Sean Tarry’s seven winners at Turffontein on Saturday fell one short of Justin Snaith’s world record equaling eight winners at one meeting, which he achieved at the J&B Met meeting last year.

Both Tarry and Snaith won the first six races on the card on the way to their personal best hauls.

Sean Tarry (Nkosi Hlophe)

There were 12 races on both occasions and Snaith’s 32 runners on the day constituted 21,5% of the total of 149 runners at the meeting, while Tarry’s 23 runners constituted 21,1% of the 109 runners at Saturday’s meeting.

Tarry had no fewer than five seconds on Saturday, including in three races where his horse did not win. However, one of his winners, Brave Nomad, did not cross the line first but was on the right side of an upheld objection. Tarry’s haul with his 23 runners included seven wins, five seconds, one third, two fourths and a fifth. He won four features races, one Gr 1 and three Gr 3s, and his total earnings for the day were R2,294,375.

On Snaith’s record day he scored eight wins, two thirds, two fourths and five fifths.

He won two features on the day, a Listed event and a Gr 2, and his total earnings for the day were R741,450.

Tarry had previously regarded his career best day at the races as last year’s Champions Day in which he won three Gr 1s and a Gr 2. Considering his total stakes haul on that day was R5,047,000, it might still remain his best day.

Tarry is well on his way to breaking his own record of R27,999,562 stakes earnings in a season, which he set last season.

At this time last year he had earned R14,951,912.50 in the season, whereas his earnings this season stand at R21,627,700.

By David Thiselton