Ruling champion trainer Sean Tarry will have short-priced runners in both $500,000 races on Saturday next week when the Sun Met celebrated with Mumm headlines the programme.
Sean Tarry (Nkosi Hlophe)
The big-money races, each worth R6.74 million at yesterday’s exchange rate, are restricted to graduates of Cape Thoroughbred Sales auctions with the first over 1200m and the other over 1600m.
Tarry has four horses in the CTS Sprint, including hugely talented but volatile Cloth Of Cloud. The three-year-old daughter of Captain Al has won all three of her races to date, including beating her male counterparts in the Grade 1 SA Nursery over 1160m at Turffontein on Champions Day at the end of April last year.
On all three occasions, Tarry held his breath and crossed fingers and toes that she behaved. He subsequently tried on a couple of occasions to bring her back, but “just couldn’t get her going and couldn’t force the issue”.
He finally won the battle in time for the CTS Sprint, although he does admit, “I’d prefer another couple of weeks, but we’re very close. She’d be considered the stable elect.”
S’manga Khumalo will ride Cloth Of Cloud, while French Legend will have the services of internationally acclaimed Frankie Dettori.
“We got it a bit back to front and French Legend’s the one most ready for this race and she’s doing well. But she’s the lowest rated of my four and has to travel from Johannesburg,” said Tarry, adding she would probably arrive at the Cape the day before the race.
Feature placed Myfunnyvalentine and Exquisite Touch, the mounts of Craig Zackey and Weichong Marwing respectively, are expected to “go a lot closer” than in their last runs, but “it’s a very tough race”, said Tarry. “People have been waiting the whole year to run their horses in these two $500,000 races so nobody will be hitting anything for a six.
Safe Harbour (Liesl King)
“Myfunnyvalentine’s form is very good. She needed her last run over 1000m (when tiring to fifth) and should be ready now,” he said. “Exquisite Touch ran well to Green Pepper at Turffontein in November, giving weight and needing the run. She’ll be fitter and should run a lot closer.”
Safe Harbour finished second to Just Sensual in the Cape Fillies Guineas and to Bela-Bela in the recent Paddock Stakes and is the pick of his two runners in the CTS 1600.
Tarry thinks Cape Guineas winner William Longsword and Just Sensual are the horses to beat but says: “Safe Harbour is not without chance, given she wasn’t beaten far in either the Cape Fillies Guineas or the Paddock Stakes.
“Safe Harbour has had a lot of racing in the Cape so we’ve been trying to keep her fresh. She’s doing well, though, and is probably where we want her.”
Weichong Marwing retains the mount, while Khumalo will be on Tilbury Fort, who – like French Legend – will raid from Johannesburg.
“I’m taking a bit of a chance with Tilbury Fort because although he’s fit and well and progressive, he’s out at the weights and is not quite in this class yet.”
Nicci Garner for TABNews
