TRACK AND BALL DERBY (Grade 3) – 2400m -R 350 000 

FUTURE PEARL            

Trainer: Sean Tarry

Jockey: Richard Fourie     

Winner: FUTURE PEARL Futura – Arabian Pearl by Al Mufti (USA)

OWNED: Mr A R & Mrs A B L Beck

 Bred: Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert)

 TRACK AND BALL OAKS (Grade 2) – 2400m -R 500 000 

RED MAPLE              

Trainers: Sean Tarry

Jockey: Craig Zackey       

 Winner: RED MAPLE Silvano (GER) – Cherry Tree Lane (IRE) by Fastnet Rock (AUS)

BRED BY: Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein

OWNED: Wilgerbosdrift (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mrs M Slack)

Curve ball from Tarry

David Thiselton

The Hollywoodbets Durban July final field panellists had a curve ball thrown at them when the Sean Tarry-trained Future Pearl won the Gr 3 Tabgold Derby over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 15 June 2024 with Aragosta a one length second. Both horses are July entries and both are borderline cases to get into the final field, which will be announced on June 25. 

Cape Eagle and Without Question, both July entries, started joint bookmaker favourites at 28/10 in the Tabgold Derby, but were short-heads apart in 6th and 7th, beaten close to five lengths, after finding nothing in the straight. 

Cape Eagle’s chances of making the July field are gone.  

Without Question was caught without cover one out and one back and after quickening at the top of the straight had soon cried enough. He either didn’t stay or the effect of not having cover took its toll. 

The problem with his form is that he was beaten 11,65 lengths in last year’s July and his Met third is his only place in six runs this season. In his favour is that he was 16th on the final July log and two horses who were in the top 20 on that log, Main Defender and Royal Aussie, have been scratched. Future Pearl was not even in the five outside horses looking in on the final log after finishing unplaced in his first four starts this season. However, he won the unofficial stayers triple crown last season and finished strongly from off the pace to win by a length on Saturday, despite giving 1kg to his contemporaries and 4kg to the two three-year-olds. 

He made a good case for himself to be put into the top 18. Aragosta was in the five horses looking in on the final log and if Future Pearl indeed goes into the top 18, he will need to leapfrog at least one horse in the top 20 on the log to get into the top 18.  The 19th and 20th places in the final field are the first and second reserves and are unwanted positions, as they have to rely on a scratching before 8 a.m on the Friday before the big race. 

Aragosta won a Listed race over 2500m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth earlier this season and was recently a 3,75 length third in the Gr 1 wfa Premier’s Champions Challenge. He was beaten 2,40 lengths by Future Swing over 2500m when giving the latter 10kg, but he was beaten 3,30 lengths on weight for age terms by Hotarubi in the Colorado King and finished last in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m. 

Meridius, who was also in the five outsiders looking in, won a traditional July pointer, the Gr 3 Jubilee Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein Standside. He would have hoped to squeeze into the top 18 after the scratching of Royal Aussie and Main Defender. Against him is his only run to date over further than 1800m, a 19,25 length tenth in the Gr 1 wfa Premiers Champions Challenge over 2000m. 

Meridius’ 1800m form is at least on a par with Shoemaker, but the latter did run a four length fifth in the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup over 2000m at level weights with the winner Royal Victory. 

Shoemaker was 19th on the final log and in 20th was Son Of Raj, who was a one length third in the Jubilee but he was giving 4kg to Meridius. Furthermore, Son Of Raj finished a decent fifth in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes. He was beaten 27 lengths in the Premiers Champions Challenge, but on the other hand is a former SA Derby winner, so has no stamina questions over the July trip. Silver Sanctuary and Frances Ethel were 17th and 18th on the final log and as the respective Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks winners they should get into the top 18 as things stand.  

Hluhluwe, who was among the five horses looking in, won the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup over 1600m, but failed to shine when stepped up to 2000m in both the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby and Gr 1 Daily News 2000, despite it being believed he was looking for that step up in trip. Hotarubi, also among the five outsiders looking in on the last log, was narrowly behind Hluhluwe in the Daily News, when suffering a nightmare wide trip, but he had earlier finished a three length fifth and a 2,5 length fourth in the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m and Gr 1 SA Derby over 2450m respectively and followed that with a narrow second in the Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes over 2000m. The final supplementary stage closes today.