Tarry trio feature in Grand Heritage betting
VALUE: TRAINER BELIEVES LUNAR APPROACH MIGHT PROVIDE BEST VALUE ʂ Cape and Durban jockeys brought in to beat jockey “shortage”.
All three of champion trainer Sean Tarry’s runners are high up in the betting for this Saturday’s R750,000 World Sports Betting Grand Heritage over 1475m at the Vaal.
Donny G and Lunar Approach are co-favourite at 10-1 with Mike Azzie-trained Arctica, while Bulleting Home is second favourite at 12-1 alongside Moofeed, Irish Pride, Chepardo, Humidor and Awesome Adam.
Of his three runners, he believes Lunar Approach might provide the best value.
“Maybe a horse just under the radar with the handicappers is Lunar Approach,” he commented. “He was a top three-year-old before going to Cape Town. Things didn’t go well there and that trip whacked him. But he then had a break and little can be taken from his comeback run behind Kangaroo Jack because he was drawn poorly but finished off his race very well.”
In that race Lunar Approach was still 11.20 lengths off the leader at the 400m marker but still managed to close Kangaroo Jack down to 3.15 lengths at the end of the Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m. He has won over 1400m and 1600m, so will be much better suited to this 1475m distance than that 1200m.
“We were a bit short of jockeys, with Piere Strydom and Anthony Delpech riding overseas and S’manga Khumalo still on suspension until the end of next week,” said Tarry. “So I’ve brought Grant van Niekerk and Keagan de Melo up (from Cape Town and Durban respectively).”
Van Niekerk will ride Lunar Approach, while De Melo has been booked for Donny G.
“Lunar Approach will suit Grant because he can come from off them a bit or be handy,” said Tarry.
“Donny G has had a fantastic prep,” he continued. The fouryear-old Seventh Rock gelding has three wins, two seconds and a third to show from his last six starts and ran a promising third behind Rafa in his pipe-opener over 1000m at this track last time out.
“I’m not sure if the extra 75m will stretch him out a bit. I’ve always thought 1400m is his maximum but it’s worth a try.
He has a big weight and an average draw but we’ve got to take our chances for the stake money on offer.”
Bulleting Home was raised a point in the handicap after beating Arctica in a 1450m Pinnacle Plate last time out and it was touch and go whether he would run in the Grand Heritage with 63.5kg on his back.
“We entered him for the Joburg Spring Challenge the following Saturday but he didn’t draw well, so we’ll have to take our chances with a heavy weight,” said Tarry.