Tarry’s five not just pitching up
STABLE ELECT: CORNISH POMODORO GETS TRAINER’S NOD Stable elect has only 52kg to carry and will be cherryripe.
Future generations looking back at this decade will undoubtedly call it the Sean Tarry era. Not only has Tarry dominated the local racing scene from a trainer’s perspective, he has also made the Word Sports Betting Gauteng Summer Cup his own, winning the last three consecutive renewals to add to his first victory in 2009.
This year he saddles five of the 20 runners, so it goes without saying that he is in with more than just an outside chance of taking his streak to four.
But no trainer can win the Cup just by pitching up with a few runners.
According to Tarry, a trainer needs a horse who is well handicapped and has had a really good preparation.
One runner of his who fits perfectly into this mould is Cornish Pomodoro.
“I’ve always felt this race is the right race for this horse,” said Tarry when discussing his runners. “The fact that we got in with the bottom weight is great.”
According to Tarry, the curved ball facing this four-year-old Pomodoro gelding is the one-paced effort he produced when eighth last time out in the Charity Mile over 1 600m at Turffontein.
“It was a bit disappointing, but having said that, three of my four Cup winners did have a quiet second run following a layoff. I don’t think it’s a train smash.”
At the other end of the scale, Tarry saddles top-weight Tierra del Fuego.
“I think he’s probably better over 1 600m to 1 800m,” said Tarry of this five-year-old Skitt Skizzle horse.
“He did achieve his top rating of 124 behind Hawwaam over the course and distance, which has now been dropped to 120.”
Tierra del Fuego finished third to Hawwaam in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2 000m at Turffontein in June.
“This horse is fit and well. He’s having his third run [after a layoff ], he galloped like a mamba and, besides the draw, I couldn’t ask for things to be better.
“There is a question mark over the distance, but he has placed over the distance behind a superstar, so I’m happy with the horse. Everything’s gone smoothly.”
Zillzaal, Tarry’s defending Summer Cup champion, has only had one run since beating Soqrat by 0.40 lengths in last year’s renewal, and Tarry is confident he will again make his presence felt.
According to the trainer, Tree Tumbo has also had a good prep going into the Summer Cup, with a solid fourth place finish in the Charity Mile over 1 600m.
This four-year-old Silvano gelding recorded the fastest time over the last 400m in that race and the extra distance tomorrow might be exactly what he needs.
“The plan was always to go from the Charity Mile into this race,” said Tarry.
The four-year-old Captain Al fi lly, Victoria Paige, completes Tarry’s batt alion, and even though she’s will have to jump from the Rand Stadium, he says that’s fine for her because “she likes to come from off it.”
Tarry warned punters that he “may fiddle with her equipment” as she seemed to lack her usual sparkle when running with a mask and ear-muffs.
“She is a roughie, but it’s always nice to have another string to the bow,” he said.