David Thiselton
MOMBELA has for a long time been one of the Sean Tarry yard favourites and this good looking Trippi gelding earned bold black type at the age of nine yesterday when producing his usual devastating finishing burst to win the Grade 3 Lebelo Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein Standside under Lyle Hewitson.
Tarry said, “He is an unbelievable looking horse with a magnificent eye and is so honest. He has been around for a long time too, so it is hard to not like a horse like him. He was overdue.”
In Mombela’s previous start over the same 1000m course and distance he was tailed off at the 400m mark but then switched on the turbos and looked like he would knock the wall of horses in front of him over he was closing so fast. Jockey Chase Maujean had to switch him to the outside which cost him valuable momentum and ground and he only managed fifth.
Tarry said, “He is one of those horses who is able to produce an incredibly fast furlong, his fractions over a furlong must be frightening. But with that asset he also requires a clear run and he often doesn’t get one.”
Mombela had a moment of bad luck yesterday when squeezed out at the start between Donderweer and Oravar
This left him detached at the back.
However, Hewitson knows him well and switched him to the inside to get on to the back of a train of horses. He then switched him further inward to ensure he had a clear run.
He was still last at the 400m mark with about five or six lengths to make up but then started the engines and flew home to beat the up and coming sprinter Bold Ransom by a head. Miracle Flight, Oravar and Donderweer were next best beaten 0,60, 0,85 and 2,45 lengths respectively.
Tarry believes the key to the victory was that Mombela was able, unusually, to have three runs in succession in what has been a stop-start career.
The Drakenstein Stud-bred has a lot of issues and after making his debut in the January of his three-year-old year he had to wait more than a year for his second start. The issues were continuous and yesterday’s run was only his 20th career start.
Mombela has won five times now and placed nine times.
He was running off a 102 merit rating yesterday and receiving 1kg from Bold Ransom so it will be a big step up to a race like the Grade 1 weight for age Computaform Sprint over this course and distance. Tarry also believes he is better at 1200m.
The Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint, a handicap over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, might be an option.
Tarry has gained a reputation for keeping older horses going and Mombela is not the oldest horse he has won with.
He won a race with the ten-year-old Sorevof in February 2003.
However, Mombela is likely the oldest horse he has sent out for a black type victory.
Tarry and Hewitson combined for a treble yesterday, also winning with two promising sorts in Flying Carpet and Seehaam.
