David Thiselton
REIGNING national Champion Trainer Sean Tarry had a fine day at Turffontein Standside on Saturday, winning four races including both features. His first call jockey Lyle Hewitson rode both feature winners and scored a treble on the day.
The Klawervlei Stud-bred Tropic Sun cruised to victory in the Grade 3 Sycamore Sprint and this left collateral form studiers excited about some other Highveld sprinters, particularly Sweet Future and Mind Reader.
On Saturday, Tropic Sun proved she was a lot better than the 96 merit rating she ran off in the handicap event over 1160m. She did admittedly have the probable advantage of an extreme outside draw but after pinging the gates she showed excellent natural pace and only Winter Smoke, who had the disadvantage of a low draw, could match her. Lyle Hewitson just had to give Tropic Sun a couple of backhanders late in the race to keep up her concentration. She beat the closer Rio’s Winter, from whom she received 4kg, by two lengths, and the pacey Winter Smoke, from whom she received 4,5kg, by four lengths.
Tropic Sun treated the rest of the field with as much contempt as Sweet Future had treated her last time. The latter received 2kg from Tropic Sun over 1000m on February 27 and beat her easing up by 3,85 lengths.
On the other hand Tropic Sun likely stepped up a notch from that run and on a line through All Of Me she certainly did, as she beat All Of Me by 1,90 lengths in the 1000m event and beat her by 6,70 lengths yesterday.
Mind Reader is an interesting 1000m filly who keeps on defying the handicapper. All Of Me was placed fourth despite being 1kg under sufferance, so it was a good performance and Mind Reader beat her by 1,05 lengths last time over 1000m when receiving just 1,5kg, so she looks one to continue following.
Tropic Sun gives the former Tarry-trained Jet Master entire Skitt Skizzle his second stakes winner at stud. This is an outstanding feat for a stallion who never won a stakes race himself and who got just a handful of mares in his first few seasons.
Tarry’s Al Adiyaat South Africa-owned and bred Seehaam, was also impressive in winning the Listed Jacaranda Handicap over 1800m by five lengths.
The Vercingetorix filly looked likely to get the trip being out of Al Mufti mare Alderry, who won the Grade 2 November Handicap over 1600m and finished a three length second in the Jacaranda with topweight and a three length third in the Grade 2 level weights Gerald Rosenberg over 2000m. Seehaam also gave the impression she would see out this trip in her previous start when staying on for a 3,75 length fifth in the Listed Acacia Handicap over 1600m, which was run in course record time on the Vaal Classic track. She was under sufferance in the latter race so was given a three point raise but it did not stop her doddling yesterday’s race off a 90 merit rating carrying 52,5kg.
Hewitson had her one wide with cover in a handy position after jumping from a plum draw of two and after letting her go at the 400m mark the good looking bay pulled clear effortlessly. Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic fourth-placed Sparkling Water stayed on for second narrowly ahead of the 81-rated Fort Anne.
Seehaam has substance and can continue to progress. The Gerald Rosenberg on May 1 looks like her next logical step, although it is a weight for age plus Grade 1 and Grade 2 penalties race which will give her a harder task.
Earlier in the meeting there was a notable achievement by Avontuur Stud mare Academia. When the David Nieuwenhuizen-trained Oratorio filly Gifted Gal won the third race over 1160m under Gavin Lerena she became the third of Academia’s four runners to date to win on debut.
