S’manga Khumalo steers Carry On Alice to a good win as Alboran Sea and Fly By Night chase in vain
The clash of the fairer sex titans in the R600 000 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint produced sweet revenge for Sean Tarry’s Captain Al filly Carry On Alice, who turned on the pace charm to beat her rival Alboran Sea in sensational style.
The victory in a race traditionally known as the SA Fillies Sprint was a typical Tarry plan come together.
It was also a glorious turnaround on the Gr1 Computaform Sprint Champions Day clash at Turffontein between these two class acts, when Alboran Sea had gotten the better of a final 200m tussle to beat Captain Al’s daughter by 0,70 lengths.
Carry On Alice’s victory here also stifled Alboran Sea’s gallant bid to register a personal Gr1 hat-trick, following her Cape Flying Championship and Computaform Sprint victories.
After the drama of having a shoe replaced at the start, Carry On Alice came out flying like a true professional.
Jet Aglow and Varikate led her and Alboran Sea early with Jet Belle outpaced and behind a wall of horses.
The 3yo chief protagonists came forward together at the 400m marker and looked set to do battle.
Carry On Alice always seemed to be going marginally better and she asserted herself as Alboran Sea came under pressure before finding her feet and staying on.
Trainer Sean Tarry – had Carry On Alice tuned to the minute
But at the 150m marker it was race over as, under a hands ride by S’manga Khumalo, Carry On Alice sped home unchallenged to win by 1,75 lengths in a time of 69,10 secs.
A late change of the legs saw the gallant Alboran Sea hang on for second cheque. While not heavily raced, the daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar was having her third consecutive Gr1 start in a different province.
Winning trainer Sean Tarry sportingly conceded that his draw advantage over Alboran Sea had made all the difference in the end.
Fly By Night, who ran a cracker when almost upstaging champion Via Africa in the race last year, overcame her adverse outside draw and flew late to finish a head behind Alboran Sea in third. The run showed that her Computaform Sprint effort was all wrong.
Virgo’s Babe ran an improved race at 75-1 to finish 0,75 lengths behind Fly By Night in fourth.
The fancied Jet Master mare Jet Belle came in for some inspired market support, but was never in the hunt and ran a not disgraced sixth.
Carry On Alice has won 5 races from 14 starts with 7 places and boosted her earnings to R1 898 125.
Carry On Alice was bred by Klawervlei Stud from Captain Al out of the four time winning Western Winter mare, Carry On Katie. Her dam is a multiple Gr1 placed Gr2 winner as a 2yo.
She sold for R475 000 on the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 and races in the interests of Chris Van Niekerk, Dr J Warner and her breeders.
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Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint (SAf-Gr1)
Scottsville, South Africa, May 23, R600k, 1200m, turf, good, 1.09.01
1 – CARRY ON ALICE (SAF), 58.5, b f 3, Captain Al (SAF) – Carry On Katie (SAF) by Western Winter (USA). Owner Mr C J H van Niekerk, Dr J A Warner & Klawervlei Stud (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr J P Koster); Breeder Klawervlei Stud; trainer SG Tarry; jockey S Khumalo
2 – Alboran Sea (AUS), 58.5, b f 3, Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) – Lady’s Light (USA) by Toolighttoquit (USA)
3 – Fly By Night (SAF), 60.0, b m 5, Jet Master (SAF) – Fly The Wind (SAF) by Model Man (SAF)
Margins: 1.75, 0.05, 0.75
