Legal Eagle remains 4-1 favourite to go one better than his second of the last two years in the Sun Met celebrated with G.H. Mumm at Kenilworth on Saturday but three-time champion trainer Sean Tarry has been more concerned with getting the gelding’s preparation exactly right.

He was initially concerned that the dual Horse of the Year might have had an unduly hard race when winning the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate after having to pull out all the stops to collar Captain America.

“As hard a race as he seemed to have from us watching it, we never saw any indication of that from when he pulled up and there were no telltale signs. He was very fresh – indeed he was full of himself – and he also ate very well afterwards so we have basically handled him as we would normally.”

Tarry has no worries about No 15 draw, particularly with Anton Marcus in the irons and commented: “A good jockey and a good horse – they will find their way.”

All the publicity surrounding Legal Eagle is in marked contrast to his first Met runner, Alastor in 2005. Tarry talked about the build-up to that race in the July 2008 edition of now-defunct South African Bloodstock News magazine.

“Garth Puller, who rode Alastor, helped me with most of the work and I was excited because the horse was going really well,” Tarry related. “A few days before the race I walked into Tattersalls to see what my chances were. When I found out he was a 50-1 shot I was devastated. I suddenly thought that maybe I was missing something. Either that or it was too big a jump in class.”

Tarry, who was at one time a bookie’s clerk, had recovered his composure and his self-belief by the time it came to the sweepstake cocktail party. He bid for his runner and got him for R2,500. He collected 40 times that sum, not quite as good as the odds offered by the bookmakers, but a handsome bonus to add to his percentage and all the kudos that went with it.

Current betting: 4-1 Legal Eagle; 5-1 Marinaresco; 15-2 Oh Susanna, Last Winter; 9-1 Copper Force, Cascapedia, African Night Sky; 14-1 Gold Standard; 16-1 and upwards others.

By Michael Clower

Jaden’s mother Nicola wrote an emotional message on Instagram this morning, saying: “It is with very mixed emotions that I write this post today. Just four days short of his 16th birthday today our son embarks on the pathway towards his chosen career.

“Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think that we would be leaving him in another country, but his ambition and love for the sport was unwavering. Many have questioned our decision and our reasons are many, but with Australia not having an Academy and Jeff a firm believer that the concept that the SAJA adopts, offers an apprentice a world class Jockey grounding in a disciplined, protected environment , we were led to the very hard decision that Jaden would spend a year abroad so he could continue to school while getting the opportunity to ride every day.

“Live, embrace and grow my boy – but please…. always remember that you are NOT Jeffrey Lloyd you are Jaden and as a mother I hope that not only you but everyone else too, never compares you or feels the need to make comparisons.

“A few weeks ago Dad was having a disappointing day at the races and he came out and won the last race – you turned to me and said “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish” – remember your own words always my boy.

“Dad took eight months to ride his first winner and has gone on to be so successful – just remember no matter what anyone ever says, as long as you always do your best and work hard we will be exceptionally proud of you no matter what – stay safe, we will miss you so much, especially when you just appear from nowhere and give us a “Jaden cuddle”. Don’t let anything change that beautiful heart – love you Jay Jay!”

– Turf Talk

It’s about 28%. People often asked themselves how much Markus Jooste’s buying power boosted prices at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale and last weekend’s Convention Centre auction – the first without him – provided the answer with the average plummeting 27.8% and the aggregate by 28.2%.

Jooste also owned a quarter of the company and almost half the sale’s biggest vendor. He may have fallen from grace as heavily – and almost as painfully – as a skydiver with a faulty parachute but his absence has hit the breeding industry hard.

In a business that – uniquely – has two and a half years between covering and recovering, losses take a long time to work their way through.  Thankfully those reports of the Hong Jockey Club switching some of its purchasing from Australia to South Africa have proved correct.

Hopefully it will succeed with its publicly-stated aspiration to find an acceptable solution to the quarantine restrictions. That would be the silver lining that this country’s breeders now need more than ever.

By Michael Clower

The Vaughan Marshall-trained Tap O’ Noth will attempt to become the first horse since Capetown Noir five years ago to do the Grade 1 Cape Guineas and Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby double and his class should pull him through, although he will have his work cut out fending off Eyes Wide Open.

Tap O’ Noth (Liesl King)

The rangy Tap O’ Noth hung in the straight in the Guineas and a number of horses closed on him in the final stages. However, a closer look at the race suggests he was idling in front and still had a bit in the tank. On pedigree he has a chance of staying the trip, for although he is by the sprint-miler Captain Al he is a half-brother to the Grade 3-winner over 2500m, Strathdon. The latter is admittedly by the stamina influence Silvano, but Captain Al has produced a Met winner before in Hill Fifty Four and Captain America was a Cape Derby runner up and twice third in the Met. Furthermore, Tap O’ Noth now has a plum draw of three. His jockey MJ Byleveld has developed into a top class big race rider over the last couple of seasons and has won the last two renewals of the Cape Guineas.

Eyes Wide Open, is a classy looking sort who won the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m as a two-year-old. He proved his class last time when winning the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m. He was carrying only 52kg off a merit rating of 99, but the handicapper was impressed and raised him to 108, a four point higher mark than Tap O’ Noth. He will be improving all the time being by Dynasty and should have come on from that last run. He now has a good draw of five over a trip he should relish and Richard Fourie takes over from Anthony Andrews.

Silver Coin is an interesting runner. He is the most expensive yearling in SA history at R6 million and will be looking for this trip being by Silvano out of a Fort Wood mare who is a half-sister to Smart Banker, who won the Grade 1 Champions Challenge and the Grade 1 Horse Chestnut Stakes twice. In his first run as a gelding last time, Silver Coin caught the eye with his rangy action and is good turn of foot to win easily. He was only running off a 74 merit rating but he looks to have plenty more to come and could surprise.

White River took a bump in the early stages of the Cape Guineas but that didn’t stop him running on strongly for second. He will relish the step up in trip considering his running style and pedigree. He is by Trippi out of a Giant’s Causeway mare, who has some good middle distance sorts in her family.

Like A Panther has always had Derby horse written all over him, although perhaps more for the traditional Derby distance of a mile-and-a-half. He would also likely be at his best at an out-and-out galloping track like Turffontein. However, he finished well in the Guineas for third and will relish the step up in trip. He does have a tricky draw of eleven but seems to be a relaxed type who should settle wherever he is.

Silver Coin (Wayne Marks)

Do It Again is held in high regard and is crying out for this trip being by Twice Over out of a Casey Tibbs mare who won the Grade 3 Winter Derby over 2400m. He can improve on his Cape Guineas effort in which he stayed on at one pace.

Pack Leader came from last in the Cape Guineas for fifth and could repeat the feat here. He should relish the step up in trip being by Philanthropist and a half-brother to Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 winner In The Fast Lane.

The filly Fresnaye finished strongly in the Paddock Stakes for a fine third to the top class Oh Susanna and she has won over this course and distance before. Piere Strydom stays aboard, albeit from a tough draw of 12, and she could gain her third successive Grade 1 place.

Spring Man is unexposed and on the up. He held off the fair older horse Mister Colin over this course and distance in a handicap first time out the maidens. However, he was running off only a 78 merit rating and has a wide draw. Stable jockey Corne Orffer has chosen to ride White River.

Another dark horse could be Visigoth as this big colt by Visionaire is a long-striding galloping sort who is crying out for a step up in trip. The furthest he has been is the 1800m of the Politician Stakes and he was not disgraced in fifth place. The blinkers are now off.

Steel Rose was ahead of Visigoth in the Politician after plugging on gamely for third, but he now has a tough draw as opposed to pole position that day.

The Sun Also Rises also has to be considered despite his wide draw as he finished second in the Politician Stakes, ahead of Steel Rose and Visigoth, but Strydom has stayed aboard Fresnaye.

Opera Royal Is a rangy sort who stayed on for fourth in the Politician Stakes and he should enjoy the step up in trip, so also has a place chance.

What A Joker ran on for a place over 1600m last time off a 74 merit rating so will need a lot of improvement.

Kimberley Star is merit rated 94 based on his two-year-old Port Elizabeth form. He has never run beyond 1400m but is by Ideal World out of a Strike Smartly full-sister to the Grade 2-winner over 2000m Prestic, so he should relish this trip. However, he doesn’t look to have had an ideal preparation having had only one run since a four month layoff and gelding.

By David Thiselton

Sean Tarry declares himself “very hopeful” of making it third time lucky with Legal Eagle in Saturday’s Sun Met now that the dual runner-up does not have to shoulder a 2kg penalty.

The three-time champion trainer has been carefully monitoring Legal Eagle to see exactly how much the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate took out of him so that he can judge what work to give the horse in the interim.

Tarry said: “We were mindful of the fact that he may have had a hard race but there were no telltale signs to confirm this afterwards. He was very fresh  – indeed full of himself- and he also ate well. So we have basically handled him as we would normally.”

Tarry, who won the 2005 Met with 50-1 shot Alastor – his first runner in the great race, is untroubled by Legal Eagle’s 15 draw not least because he has the priceless advantage of Anton Marcus in the irons. “A good jockey and a good horse – they will find their way,” he said.

He has also been concentrating on getting the slow-starting Trip To Heaven smartly into his stride. This is to ensure that there will be no repeat of the gelding’s performance in last year’s Betting World Cape Championship when he gave away eight lengths at the break but flew home so fast that he was only beaten a neck by stable companion Carry On Alice.

Tarry explained: “Basically it has been just different schooling in the pens and repeatedly putting him through them.”

It seemed to work in the Diadem but is there any risk that altering his accustomed method will take the horse out of his comfort zone and affect his performance?

“Yes, there is and that’s possible,” Tarry admits. “Indeed I felt that he might have been a little too handy in the Diadem. He certainly didn’t kick as he normally does. But it’s a matter of getting the right balance.”

By Michael Clower