Sean Tarry said that while he had chances on Saturday at the Supreme Cup meeting sponsored by SAP, he could not go in overly confident as his string was still not firing on all cylinders at present, although they are going in the right direction and he expected them to peak in about Mid-October.
He has three runners in the Gr 2 R1 million Supreme Cup over 1450m and said Willow Magic would possibly be the one he would side with.
He said, “Willow was given a nice prep down in Durban, where the string has been going well. He might just be needing it but is in a good place and works well on the dirt, so we are hoping.”
On a merit rating of 106 Willow Magic is at the very top of the 56kg merit rating band, so is officially relatively well weighed. He has won a Gr 1 over 1160m and a Gr 2 over 1600m in his career, so this trip should be ideal and being from a Mr Prospector line sire should love the Vaal sand. His draw of nine makes it quite tough but he will be ridden by the brilliant national log-leading jockey Andrew Fortune, who is a master of placing a horse in the running and of pace.
These merit-rated band conditions races favour fillies and mares and Tarry’s five-year-old Argonaut mare Jade Vine is duly the best weighted horse in the race. She is 1,5kg better off than any other horse and carries only 50kg from a good draw of five under Muzi Yeni. However, she has had an interrupted preparation and Tarry said, “She had a mild colic so had to be scratched from her last intended start (1000m event on September 10). She is fit and well and has had no ill effects but the interruption to her preparation is still a bit of a concern.”
Jade Vine has been a facile winner over course and distance before. That was off a merit rating of 68 compared to her current rating of 97 and she has generally run in sprints since then, but Tarry isn’t concerned about the trip.
Tarry’s third runner is Tap Tap Makhatini, who hasn’t run since April, but this is likely a deliberate ploy. Tarry said, “He runs well fresh and is in good shape.”
However against the seven-year-old is that his merit rating is at the very bottom of one of the bands, which puts him 2kg out with some of the males and 3kg out with Jade Vine. Furthermore, he is drawn wide in 14 (comes into 11 if the three reserve runners come out), which makes it tough for this handy-running type. He is effective from 1450-1800m and will be ridden by in-form Karl Zechner. Tarry makes Deputy Jud as well as the Mike de Kock coupling of Toro Rosso and Mootahadee and the Stephen Moffat-trained Roman Carnival as the horses to beat.
Tarry regards Faberge Style, who runs in the Non-Black Type SAP Sophomore 1000 as his probable best runner on the day. The St. Petersburg three-year-old filly won her maiden over this course and distance by 10,25 lengths and followed up by winning over 1200m on the Greyville poly. Under the conditions of the race she is the second best in at the weights on official merit ratings but is less exposed than the horse who is best in, Kingoftheworld, and might be even better than her 88 merit rating suggests.
Tarry runs all of Run For Revelry, Lady Of Kildare and Crystal’s Revenge in the Listed Britehouse Supreme Fillies and Mares Stakes over 1450m. Run For Revelry’s net merit rating is at the very top of her particular band and she is drawn in pole. Krystal’s Revenge’s merit rating is also at the very top of her band, while Lady Of Kildare’s merit rating is only one point below the top of hers, but they are drawn in eleven and twelve respectively. Tarry said, “I can’t really separate them, they all have shouts and are in good shape, but Run For Revelry’s draw is worth quite a bit and I would make her the elect only for that reason.”
The yard’s nine-year-old soldier Across The Ice runs in the Listed SAP Hampton Handicap over 1000m and had excuses for his last two below par runs, which saw him drop down three points in the merit ratings. He was found to have had a respiratory infection which has now been sorted out. Tarry said it would be a touch sharp for him, but gave him an outside chance.
He runs Bold Approach and Super Guppy in the Listed Banyana Handicap over 1000m and said, “Bold Approach has progressed from his last run, but I have no real confidence. Super Guppy is out at the weights (4kg under sufferance).”
He runs three horses in the Non-Black Type Vaal River Handicap over 1800m, but two of them, Escudo and Peregrine are under sufferance by 2kg and 3kg respectively. The other runner Orchestrated should enjoy this trip and Tarry said, “He has been a bit lethargic in his races lately so we have fitted the blinkers and I give him an each/way chance.”
By David Thiselton
Picture: Willow Magic (Nkosi Hlophe)
