Sean Tarry runs Whiteline Fever and Pomodoro in Saturday’s Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and admitted that their respective runs were originally intended as preparation outings for the Vodacom Durban July, although it looks like they will now need to go close to get into the big race.
He said, “The Pinnacle Plate event last time was Pomodoro’s first race back from his third in the Champions Challenge and we had freshened him up, so it was just a comeback run. Obviously something went terribly wrong, but there were no ill effects and he is still very much on track. He will run well enough on Saturday, but can only realistically be expected to run 5th or 6th , considering the merit ratings and that he is still prepping.”
Pomodoro will be ridden by Weichong Marwing from draw seven.
He added, “Whiteline Fever was a bit quiet before his run in the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, but he was eating up and working well, so as it was a Gr 1 I decided I couldn’t just scratch him on that basis. He is as honest as the day is long and there had to be a reason for that poor run and he was subsequently found to have a lung infection. He has had two pipe openers since then over 1200m (including a running on third in the Gr 1 Golden Hosre Casino Sprint), so we haven’t had to work him too hard. He has had a very good preparation and has a good draw, so will run well, but it is a tough ask in this field to run into the first three.”
The five-year-old Right Approach gelding is drawn three with Piere Strydom up.
Tarry also runs the four-year-old Caesour filly Dolomiti in the Gr 2 weight for age Tibouchina Stakes over 1450m, where she will be ridden by Strydom from draw nine. He said, “Dolomiti’s last three runs have been a little below her form and we are hoping for improvement.”
Dolomiti’s last win was actually over this trip at Turffontein last October and Tarry pointed out that she had been losing pace over sprints, so perhaps she is looking for a return to this distance, but she does face a strong field and has a tough task at the weights.
*
Charles Laird, Mike Bass and Joey Ramsden all have runners in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m at Clairwood on Saturday, but their charges do look to be up against it.
Laird runs Rio Carnival and Astro News and said, “They are in the deep end and are place chance horses. A line can be put through Rio Carnival’s last run in the Betting World 1900. If he hadn’t stayed he would have stopped at the 300m mark, but he was just never in it and just didn’t seem to enjoy it on the night for some reason. Both horses are very well. However, I think the race is between the top three in the betting (Yorker, Capetown Noir and Beach Beauty).”
Mike Bass runs the veteran Castlethorpe and said, “He didn’t pull up too well after the Golden Horse Casino Sprint, but he is fine again and I’m sure he will prefer Clairwood. He has always been a lovely horse and has run well in this race before (second two years ago to the mighty Variety Club). If he can still reproduce that effort he could run into the places.” Bass does not believe age has effected this horse and intends to campaign him as a seven-year-old next year.
Joey Ramsden runs the Magnun Mile winner King Of Pain. His KZN assistant trainer Alson Ndzilana said, “He has been at Clairwood for about two months and had to have a two week break at one stage for an abscess. But he is sound and doing very well and had a gallop at Greyville last Saturday.”
Rio Carnival and Astro News have Donavan Dillon and Muzi Yeni up from draws 12 and 11 respectively, Castlethorpe jumps from pole position with stable jockey Grant van NIekerk aboard and King Of Pain will be ridden by regular pilot Bernard Fayd’Herbe from draw ten.
Laird has another interesting runner on the day in the form of the Hussonet colt Nisa’s Machine, who is drawn in pole position in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1450m for two-year-olds. This horse has gone close in two maidens over sprint trips, so will receive weight from the winners, and top jockey Glen Hatt rides. Laird said, “I rate him and he is very, very well. It is not ideal to run him in features, but I couldn’t find anything else.”
*
Mike Bass holds the trump cards in the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1450m at Clairwood on Saturday as he has the two highest rated horses, Hammie’s Hooker and Fly By Night, and the main opposition could well come from the Dennis Drier, Duncan Howells and Brett Crawford yards.
Bass explained the riding arrangements, “If there was only one runner Grant (Van Niekerk) would have been given first choice and he did ask to ride Hammie’s Hooker. But because there were two runners we decided to leave Bernard (Fayd’Herbe) on Hammie’s Hooker as he knows her well.”
He continued, “Hammie’s Hooker is thriving at Clairwood, she doesn’t normally carry this much condition. She is a top filly but there are some other top fillies around like Beach Beauty that she has been unfortunate to have had to contend with, and I think on Saturday Jet Aglow is going to be a hard horse to beat. I would say that this is probably Hammie’s Hooker’s optimum trip.”
Fly By Night caused a shock last time when coming within a stride of downing the brilliant Via Africa in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Clairwood. Bass said, “We were hoping for a place, but what really surprised us was that she was the only one who could give that filly a go and the rest of the field were three lengths back. I think she will get this trip as she is a full brother to another horse we trained, Jet Into The Wind, whose best trip was 1400m.”
Drier confirmed that Jet Aglow, who ran third in the SA Fillies Sprint, was “very, very well and is a big runner.” He said Jet Aglow stays up to 1800m and added, “She’s got real class over 1400-1600m.”
Howells’ six-year-old Doowaley mare Louvre proved to be a revelation after joining his yard last season and won the Tibouchina last year at odds of 36-1.
He said, “She is very well in herself. She is an honest hard knocker and needed her last run slightly, but it’s a tougher field this year and I would be happy with a first four finish.”
Brett Crawford’s Maybe Yes showed an impressive turn of foot when winning the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas and from draw one will be a threat over a course and distance she should enjoy.
The next two highest in the merit ratings, the Justin Snaith-trained Jet Supreme and the Mike de Kock-trained Izora, can’t be written off, although Jet Supreme does look held by Hammie’s Hooker. Izora was easily beaten by Jet Supreme in the Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m at Scottsville last year, but has had an operation to repair a breathing issue since then. She has shown glimpses of top class form and has never seemed to have quite fulfilled her potential.
Bass has a high regard for his Seventh Rock filly Seven Grand, who runs in the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1450m, He said, “She will enjoy the trip, but has unfortunately drawn very wide, otherwise I would have been confident. You have to give away a lot of start from that draw. I have been very impressed with the type of horse Seventh Rock gets.”
Bass was not concerned about Seven Grand’s starting antics, because when she lost ground in her first couple of starts she was very inexperienced and “didn’t know whether it was Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.”
Howells rates his Devon Air runner Just Lucky and said, “Her last run was very disappointing but she did return with a badly swollen eye. That race was far too sharp too and she is now over her correct distance. I am very happy with her and she is a big runner.”
He said easy Lover would also appreciate the step up in trip and had been showing good work at home, so he gave him a quartet chance in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1450m.
He added, “Rock ‘N Rose stays well and is well in herself so I’m expecting her to be in the first three in the KZN Winter Challenge 2000. Hunting Horn found 1600m too far for him and will be very competitive in the 1200m final with blinkers on. Perfect Circle is well drawn in the 1600m final and carries a light weight so will also be very competitive.”
*
Topic Author
