fulfilling his potential now so must be included.

In the seventh race over 1450m Royal Italian is made the value bet of the day. He should be able to dictate in this small field and he showed last time he can kick well from the front and he is obviously improving too. Polar Ice will be dangerous from a good draw over an ideal trip and those two should be enough for the exotics despite some other fair types being in the race.

The eighth over 1450m is the most competitive race on the card although Isovar does look to have a fine chance from pole position as she steps back to the trip of her maiden win having not been disgraced in stronger assessment plate races over shorter in her last two starts. Florida Quays looks to have ability too and has her third run after a layoff off a reasonable opening mark having won her maiden well last time. However, it is wide open and as many as possible should be included. 

In the ninth race over 1200m Soul Of Whit has a tough draw but ran well in a strong assessment plate over this trip last time and being by Ideal World will be improving all the time. Generous Notion has a shout too from a good draw if she bounces back from a disappointing run last time. Written was raised only two points for her good last win over this trip and has a plum draw again under Hewitson. Ancient Spirit has good form over this trip and is well drawn. Parental Control can also be considered from a good draw.

The best bet comes in race ten over 1000m. Blonde Vision looks to have plenty of speed so should enjoy the step down in trip and she can outclass them off an 84 merit rating. By David Thiselton

By David Thiselton

Piet Steyn issued a heartfelt plea for more support for small trainers after Waiting For Rain registered his seventh success in the Interbet Handicap at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Steyn said: “In a year or two’s time we are going to end up with only four or five trainers in Cape Town, and racing can’t survive on that. They have got to start to support the smaller trainers. I know you can’t tell people where to put their horses but come and look at Milnerton and see how many empty stables there are.

“It’s a disaster and it comes from agents, breeders and the whole clique. It doesn’t matter how good you are – if you are not in that flow you can forget about it.”

Steyn wasn’t just speaking for himself: “I am no sponger. I put my money where my mouth is and I go quarter and half shares in many of my horses.” There are several Cape Town trainers far closer to the breadline than he is but sadly there is nothing new about this. Training racehorses is a financially perilous business unless you have the working capital to carry debts and a continual flow of winners to attract new patrons.

Owning horses is expensive and owners want to be with the fashionable trainers, those who are frequently on TV and whose names are constantly in the papers and websites. Maybe the most knowledgeable will seek out the lesser-known trainers with the good strike rates while others may feel that the small man gives them better value for money but for the most part it’s winners that attract.

Nobody knows this better than Joey Ramsden who has been battling through his own mid-life crisis ever since the Steinhoff saga emptied his yard 14 months ago. Even with salesmanship – from partner Steph as well as himself – his number of two-year-olds (19) is barely half what it used to be yet Minnesota Dream became his second juvenile winner of the campaign from just four runners when overcoming a disastrously slow start. Four races later the Khumalo magic enabled him to follow up with Apollo Ace in the 1 000m handicap.

It would be a big help to punters if the racecard noted horses that are running for the first time since being gelded. Apollo Ace was just such a horse and so was Swift Surprise in the previous race with Richard Fourie saying: “Gelding has done the trick. There was a lot of horse there and he will go on improving.”

First time blinkers are easier to spot and they worked the oracle for John Mitchell’s Crusade’s Promise in the Tabonline Maiden, with M.J. Byleveld getting up close home on the Vaughan Marshall-trained 12-1 shot.

But even being fashionable is no guarantee of success and Dean Kannemeyer, with three Durban July winners in demand for most of his near 19-year training career, had the sort of afternoon he would prefer to forget.

He ran three and, while nothing much was expected from Greek Sword, the other two started favourite. Salt was pipped on the post by a cunning Fayd’Herbe ride on the Glen Kotzen-trained Inertia, and Do Or Dare – backed from 13-2 to 22-10 for the two-year-old race – never got out of last place.

“He was very difficult to get the saddle on, he was rearing up in the pens and then he got left,” said Kannemeyer who intends speaking to Mike Rattray about gelding the horse. Seemingly he has plenty of ability so keep an eye out for his post-operation run.

By Michael Clower

Head Honcho, who ran the race of his life to take third in the Sun Met, heads for KZN and the Vodacom Durban July in a week’s time.

Andre Nel said: “He went to the farm in George in the week after the Met and he leaves there for Durban on either the 25^th or 26^th.  I calculate that he has improved some 40lb as a five-year-old – and this year I will be prepping him to run in the July rather than to qualify him for it and that will be a lot easier.”

Head Honcho was raised eight points to a new merit rating of 122 for his Met performance and is an 18-1 chance in World Sports Betting’s recently-issued pre-nomination prices. Entries for the great race do not normally close until April.

Met winner Rainbow Bridge is 5-1 favourite with Buffalo Bill Cody on 13-2 and last year’s winner Do It Again on 15-2. Other leading prices are 17-2 Hawwaam, 11-1 Doublemint, 18-1 Soqrat, 20-1 Cascapedia.

Undercover Agent, fourth in the Met, is a 25-1 chance but punters should hold fire because at the moment the race is not on his agenda. “He will go Drill Hall, Rising Sun Gold Challenge and Champions Cup,” said Brett Crawford on Saturday.

By Michael Clower