National Champion trainer Sean Tarry has three runners in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and two in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and all of them are capable of upsetting the odds.

His first choice rider S’Manga Khumalo is aboard SA Classic and SA Derby third-placed Samurai Blade in the Daily News 2000 and Tarry said, “He is doing well and all three runs for us have been good. He took a while to find top gear at Turffontein and if they go a canter-sprint in his first run at Greyville it could catch him out. He has a bad draw (16 out of 16) … It is all very well holding them back for the July, but he could end up being drawn badly there too and things can also go wrong in the July, so, being well now, he must take his chances.”

He said about Prospect Strike, “I think his run in the Canon Guineas was very good considering he worked so much harder than the rest out wide and still finished only 2,4 lengths back. I think he is probably looking for this trip.  A sprint-miler will normally be able to come back from a layoff and win comfortably when so well in at the weights as he was in his two comeback runs (over 1000m and 1200m) and when he was beaten in the first of them and then had to work hard to win the second it was the tell-tale sign that those trips were now way too sharp for him.”

Tarry’s decision to take the Toreador gelding back to Johannesburg after the Canon Guineas had been a “trade off.”

He said, “It means two journeys of eight hours, but he has had some serious issues and I would not want to be chopping and changing tracks with him. Obviously if he is going to run in another race in Durban he won’t travel a third time.”

Tarry confirmed Summerveld assistant Dishone Steyn’s upbeat reports about Dynasty colt Liege and said, “He was in fantastic shape when he went down to Durban and won impressively on the poly. Dishone said he has been ticking over nicely since.”

Prospect Strike also has a wide draw of 15, but has in form Grant van Niekerk aboard, while Liege is drawn nine and has SA Triple Crown-winning jockey Karl Zechner up.

Tarry revealed Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Heaps Of Fun had pulled up with severely strained muscles after her disappointing SA Fillies Classic run.

He said, “Her ordinary run there had nothing to do with being caught wide or the trip being too far. I decided to bring her back from that run with a sprint (Gr 2 Camelia Stakes over 1160m) and she ran on very well for third. She is now in good shape and I think she will stay the trip.”

He continued, “Witchcraft’s SA Oaks run can have a line drawn through it, just nothing went right for her.” She was drawn wide and was then caught wide and the writing was on the wall from a long way out.

Before that she had won well over 2000m at Turffontein and was doing some good late work when running a 3,8 length fifth in the SA Fillies Classic, suggesting she would prefer further.

Khumalo rides Visionaire filly Heaps Of Fun from draw ten and Brandon Lerena is aboard Kahal filly Witchcraft from draw six.

Tarry runs Serissa in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m and said, “He’s a soldier, he didn’t go hard enough in the 1900 last weekend.” He is likely to lead this time and has proven his liking for the trip before.

Liege and Serissa have been prepared at Summerveld and all of the others will be travelling down from Randjesfontein.

By David Thiselton