Sean Tarry probably has the best Gr1 record at Hollywoodbets Scottsville in history, having sent out 13 winners there at the highest level. That is two more than KZN veteran Dennis Drier, who is often labelled the ‘Medallion Man’for his own outstanding record.
Tarry will have a strong hand in all of the Gr1’s at the Festival Of Speed meeting on June 4.
Sean Tarry – building up for a great finish to the season (Pic- Candiese Lenferna)
David Thisleton writes on www.goldcircle.co.za that the former multiple national champion trainer believes his best value runner at the Festival Of Speed meeting will be his VAR entire Eden Roc.
This five-year-old has not made the frame in four starts this season but is consequently seven points lower than the 118 merit rating he finished second off in last year’s Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint.
Tarry said: “He needed his last run and was sent for home way too early. He has a short run in. Throughout his career he has never ever threatened winning when going for home early. If Kabelo had sat for another 150m he just about wins it. His Scottsville form is deadly and he will come in well weighted. He is spot on at present and I think he will be one of the horses to beat.”
Eden Roc won the Gr1 Gold Medallion as a two-year-old and Tarry will likely have two other Scottsville Gr1 winners in Chimichuri Run and Warrior’s rest lining up in the Golden Horse too. They are both former winners of the Golden Horse.
Tarry was thrilled with Chimichuri Run’s last outing when he came from way back to run fourth in the Gr2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400. The fact he was 40/1 in the betting showed what a strong field that was.
He remains on a 115 merit rating which is effectively seven points less than his Golden Horse winning mark in 2019 because there was a ten point across the board raise in the season after that win.
Warrior’s Rest was pulled up in the Gr1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes but came back to finish just three quarters of a length behind Eden Roc last time out over 1200m.
Tarry said, “He needed that last run and before the mile he finished second in a Gr2 sprint (Senor Santa) and he has won a Gr1 at Hollywoodbets Scottsville before.”
This big horse won the Golden Horse off a 113 two years ago and is currently merit rated 111.
The top conditioner is avoiding the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 with Gr2 WSB Fillies Guineas winner Under Your Spell and aiming her at the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint instead.
Under Your Spell wins the 2021 Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship (Pic- Candiese Lenferna)
She is another of Tarry’s Hollywoodbets Scottsville Gr1 winners, having won the Allan Robertson last year.
Tarry said: “We are taking the more conservative route, but if the 1200m proves too sharp for her now, it will serve as a good prep for the Gr1 Brentford FC Garden Province Stakes.”
He will also have three-year-old Sound Of Warning involved in the SA Fillies Sprint. She is rated 111, eleven points lower than Big Burn. However, she beat the latter in the Gr3 WSB Magnolia Handicap when receiving just 1kg.
Tarry said: “Last time (when a 0,75 length second in the Gr2 Camellia Stakes) she went too hard and Richard (Fourie) would have been better off letting her go forward than fighting her, I think if he had done so she could have fought off the winner.”
Full Velocity, winner of the Listed Kwazulu-Natal Stakes and Grade 3 Poinsettia Stakes, might also line up.
He said: “She might still be a little shy in the merit ratings (108). She has improved from her first feature to her second and there is no reason for that trajectory to be capped.”
Her 3,25 length loss to Big Burn when receiving 7,5kg gives her a hard task on paper but Tarry pointed out the combination of the blinkers and being fresh that day had not helped her cause. She had previously got within a neck of Big Burn on worse terms than that.
On Tuesday his filly Sweet Pepper (Trippi) impressed in a Maiden Juvenile for fillies to remain unbeaten and she has a fine chance of defending the yard’s crown in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship.
He also believes impressive second time out winner Thunderstruck will be competitive in the Gr1 Gold Medallion.
Nebraas – don’t discard him as a Hollywoodbets Durban July candidate! (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Tarry also has a couple Hollywoodbets Durban July horses up his sleeve whom he believes represent good value.
He believes Nebraas represents good value in the Hollywoodbets July.
He said, “If they go slow and he takes it up I would like to be on him because he is going to stay on.”
He also thinks Flying Carpet represents good value. He was the unlucky horse in the Gr1 TAB Premier’s Champions Challenge and will be able to turn it on at Hollywoodbets Greyville if they go a good pace.
Tarry is going to find a warm up race for Flying Carpet that won’t effect his current perfect July rating of 116.
Zillzaal is still in the July mix and Tarry said it had been a mistake to not go forward on him in the Champions Challenge considering the horse who was second in the running, clear of the rest, ended up being the winner.
In a major disappointment for fans and the connections, Tarry’s SA Tiara champion Rain In Holland was announced as a non-runner for medical reasons on Thursday from both the Woolavington 2000 and the Hollywoodbets Durban July. He still has the classy filly Marigold Hotel carrying the stable flag.
Shango ran a better race last time and will defend his crown on July day in the Gr3 Campanajo 2200.
He was not disappointed with Litigation in the Gr2 WSB 1900, but rather with the way the race panned out because he believed had he been up there he could have gone close. He will now be rested until next season.
First entries for the four Gr1 races at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on 4 June close at 11h00 on Monday 23 May. Weights will be published the same day.
Supplementary entries close at 11h00 on Friday 27 May.
Declarations are due by 11h00 on Monday 30 May.
