HOLLYWOODBETS GREYVILLE SUNDAY 30TH JULY - GOLD CUP DAY

SEAN TARRY ON A MISSION

Graeme Hakwins

Sean Tarry trails Justin Snaith by approximately R2-million in the South African trainers’ Championship going into the final day of the racing season at Hollywoodbets Greyville tomorrow, but with so much prize money on offer at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Gold Cup (HKJC) race meeting, it is not beyond the realms of possibility for Tarry to make up the deficit.

While the task may be akin to a player coming from six shots off the pace in the final round to win one of golf’s Majors, all of Bless My Stars; Lucky Lad; Thunderstruck; Future Pearl and Princess Calla could win their respective Feature races and if that were to happen Tarry would amass stakes totalling R2,65-million. And that’s ignoring the possibility of winning or placing in other races as well – he saddles no fewer than 17 runners at the meeting!. It’s clearly a (very) long shot but as they say in the world of poker tournaments – you have a chip, you have a chair, you have a chance!

Of Tarry’s aforementioned principle runners, Thunderstruck (Mercury Sprint Gr 1) and Princess Calla (HKJC Champions Cup Gr 1) appear the most vulnerable. While in top form at the present time, Thunderstruck comes up against the very talented Gimme A Prince in the R1-million Mercury Sprint over 1200m. Gimme A Prince beat Thunderstruck in the Golden Horse Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville at the beginning of June when conceding Tarry’s runner 6 kgs. Gimme a Prince is now 5,5kgs better off and it’s tall order to suggest that Thunderstruck can reverse the placings. But that was Scottsville and tomorrow is Greyville, and the often slow-starting Gimme A Prince cannot afford to give up the benefit of his good barrier position.

In the R1,25-million HKJC Champions Cup over 1800m, Princess Calla takes on the “heavy-weights”, including 3yo star See It Again who was only just beaten in the Hollywoodbets Durban July earlier this month. Prior to that See It Again won the Daily News 2000 and the Twice Over colt is favourite to end the Season on a high and provide “Striker” Strydom with a Grade 1 winner in what is quite likely to be his last ever ride as a professional jockey. At 57 years of age, Strydom has decided to call time on his illustrious career which has seen him ride more than 5500 winners.

However, Princess Calla is in the form of her life, is very versatile and has the speed, the stamina and the class to pull this off should See It Again fluff his lines for whatever reason. But the list of potential winners is not limited to See It Again and Princess Calla. All of Dave The King, Zapatillas, Trip of Fortune, Safe Passage and Al Muthana have the class and talent to take the lion’s share of the prize money in what is one of the strongest renewals of the HKJC Champions Cup for many a year.

Tomorrow’s Season-ending race meeting at Hollywoodbets Greville also features Africa’s greatest race for stayers, the R1-million World Pool Gold Cup over 3200m, and Tarry’s Future Pearl looks the obvious choice, having won both the Gold Bowl and the DSTV Gold Vase in very stylish fashion. Richard Fourie retains the ride on Future Pearl who probably has most to fear from his stable companion Nebraas, who won the race under Lyle Hewitson in 2021, as well as last year’s winner Shangani. The Mike De Kock-trained Black Thorn is finding form at the right time and is also not without a winning chance.

Lovely Card

Race 5 the stand out Lucky Lad, Main Defender, Sandringham Summit
Race 1 Tail of the comet looked very decent on Debut. Black book horse for me
Race 2 ????
Race 3 Quadiforsure My best bet
Race 4 Saartjie giving her another chance
Race 6 Gimme a prince very skinny price.
Race 7 Tarry Trifecta
Race 8 Tough race.
Race 9 Not grade 1 quality. MDK horse has a shout
Race 10 Iphiko

READY TO CHARGE in the first for me

Tarry got to win a good few today to get some money back from Tail Of The comet.Backed from 8-1 into even money at one stage.
A length closer in the running and it wins for sure.

Why would any jockey on the 1/1 fav sit that far back and still know they have to make their move wide in the straight. Explains why Outlaw King was backed into fav at the off.

Lyle is evidently a sharper and more alert jock now. Definitely a huge asset to have on any horse!

Race 2

OB to win here...swingers with IDITA and even some places on Idita

Thor wrote:

Why would any jockey on the 1/1 fav sit that far back and still know they have to make their move wide in the straight. Explains why Outlaw King was backed into fav at the off.

Yeah Khumalo can make you so happy with some rides yet sometimes makes you want to throw the TV at him.

Captain's Christy...places
Leaving Las Vegas... EW

I think luck in more valuable than form with our racing sometimes.
First race heavily backed favorite ridden like it was Pegasus by the jockey.
Second race favorite playing up in the stalls and misses the break.
But surely it can only get better from here today.

I am amazed at how many trainers have improved horses from the Fortune yard...makes you wonder what they were doing!!

durbs wrote:

I think luck in more valuable than form with our racing sometimes.
First race heavily backed favorite ridden like it was Pegasus by the jockey.
Second race favorite playing up in the stalls and misses the break.
But surely it can only get better from here today.

I'm not one who fancies a horse the goes down like a rocking horse... Puts me off