Tarry heads for new record
SEAN Tarry looks well on his way to breaking his own record this season as far as stakes earned is concerned.
At this stage of the season runners from the Tarry stable have garnered R21 804 850 while last season he amassed a total of R27 899 562.
If one looks at the position last season as at 5 April, horses from the yard had pulled in R16 464 712. That means in the final four months of the season (the season ends on July 1) Tarry increased his earnings by around 70%.
Should runners from the yard produce at the same level this time, he could come out with a remarkable R37 million in stake money for the year.
Looking back at his seven winners on Saturday, Tarry saddled 23 runners and they earned R2,294,375 in stakes. Mike de Kock, who came away with the winners of the Grade 1 SA Classic and Wilgerbosdrift SA Classic, earned R2 052 250 on the day. However, if on compares winning stakes alone De Kock’s two winners earned R1 875 000 while Tarry’s seven came away with R1 211 250.
Tarry has had 146 winners so far this season with Justin Snaith next best 116, followed by Brett Crawford on 73 and De Kock on 67.
With his victories on the Grade 1 Cape Guineas and especially the $500 000 CTS 1600, William Longsword is highest earning runner this season with R4 065 000. Obviously second on the list is the winner of the other $500 000 event, the CTS 1200, and that was Live Life who earned R3 661 875.
Of the horses who did not race in those dollar events, the top earner is Sun Met winner Whisky Baron who has banked R3 254 375 for his owners. He is unbeaten in five starts this season but is on his way overseas so his local total could be passed by fourth-placed Legal Eagle who is on R1 812 500, especially if he can win the R4-million Premier’s Champion Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein next month.
Gavin Lerena may have been having a bad run of late but he still holds his lead in the race for the jockeys’ title. Lerena has ridden 115 winners, eight clear of Greg Cheyne with Anton Marcus third on 104. Anthony Delpech is just behind on 103 winners.