Many punters looking for a banker in Saturday’s carryover Pick 6 (estimated pool R4million) will reach for trainer Sean Tarry and seriously consider two of his runners at the meeting, Legal Eagle and Heaps Of Fun.

The ruling champion trainer, who is the leading the championship by some way this season, says: “I wouldn’t dissuade anybody from bankering either horse” and is cautiously optimistic about their chances.

Legal Eagle is the top-rated runner still racing in South Africa and will line up in the R1-million HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m. The race is run at weight-for-age and Legal Eagle is at least 1.50 lengths better than any of his rivals in the race.

“He is going for the R4-million President’s Champions Challenge so this is a prep race and while I believe he’s a better horse over 2000m, he did win the Queen’s Plate over 1600m in January. So it would not be foolhardy to judge him a suitable banker. But we’re hopeful rather than confident. If he wins, that’ll be fantastic.”

Tarry will also field Halve The Deficit in the Grade 1 race and believes he must not be left out of Quartets.

“He pulled up with a virus in the SANSUI Summer Cup so we had to give him time. I wasn’t unhappy with his sprint-up, when seventh in an 1100m Pinnacle race. He’ll be thereabouts.”

Heaps Of Fun, who races in the R1-million Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic over 1800m, beat 10 of these rivals when winning the Gauteng Fillies Guineas in February.

She races over 1800m for the first time, but Tarry says: “I think she’s probably looking for the ground and don’t see a problem with the distance.”

He did confirm that he is certainly not going to restrict the filly to front-running tactics again.

“That was our game plan in the Fillies Guineas. She hadn’t been racing from the front before that, but I knew tactically it would work for us because the others wouldn’t worry about us.

“She’s a simple, laid-back and straightforward horse, who came out of the Fillies Guineas nicely. She’ll be competitive, for sure,” he said.

Negroamaro, who started favourite in the Fillies Guineas and finished a 0.90-length second, is the horse he fears most because “there is a lot of talk about how good she is and I’m not sure if there were excuses in that race”.

“Mike de Kock’s coupling, Noor and Persian Rug, have scope for improvement over the distance, but I make the grey filly the horse to beat.”

Tarry’s other runner in the SA Fillies Classic is Witchcraft. She won over 2000m in her last race and “the form has worked out well,” said Tarry. “She’s definitely an Oaks filly and this will be a nice test for her in this kind of company. We’ll see how she handles the jump in class. If she handles it, I wouldn’t expect her to get beaten too far. She’s very well.”

He has four runners in the topliner at the meeting, the R2-million SA Classic, Malak El Moolook, Lunar Approach, Liege – the choice of stable rider S’manga Khumalo – and Samurai Blade.

Tarry believes they all have a bit to do on merit ratings and says: “If I get a piece of the pie I won’t be unhappy.”

He points out there were valid reasons why they can do better this time.

“Malak El Moolook didn’t disgrace himself in finishing third behind Abashiri and Champagne Haze in the Gauteng Guineas and he got his tongue over the bit when well beaten by Liege last time out. We’ll try a tongue tie and see if that helps. But he is suspect over the trip.

“Liege had a problem in the stalls on Guineas Day but won his next race very well. I knew he was capable but the runner-up Count Tassilo was badly out at the weights. He won well enough and couldn’t do more than that.

“Lunar Approach’s saddle slipped in the Gauteng Guineas so you can’t read much into him finishing last.

“The interesting runner is Samurai Blade, who is only having his second run for the yard. I’d planned to run him in the Derby Trial but his prep run – when second in a Pinnacle Plate – was so good, I thought I’d take a chance and see how he goes in this race.”

Are any of them underrated, in his opinion? “Maybe Lunar Approach is lurking under the radar,” he says. “It didn’t work out for him in Cape Town and he only had one run – in the CTS Million. But I don’t think Liege has done much wrong either.

“They’ve all been well prepared and with a clean run, we’ll see where they fit in.”

Another runner he believes can do well is very talented but temperamental Cloth Of Clouds. “She’s interesting because depending on how she does, we’ll decide whether to take on the colts in the SA Nursery at the end of the month or go against the fillies.”

As for his other runners on the day, he says none of them can be summarily discarded. “I’ve got a lot of good horses running and they should be competitive throughout, but it’s hard racing and nothing really stands out.”

– TABnews

Cape Trainer Neil Bruss has brought his promising fillies Flying Ice and Zante back to Summerveld for further tilts at South African Champions Season feature races.

The three-year-old Go Deputy filly Flying Ice won the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m at Greyville last season before finishing a 0,75 length fourth in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m. She was a touch unlucky last time out in first time blinkers when a 1,25 length runner up in the Gr 3 Prix Du Cap over 1400m at Kenilworth.

She had to be continually switched out and only saw daylight 200m out. She then flew home, but it was too late to catch the winner, the decent four-year-old Cuvee Brut. Bruss had been confident of winning the Prix du Cap, despite her 33/1 odds, as she had recovered from the illness which had affected her previous run. Cuvee Brut raced off a 103 merit rating that day and the 98 merit-rated Flying Ice faced her on weight for age terms, so it was a fine performance by the latter considering her bad luck in running. The progeny of Go Deputy show continual improvement with age and she has been doing well since arriving at Summerveld, so is one to follow.

Four-year-old Zante is another filly who should be improving being by the top class sire Ideal World. She ran a 3,25 length fourth to Smart Call in last year’s Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and, of course, that form now looks outstanding. Bruss was forced to race Zante mainly against males in the Cape Summer, as there were no suitable races for her, and she has consequently dropped to an attractive 89 merit rating. Bruss said there would be many opportunities for this staying type during the SA Champions Season and she starts her campaign on Sunday in a 1600m Conditions Plate at Scottsville. She is affective over a mile, despite preferring further.

Bruss has also brought another decent four-year-old staying type in the Go Deputy filly Deputy Ryder. She won three races in KZN last year for the Alyson Wright yard, including the Listed Queen Palm Stakes over 2400m at Greyville. She should love being back at Summerveld and is likely to have as many opportunities as the similar type, Zante. She only found the frame once in four starts during the Cape Summer, but was up against some good types, and the handicapper has consequently only dropped her one point to a 94 merit rating.

By David Thiselton

Summerveld trainer Robbie Hill’s Pathfork colt Red Chesnut Road was the talk of the Scottsville meeting on Sunday after running away with a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m on his debut.

Later there was a good front-running performance from the useful Sean Tarry-trained Serissa to win the Listed Easter Handicap over 1950m under S’Manga Khumalo, while the Louis Goosen-trained Trip Tease showed how classy he is by coming from off the pace to win the innovative Easter Dash over 600m.

Hill, a top jockey for many years who once completed a rare Durban July/Gold Cup double, knows the game well and is not allowing himself to be carried away by Red Chesnut Road’s performance, despite the effortless win by 7,75 lengths under Brandon Lerena.

The Highlands-bred chestnut colt showed fine gatespeed and early speed, allowing him to overcome a high draw, which is usually viewed as unfavourable down the Scottsville straight. He steadily increased his lead under hands and heels.

The only possible downside to the victory was the winning time of the following race, won by the strapping Gavin van Zyl-trained two-year-old Just As Well filly Princess Analia. The latter’s time was just 0,48 seconds slower than Red Chesnut Road’s. This might bring in to question the quality of the field Red Chesnut Road beat. However, the Dennis Drier-trained Western Winter colt Lee’s Star, who was beaten 11,5 lengths into third place, was the subject of a big whisper and started 13/10 favourite, so must show a lot at home. Furthermore, Gavin van Zyl rates Princess Analia a “smart filly” and she certainly gave that impression in Sunday’s race, which followed her debut second on the poly in which she was green. Her big action took her to the front and she held on by 0,75 lengths from the Drier-trained debutant Sail, who is by Philanthropist. The 8/10 Duncan Howells-trained favourite Dawn Calling was beaten 3,5 lengths with the rest beaten ten lengths and more.

Hill liked Red Chesnut Road from the moment he saw him at the KZN Suncoast Yearling Sale and was surprised to pick him up for just R250,000. His pedigree suggests he should get a mile and more. Pathfork by Distorted Humor won a Gr 1 over seven furlongs at the Curragh in Ireland in soft going and the narrow runner up Casamento subsequently won a Gr 2 over a mile by four lengths before winning the Gr 1 Racing Post Trophy over a mile at Doncaster. Red Chesnut Road’s dam Scarlet Sky by Fort Wood won three times from 1200-1600m and his second dam Fading Light won the Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes over 1600m and was third in the SA Oaks.

Hill has had a high regard for Red Chesnut Road from day one, but is wisely not getting ahead of himself. The acid test will obviously be when he faces some of the best from the Highveld and the Cape. Consequently, no Gr 1 targets are being spoken about just yet.

Front-runners appear to be favoured by small fields, as they are able to dictate, and such was the case with Serissa in the Easter Handicap over 1950m. The tough six-year-old gelding by Black Minnaloushe started favourite despite having been given a six point merit rated raise to 95 for an easy win in the Non-Black Type Umthombothi Stakes over 2000m on the poly in his penultimate start. The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Solar Star, who sat second in the running, was chasing throughout the straight but was still 1,5 lengths shy at the line and second favourite No Worries finished third. Serissa is just below the best, so won’t be easy to place during the South African Champions Season. However, he has proven able to stay 2400m and has not been tried over further than that yet, so there are a range of possibilities.

Trip Tease was able to come from about two lengths off the pace under Gunther Wrogemann in the Easter Dash, despite his rivals going all out from gun to tape, and he got up in the shadow of the post to beat outsiders Piano Man and Zinnavar by 0,75 lengths.

By David Thiselton

Horses from visiting stables are rolling in with 117 boxes booked for Summerveld, 38 in Ashburton while Neil Bruss will be stabled off limits near Summerveld with 6 boxes.

The visitors are dominated by Western Cape trainers with Mike Bass, Brett Crawford, and Vaughan Marshall all allocated 20 boxes. Joey Ramsden has been allocated 15 boxes while Justin Snaith will fill 22.

The only Highveld visitor with boxes at Summerveld will be Mike Azzie with 20.

Johan Janse van Vuuren has applied for 20 boxes at Ashburton along with Louis Goosen (10) and Stanley Ferreira (8).

Sean Tarry and Dean Kannemeyer have permanent satellite yards at Summerveld while Weiho Marwing has a satellite yard at Turffontein and is now based in Ashburton.

The majority of Highveld trainers, but most notably Geoff Woodruff and Gary Alexander, will raid.

By Andrew Harrison

Picture: Louis Goosen (Nkosi Hlophe)

Cape Cross, the sire of outstanding performers Golden Horn, Ouija Board and Sea The Stars, has been retired from covering after suffering from fertility problems this season.

The 22-year-old son of Green Desert has been a stalwart of Kildangan Stud, having stood every season at Darley’s stallion base in County Kildare in Ireland since his retirement in 2000.

Cape Cross earned his shot as a stallion by winning the Lockinge Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes and Celebration Mile for Godolphin.

Introduced to breeders at a fee of just Ir£8,000, he demonstrated he was capable of upgrading his mares by supplying a double-digit tally of first-crop two-year-old winners by Royal Ascot of 2003.

By the end of his freshman season he had four stakes winners along with a number of stakes-placed horses – including Ouija Board, who had finished third in the Listed Montrose Stakes.

As Cape Cross entered his sophomore season his fee was doubled to €20,000 from €10,000 and better was to come as Ouija Board established herself as an exceptional talent by winning the Epsom and Curragh Oaks and the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

In 2005 Cape Cross had his fee increased to €50,000 and it was that year that the Tsui Family, inspired by Ouija Board, decided to send their iconic mare Urban Sea, winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the dam of Galileo, to him. The result of the mating was Sea The Stars, who lit up the 2009 season by winning the 2,000 Guineas, Derby, Eclipse, Juddmonte International, Irish Champion Stakes and Arc.

Sea The Stars’ exploits no doubt encouraged Anthony Oppenheimer to breed his mare Fleche D’Or to Cape Cross, which created the third pivotal horse in the stallion’s career – Golden Horn, who also won the Derby, Eclipse, Irish Champion Stakes and Arc last year.

In all, Cape Cross has produced 51 Group winners and 52 Listed winners, figures which could be improved by a Classic squadron for this year that includes the unbeaten colt Moonlight Magic out of Sea The Stars’ half-sister Melikah. He has plenty of runners in the pipeline, too, as he covered 114 mares last year, 108 in 2014 and 116 in 2013.

However, Darley’s director of stallions Sam Bullard said: “We are approaching the end of March and he has failed to get a mare in foal, so it has been decided that he should be retired from stallion duties.”

– Racingpost.com