National Champion Trainer Sean Tarry has three runners in the inaugural running of the R750,000 World Sports Betting Grand Heritage over 1475m at the Vaal on Saturday and was favouring the four-year-old Right Approach colt Lunar Approach as the yard elect.

However, he said the other pair, Bulleting Home and Donny G, had both been doing well too.

Lunar Approach made an eye catching comeback from a five month layoff when running on strongly in the Gr 3 Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m to finish a 3,15 length sixth behind the top class Kangaroo Jack.

Tarry is not too phased by the second run after a rest syndrome.

He said, “Lunar Approach has had a very good prep and is getting quite a bit of weight from the other two. I could have brought him in fresh, but under the conditions of the race he had to have a run. He was right up with the best three-year-olds and I then sent him to Cape Town for the Million Dollar. It didn’t really work out. He was then a bit flat in his two subsequent runs back in Jo’burg, so we sent him for a rest. He did nicely in his break. He strengthened up and got over whatever it was that was bothering him. His prep run proved that.”

Lunar Approach is down from a highest merit rating of 95 to 92, so looks well handicapped. His three wins have been from 1200-1600m so the trip should be ideal.

However, Tarry did say he believed the extreme inside and outside draws would be favourable, so Lunar Approach’s draw could be a bit of a concern. He will come into draw 14 if the two reserves are scratched so will be slap bang in the middle. Lunar Approach carries 58kg and Western Cape Champion Jockey Grant van Niekerk rides.

Bulleting Home returned from a three month break to win a 1450m Pinnacle Stakes event on the Turffontein Inside track on September 17, beating two other Grand Heritage contenders Arctica and Moofeed. He will be 3kg worse off with Arctica for a 0,3 length beating, which brings the latter right into the race on paper, and will face Moofeed, whom he beat by 1,1 lengths, on the same terms.

However, Tarry said, “He needed that last run quite badly. A three week gap, instead of two, would have been ideal between that run and the Grand Heritage. But having said that, he has had a good prep. He is doing well and moving even better than he was going into that last race. He unfortunately has a big weight, but we will take our chances. He has a nice draw, there is a lot of speed down that inside rail, and he has a nice turn of foot. Brandon Lerena will suit him and is significantly a heavy jockey, so he won’t have to carry too much dead weight.”

Bulleting Home, a robust five-year-old gelding by the late three-time national champion sire Western Winter, has to carry joint second top weight of 63,5kg and is drawn five.

Donny G, a four-year-old gelding by Seventh Rock, has plenty of speed, but also has a tricky draw as he will come in from 18 to 16 if the two reserve runners are scratched.

Despite his speed he has won a 1400m event from the front. Before. That was actually in very soft going and he fought off a challenger that day too, so he has a chance of staying the 1475m trip.

Tarry said, “It is touch and go, the extra 75 metres might stretch him. But he is well and has had a fantastic prep. He did far better over 1000m last time than I had expected him to do.”

That handicap race on September 13, in which he gave the winner Rafa 10kg and was beaten just 1,35 lengths, was his seasonal reappearance. However, it came less than two months after his 3,1 length demolition of a 1200m handicap field on July 28 down the Vaal straight. Tarry concluded, “He has quite a bit of weight which is a concern.” Donny G carries 62kg and Keagan de Melo rides.

Meanwhile, three of Tarry’s stalwarts. Legal Eagle, Carry On Alice and Cloth Of Cloud, have been progressing nicely since returning from rests on the farm.

Legal Eagle was in full training until mid-July, because the Vodacom Durban July and Champions Cup were two races which he could possibly have participated in. He ultimately did not run in either. However, he was able to enjoy only about a month’s holiday on the farm.

Carry On Alice had a farm holiday of nearly three months following her Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint run, where nothing went right for her.

Cloth Of Cloud missed Scottsville and had a long break on the farm. All three have been back in training for about a month.

David Thiselton