Sean Tarry is now a twice South African Champion trainer and smashed several records last season. His earnings of R27,999,563 beat his own record of R25,924,950 established the previous season. His 209 winners bettered Justin Snaith’s record of 198.

One hallmark many true champions possess is the natural inclination to not dwell upon success. Golf is littered with players who were never quite the same after winning a major. They were perhaps unable to take success in their stride.

Tarry does not fit into this category. Jockey legend Bartie Leisher observed Tarry already looking ahead and planning for the future during the Vodacom Dutban July 2013 post race celebrations in Greyville’s Box 2F. He said, “That’s why he will be the champion trainer.” His predictions did not take long to come true.

Tarry is a team man and one of the most important members is his older brother Mark, who has become one of the most successful buyers in the industry due to his immense knowledge of pedigrees coupled with sheer hard work.

Lyndon Barends & Sean Tarry (GC Photos)

Mark’s reply to a question put by the Sporting Post a few years ago would be inspirational to newcomers to pedigree study. He said, “The most important thing to realize is that any pedigree is made up of individuals, good and bad. It is necessary to understand these individuals, to be able to recognize the desired characteristics in their descendants. Affinities are consistent and often the same elements appear again and again in the best progeny of a particular stallion, and are consistently absent in many of the mediocre progeny of the same stallion. A good mating will succeed consistently, but at varying levels. The power in the pedigree must be consolidated and not diluted. Champions tend to have more symmetry in pedigrees than ordinary horses. It is, however, not necessary to see this in the first five generations. Planning a mating is like a game of Sudoku, you need to get all the lines to win the game.”

He said later in the same interview, “Sean has a very good eye for a horse and will generally only buy a horse that I am adamant about if he likes it physically.”

The success of the pair’s sales strategies were illustrated last season. Six of Tarry’s two-year-old fillies won on debut and together they had an unbeaten streak of seven races. This could well be a South African record. In all 16 individual Tarry-trained two-year-olds won 21 races between them and this could also be a record. The bet of them was likely the Captain Al filly Cloth Of Cloud, who was unbeaten in three races, culminating in victory against the boys in the Gr 1 SA Nursery. She is not the easiest customer, which is a further tribute to the work the yard put in. She was named Equus Champion Two-year-old filly and will likely be a big player in this season’s classics.

However, the star of the Tarry stable was undoubtedly Legal Eagle, who won three Gr 1s including two prestigious weight for age miles. He was duly named Equus Horse Of The Year. He is merit rated 120 and Tarry said during the season, “National Colour and Mythical Flight were freaks, but Legal Eagle is probably the best classic horse I have ever trained.”

Tarry won five Gr1s during the year, the other one being the Computaform Sprint, which was won in scintillating fashion by his Captain Al filly Carry On Alice. Unfortunately, nothing went right for her in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint and for the third year running she was unlucky to be empty-handed at the Equus Awards.

Tarry also won four Gr 2s, nine Gr 3s, five Listed races and six non-Black Type features.

National Champion jockey S’Manga Khumalo rode 18 of these 30 features race winners. Khumalo’s approach during the season was highly professional (with the exception of one infamous ride) and included mentoring from legendary jockey Felix Coetzee. This professionalism saw his partnership with Tarry being cemented.

Tarry’s best finish in one of the lucrative R1 million-and-more Sales Races was a third place finish with Malak Al Moolook in the KZN Breeders Million Mile. This is possibly the most amazing statistic of his season as it means his record earnings were in no way inflated. It also means his earnings potential for the current season are frightening, considering how strong his two-year-old string is.

Mark Tarry has also become passionate racehorse breeder and was instrumental in the planning of the mating which produced Sean’s first July winner Pomodoro, owned and bred by the yard’s loyal client Chris van Niekerk.

Van Niekerk is undoubtedly the proverbial “best horse in the yard”. His blue and red colours go hand in hand with Tarry’s operation and his years of loyalty since the famous fateful phonecall he made way back in 1998 has reaped dividends. However, as a high profile businessman, he would not still be with the yard if there was not mutual trust or if the results were not forthcoming.

David Thiselton

The record-breaking Horizon makes his long-awaited debut in the Racing Association Maiden Plate at Kenilworth today and the bookmakers are taking no chances.

This colt smashed the South African auction record when knocked down to Mike Bass and top game breeder Piet du Toit for R5.2 million at the Convention Centre in January last year. He opened 4-1 second favourite with World Sports Betting on Monday and he was still that price yesterday.

Not that many horses in South Africa win first time and Candice Bass-Robinson says: “The trip will be a bit short for him [he is by Dynasty out of a full sister to Silvano] and he will be a bit green but he could surprise.”

Favourite, and shortening from 33-10 to 28-10, is the Justin Snaith-trained Captain Marmalade who has experience and form on his side. He gets the vote although it will be fascinating to see how Grant van Niekerk’s mount performs.

You could say that 6-1 chance Icon King has the best form of all but he has been off since running so well over 200m further on debut. “He was coughing after his first run and I decided against running him again last season – if he had won in July he would have got a rating of 88,” reasons Mike Stewart. “He might just need this but he is a really nice horse.”

Justin Snaith

Snaith, keen to ditch the word former from his champion trainer tag, goes into battle today holding many of the aces and he could well have a field day. Certainly the money has been talking with Dawn Rising in the first. The Trippi newcomer has been backed from 4-1 to 28-10 and that is significant.

The Bass-Robinson stable also introduces two well bred newcomers and R275 000 purchase War Of Roses has also been backed – from 8-1 to 6-1. “I think the Trippi filly (Magic Trick) will need it but the Var (War Of Roses) could possibly be in the money,” says their trainer.

The vote goes to Dawn Rising but Secretariat’s Girl is the one with the form in the book and she looks each way value at 11-2. An outsider to bear in mind at 14-1 is Helen’s Bay even though she is six years old and still a maiden after 14 attempts. She steps up to 1 200m after five consecutive runs over 1 000m. “She doesn’t have the early speed she used to now that she is older but she is very well,” reports Mike Robinson’s wife Louella.

Cock-A-Hoop, backed from 4-1 to 28-10 yesterday, finished with only one behind him in the Langerman and on his previous start he was beaten at 1-3 but he has form smart enough to suggest he can account for Geoff Woodruff’s 7-2 shot New Caledonia in race two.

Punters nervous about getting their fingers burnt yet again by Glorious Goodwood can breathe easy. The three-year-old has been gelded and so misses race four but without his wedding tackle he could be a good thing next time. This time the Andrew Fortune-partnered Imperial Dancer makes most appeal ahead of Gold Standard, Come On Sonny and the first-time blinkered Hernando’s Promise.

Jingle Belle, disappointing over 2 400m last time, could be worth another chance over the mile of the Quinte Plus Maiden. “Possibly she didn’t stay but she suffered a lot of interference that day,” says Andre Nel. “Her game is probably 1 800- 2000m but there isn’t a race for the next month and she is doing well enough to be competitive.”

Prince Of Wales (race six) looks another for Snaith and 35 minutes later 33-10 stable companion Azarenka has Nel’s 19-10 favourite Leisure Trip to beat.

Michael Clower

Margot Steyn, daughter of Cape Town trainer Piet Steyn and niece of Andries, has her first runners at Kenilworth tomorrow. She is the third generation of her family to train.

Ms Steyn, 28, was previously assistant to her father and then Yogas Govender and Michael Miller. She has a string of 13 at her yard in the old barns at Milnerton and her main patrons are Spencer Cook and Tutti Hansen.

She said yesterday: “Little Star will run a good race if she reproduces what she does at home while Heartburn (also race one) is more of a staying type. Madiba Shuffle (race four) looks as if he might enjoy the ground.”

Michael Clower

Devin Habib, ruled out of racing for five years, is now flying from Johannesburg every week in a bid to establish himself with Cape Town’s trainers and resurrect his career.

Devin Habib

Habib,28, nephew of former top jock Donovan Habib, was flying high winning races like the Golden Slipper and the Emerald Cup when he was nearly killed in a car crash near Oliver Tambo airport in July 2010.

“I suffered severe head injuries and I was in hospital for a month while they released the pressure on my brain,” he recalls. “When I recovered I started a small tyre business because I didn’t think I would be able to return to racing. I still have the business and it helps me financially but now my main aim is racing once more.”

He returned ten months ago after getting his weight down from 70kg to 55kg – “it meant healthy eating and a whole new lifestyle” – but, although he managed  231 rides by the end of last season, he found winners hard to come by and he partnered just five. It was a far cry from the heady days of 2008/09 when he was in such demand that he had 770 rides and 57 winners.

At the beginning of last month he began commuting to Cape Town. “I had never ridden there before but I decided to look for a job , or at least a chance to ride there.”

“If I do get a job I will move down but it’s tougher coming back this time because I’m not getting the chances. I’ve had seconds and thirds at Kenilworth and Durbanville but I need a winner or two to get going – and I am going to persevere until I get there.”

Michael Clower

The Vaal eight race meeting on Tuesday is on the Outside track where high draws tend to be favourable and there could possibly be two bankers for the Pick 6 and other exotics.

Gavin Lerena (Nkosi Hlophe)

In race five, a MR 67 Handicap over 1400m, Shine Bright was very slow away last time over this trip but was doing eyecatching work late. She is a strong, long-striding sort who should be improving and is now drawn close to the right side. Gavin Lerena remains aboard. A threat could be posed by Artemisia. She won her maiden well over this trip and was given quite a lenient merit rating of 65. She is now a further two points lower on 63 having raced against the boys first time out the maidens over 1600m before staying on for a well beaten third last time over the too sharp 1160m. Back against her own gender and over her likely best trip she should run well, but she does have a tricky draw.

In the seventh race over 1600m, a MR 78 Handicap, Hidden Agenda is three points up after a resolute win over 1700m last time out, despite being slightly keen early on. He will enjoy the slight step down in trip and has a plum draw of seven in the seven horse field. Furthermore, he faces an uninspiring field, so could carry topweight to victory as he could well be a class above this field. The danger could be Lucky Luciano, who is a lightly raced six-year-old who has shown ability over this trip in the past. He now has his third run after a one year layoff. On the downside this run comes just five days after his last outing, which saw an encouraging effort over this course and distance last Thursday, and he also has a tough low draw.

The rest of the Pick 6 looks difficult. The first leg is a Maiden for three-year-olds over 1200m and the betting and pre-race preliminaries will have to be closely monitored as there is not much form to go on. The two first-timers which make most appeal are Russian Dream and Penultimate, while the one to have run who has shown the most is Fearless Fred. Aristocrat by Var is returning from a rest and gelding and should also be included.

The second leg is an open fillies and mares MR 84 Handicap over 1400m which could be entitled a “boxers vs punchers” contest. The boxers are Allegorical and Movie Award who have been shown to be capable of strong finishes over this course and distance. They are selected for the exacta as they could get a tow from the like of the puncher China Beach. The latter is a big, long-striding sort who does not turn it on quickly and will have to make an attempt to gallop them into the ground, which she could possibly do from a plum draw.

The fourth leg is a MR 100 Handicap over 1600m and the obvious choice is the topweight Pivotal Pursuit, who has class as well as a plum draw. However, he does have to overcome a six point raise from his last handicap win and this won’t be easy considering he is a seven-year-old. Liege makes his reappearance over a strip slightly short of his best and has a tricky draw, but he has class and should be coming into his own being by Dynasty. Much the same can be said about the eyecatching Tiger Ridge gelding Netflix. Halve The Deficit has run well fresh before and can’t be ignored here off an atrractive merit rating with a 4kg claimer up. Dennis The Menace is known for his flying finishes and was able to win in such a manner when stepped up to 1400m recently. If switching off well over this trip he is interesting. National Key has to be considered too because on 1400m form there is not much to separate him and Dennis The Menace.

The last leg of the Pick 6 is a weak maiden for fillies and mares over 1600m and the selection is the one of the leading trio who has the most scope for improvement, namely Light House Lady. The Red List could also improve, but does have a tricky draw and an inexperienced 4kg claimer up. Sammi Moosa, Sweet Chestnut and Bank The Bill also have to be considered.

David Thiselton