Bull Valley charges home
HIS PREPARATION WAS INTERRUPTED BY AN ABSCESS Trip To Heaven wrecked his chances at the start again.
Trainer Sean Tarry won all three feature races at Greyville on Saturday, with Bull Valley giving him his seventh Grade 1 win of the season in the Mercury Sprint over 1200m.
Stablemate Trip To Heaven went off 5-2 favourite, with most punters backing him with some trepidation due to his habit of starting slowly. Bull Valley, winner of the Grade 1 Tsogo Sprint just less than two months ago was next on offer at 9-2 with New Predator the only other runner quoted in single figures at around 6-1.
Trip To Heaven again did not jump on terms, ending up disputing last place with Talktothestars. London Call and Search Party, who had finished 1.50 lengths behind Bull Valley in the Tsogo Sun, went to the front, with former winning the lead. New Predator was next just ahead of Riverine. Karl Zechner let Bull Valley idle comfortably on the rail in midfield.
“I’d worked him during the week and thought it was winning work,” he said afterwards. “I left him where he was, where he was happy. In his wins he’s come from in front or off them, so I wasn’t concerned. I knew I was on the best horse.
“We turned for home and he sort of glided toward them. I knew then I had it in the bag. It was just a matter of changing legs and going through with it.”
Bull Valley took over about 250m from home and beat Search Party by a length. New Predator stayed on for third, only a head further back and 1.25 lengths ahead of London Call. Trip To Heaven, brought to the outside, made headway in the straight to finish sixth.
It was a great win by Bull Valley, whose preparation had been interrupted by an abscess.
“The Scottsville race was our long-term plan and I wasn’t sure I wanted to run him again this close,” said Tarry. “This horse normally takes a bit more time between runs, just to get him through properly. So I was a bit anxious.
“When he came out with an abscess a week or 10 days ago I was really prepared to pull the plug. I took it day by day and it’s fallen into place.
“He really is a brave horse. Accolades to Bull Valley. He’s had his setbacks, but he’s come through.”
Tarry also won the Off To Stud Stakes (Listed) with Wukkin’ Up (Anton Marcus) and the Queen Palm Stakes (Non-black type) with Trophy Wife (Lyle Hewitson).