It was a big day for the Kwazulu-Natal breeders at Greyville today (Sunday) and particularly for the Scott Bros Stud that bred the winner of the KZN Breeders Million Mile, Matador Man, and the winner of the Levelling the Playing Fields series final, Mark My Card.

But it was champion trainer Sean Tarry that stole part of the limelight on the day with six winners including Matador Man that is out of the mare Sahara, a daughter of Scott Bros top stallion Mogok, sire of many top internationally Group race performers and The Apache that won the Group 1 Arlington Million before being placed second on an objection.

Sean Tarry (Nkosi Hlophe)

Scott Bros not only bred the Toreador gelding but Robin Scott who runs the Highdown Stud in the Nottingham Road area of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and founded the stud 50 years ago with brothers Des and Neville, is part owner of the striking three-year-old that has now won three of his nine starts and placed in four others.

It was a special day also for apprentice jockey Eric Ngwane who was given the ride after carded rider S’manga Khumalo had been stood down during the meeting. The young rider produced an outstanding effort to bring Matador Man down the outside of the field from off the pace to collar the filly Dawn Calling in the final strides to the line.

For Tarry it was another display of the power of the yard that has set a new South African winning stakes record of more than R30-million in a season and there are still many big races to come before the end of July. The yard won the first three races on the card before winning the sixth with Heaps Of Fun, the feature with Matador Man and the final race with Hyaku.

For the KZN Breeders Club it was an outstanding success with the other eight races on the card all carrying stakes of R200 000 and all nine races confined to horses bred at studs in the province.

By Richard McMillan