Garth Puller has a good regard for his four-year-old Fort Beluga gelding Sea Urchin, who won impressively at Greyville’s PinkDrive meeting on Friday night under Anthony Delpech. Sea Urchin is not the only Fort Beluga to have done well under Puller’s care and it is not surprising the former jockey great has a few of the ill-fated stallion’s progeny in his Summerveld yard as he rated this Sean Tarry-trained son of Fort Wood very highly after winning on him in his first two career starts.

Sea Urchin started his career as a four-year-old due to a joint chip. On his debut over 1000m on the Greyville poly on August 23, he was backed in from 25/1 to 10/1. However, he lost two lengths at the start and was detached at the back of the field when turning for home, before running on fluently and overtaking all but the easy winner, the promising Swakopmund. In his next start on October 11 over 1000m at Scottsville he started even money after being backed in from 4/1 but, after hitting the gate and losing two lengths, he was once again outpaced before flying home for a 1,15 length third to Bagger Vance.

Sea Urchin (Nkosi Hlophe)

On Friday night at Greyville over 1000m on the poly, his third career start, Sea Urchin was backed in from 5/10 to 1/3 and broke well for a change from pole position, which allowed him to find a midfield position under Anthony Delpech. He then got better and better the longer the race went and strolled home a comfortable winner.

Puller admitted Sea Urchin had not beaten a strong field and the handicappers have duly merit rated him only 68. However, he confirmed the horse was looking for further, so this gelding is definitely one to follow until beaten because he strikes as a horse, who from this handicapping starting point, could run up a sequence of victories.

Other of Fort Beluga’s progeny Puller trains include the three-time winners Fortissimo and Call Me Maybe, as well as one-time winner King’s Affair and the twice-placed from just three starts, Enchanted Bay.

Current national champion trainer Tarry for a long time rated the luckless Fort Beluga the best horse he had ever trained.

Puller rode him in his first two career starts, both at Clairwood, and immediately rated him a horse with multiple Gr 1 potential after victories of six lengths and 2,5 length victories respectively over 1200m and 1450m.

Fort Beluga won his first four starts but then calamity struck. Starting 18/10 favourite in the 2006 Gr 1 BSA Cape Guineas, an upset in the stalls prior to the race saw him finishing unplaced 30 lengths back and the experience had a negative influence on his subsequent racing career. He still managed to achieve another two wins so ended a six-time winner over distances of 1200m – 1600m. He never earned black type, despite attaining a highest merit rating of 105, but at least looked to have a promising stud career ahead of him as he had a fair female line with his dam by Northern Guest having also produced Gr 2 eight-time winner Hundred Acre Wood and stakes-placed Joshua Tree and Magnolia Lane, all of whom were also by Fort Wood. Alas, Fort Beluga had only covered for one season at Bruce le Roux’s Spring Valley Stud when he was struck by lightning, so was fated to only ever produce one crop.

By David Thiselton