National champion trainer Sean Tarry is pleased with his Gr 1 Mercury Sprint contender Trip To Heaven at Summerveld and revealed the scratching of Carry On Alice was the result of a decision not to “gamble” from a wide draw.

Tarry said the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge had proved Trip To Heaven was probably best at 1200-1400m, but could get away with a mile at Greyville. The four-year-old Trippi gelding showed an exceptional turn of foot in the Gold Challenge, coming around them from last to hit the front in a matter of strides. However, he lost the race on objection after carrying Mac De Lago across the course.

Tarry said coming down in trip to 1200m five weeks after the Gold Challenge would not pose a problem for a horse who possessed so much speed.

He said the key obstacle would be the start, as the horse had tended to jump tardily lately. However, he was not overly concerned.

Tarry felt the horse could lead if jumping well, but if losing a length could sit off them and use that turn of foot to make up the leeway in the straight.

Last year Trip To Heaven fought for his head in a handy position, but Tarry was not at all enamoured with the ride. He said the plan had definitely not been to “break his jaw” and added the race had been gifted to Captain Of All as Trip To Heaven’s natural pace should have been used.

He is happy with the riding arrangement this year and said, “S’manga (Khumalo) knows the horse well.”

Khumalo has ridden the Highlands Farm Stud-bred speedster in eleven of his thirteen starts and has been aboard for all four of his career wins, which includes Grade 2s over 1160m and 1450m respectively. Trip To Heaven has been at Summerveld since the Gold Challenge.

Tarry said Carry On Alice was fit and well and he planned to keep her in training, although this had not been discussed yet with the connections.

He also runs five horses in the Listed Off To Stud Stakes on Saturday over 1600m. He was reluctant to single any of them out as he said all of them had things in their favour as well as question marks against them.

However, he pointed out, contrary to assumptions made in the press and by the public, Khumalo does not have an automatic choice of ride for his yard’s runners. He said rather the method was for himself to allocate rides to the jockeys and he usually did this based on the suitability of rider to horse as well as familiarity and also the success a rider had had with a horse in the past.

Tarry runs Aventurine, who won at Greyville yesterday (Wednesday), in the Non-Black Type Queen Palm Stakes. He said this horse was able to run close up after a previous run and he was “taking a chance” with her in a race where she had a tough task at the weights.

David Thiselton

The Dennis Drier yard said the respective last runs of their Gr 1 Mercury Sprint contenders, Barbosa and Triptique, could be ignored and they had both been doing well at Summerveld.

Barbosa did not raise a gallop in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, having come off an excellent third in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint. Triptique was tried over 1600m in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and plodded in the straight, having run on well for an excellent second before that in the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m.

Triptique, who won the Gr 2 Cape Merchants over this trip at Kenilworth back in November, jumps from a tricky draw of eight.  However, stable jockey Sean Veale said, “He does not have a draw to overcome, because he comes from off them.”

Drier has always held this four-year-old Trippi gelding in high regard. The Drill Hall Stakes proved his suitability to Greyville and he could be the dark horse, although he does have a tough task at the weights off an official 106 merit rating.

Assistant trainer Stuart Ferrie believed Barbosa had the turn of foot necessary to overcome a tough draw of 16. Ian Sturgeon, who rode him in the Computaform Sprint, is back aboard.

The six-year-old Captain Al gelding has four wins, a second and a third from seven races contested this season. He has clearly come into his own. He is merit rated 108 and is another dark horse.

David Thiselton
Picture: Triptique (Liesl King)

The Vaal has an eight race card tomorrow on the outside track where outside draws tend to be favourable, although punters will have to do their homework as most races are competitive.

In the first over 1000m Pippi Shortsock could score for an in form stable having shown some zip with first time blinkers on last time. Lily Love will attempt to confirm form from that race, although the draw was probably more in her favour last time. Scarlet Lady and Golden Memories make most appeal of the rest and Imperial Topaz can earn with Strydom back aboard having done well on her in her first two starts.

In the second over 1600m the well drawn Promising Prospect picked up when a horse came alongside her over 1450m last time and she ten ran on well, so she should relish the step up in trip and should have benefitted from the experience of two runs. Northern Chorus ran well from a tough draw last time and should go close here from a good draw. Tennessee Red should enjoy the step up in trip. Eversilver is course and distance suited. Capricious could earn but has a tough draw. Vul Indlela is an interesting French bred by New Approach. Goflyakite is by Royal Air Force and is a half-sister to the fair sort Moggytwoshoes.

In the third over 1600m the promising two-year-old The Last Outlaw is the one to beat from a good high draw having run on well over 1450m on debut after being slowly away. Uposeupay has been knocking on the door over 1600m, but has a low draw. Mr. Joe Black has run two fair races over 1600m and has scope for further improvement.

In the fourth over 1600m Roving Jet should be involved from a favourable draw. Mr Balboa is holding form well, but has a low  draw over this suitable trip and he does have to overcome a two point merit rated raise. Pachucho ran a fair race first time out the maidens, but also has a low draw. Klondike River will enjoy the step down in trip having pulled over 1800m last time and if settling well could be a runner here off an attractive merit rating.  Champions Cup can earn from a good draw if repeating his last run.

In the fifth over 1000m Rafa should be running on well from a probably favourable high draw and is now down to a competitive merit rating. Jade Bay could overcome his draw with his speed and off a five point lowered merit rating could go close considering he did quite well last time despite stumbling and being bumped at the start, although the breathing noises he has been making are a concern. Magic should also be right there from a plum draw. Wisaam is talented and over this trip might get away with a six month layoff. Greasepaint has come class but must overcome a tricky draw. None of the field can be ignored in an open race.

In the sixth over 1000m Night Editor is still off a mark two points lower than his last winning mark and the race should pan out well for him with a top class 1,5kg claimer up from a likely good draw. The distance suited Chief Sioux has dropped to a competitive merit rating. Turbo Tom was unlucky the last time he went this course and distance, failing by a short-head after losing three lengths so has a chance.

In the seventh over 1200m the improving Shivering Sea, who has been knocking on the door over this course and distance, looks to be drawn on the right side and Khumalo is now up. Shepard One runs off the same mark as her last win and goes well for Andrew Fortune, so should go close over a suitable course and distance. Bally Swiss is talented and is better than her last run but she might have another tricky draw here.

In the eight race La Manga has good pace and might keep them at bay under Andrew Fortune after their good performance together over course and distance last time. Riverine Forest might be favoured by a high draw according to recent trends and will appreciate the step up to 1200m. S’way is interestingly being ridden by Piere Strydom, who rode the horse who beat it last time out. Captured Quality is improving and has been accorded a reasonable merit rating so could surprise although the low draw might pose a problem. Raring To Go has a form chance and Lakahal should be thereabouts if low draws prove to not be unfavourable on the day.

David Thiselton

Vodacom Durban July-winning jockey Piere Strydom admitted he had jumped off Talktothestars for the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint, to be run this Saturday at Greyville, only because of loyalty to the connections of Trip Tease.

He said, “I have been riding for Louis (Goosen) and Mr Ferreira for so long and don’t want to mess it up for just one ride. But, if that was not the case I would have chosen to ride Talktothestars without a doubt. “

Trip Tease has only ever raced beyond 1000m once, but Strydom said the speedster had been settling a bit better lately, so was hopeful he would stay the 1200m trip. The five-year-old Trippi gelding, who has won 15 of his 25 races, has only been around the turn once on turf, and that was when winning over 1000m early in his career on the Turffontein Inside track. Strydom felt only Saturday’s race would tell how he handled the Greyville turn.

Strydom makes Talktothestars, whom he won the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint on, as well as Trip To Heaven the pair to beat on Saturday. He said the only thing in Trip Tease’s favour over that pair was his pole position draw.

Meanwhile, Trip To Heaven and Talktothestars are drawn 5 and 15 respectively. Strydom concluded, “Hopefully from the draw we have a chance.”

The Joey Ramsden-trained The Conglomerate provided Strydom with a record-equalling fourth July victory two weekends ago. The brilliant rider joined the great Harold “Tiger” Wright as well as Anton Marcus and Anthony Delpech on that mark.

Piere Strydom poster: Gold Circle Publishing

Strydom compared his first July winner London News (1996) to The Conglomerate, “London News was made for the July, he had natural gatespeed, he travelled well and he had great acceleration. But The Conglomerate didn’t have much in his favour and everything had to come right on the day.”

He had committed to ride for owner Markus Jooste after one of his many original options Black Arthur had initially been set to carry 53kg. However, he admitted asking to be released from this commitment after winning the Rising Sun Gold Challenge on Mac De Lago. The answer was no and he then still had to wait for Anton Marcus to make his choice too.

He said, “I was only on The Conglomerate at the last minute and we then drew 20. But on the day everything just worked out extremely well from the point of view of soundness, the way he behaved at the start, the way he started, then there wasn’t much pace, so he got there for nothing and then he quickened well. You don’t always get all of that.”

In the back of his mind had been the strangeness of the weight structure, with most of the field including all bar one of the three-year-olds being under sufferance.

However, in his analysis “nothing stood out” and ”form-wise there was about 2,5 lengths from first to last, everything had a small chance.” Therefore, when getting into his handy position for nothing he was confident he had a chance, especially with the going being quick on the day.

His confidence proved well founded as the four-year-old Australian-bred Lonhro gelding quickened well and had the race won before the flying Marinaresco arrived on the scene to be beaten just 0,25 lengths.

Strydom’s milestone 5000^th winner was also achieved in the Jooste colours on a Ramsden-trained horse when winning the Gr 2 Selangor Cup on November 22, 2014, on Act Of War.

The peerless jockey has already ridden three Gr 1 winners since coming back from a three-and-half-month layoff for a broken collar bone on May 24 and will be hoping to add another one on Saturday.

David Thiselton

Apprentice Lyle Hewitson lost his weight claim at The Vaal racecourse yesterday after riding his 60^th winner in the professional ranks aboard the Sean Tarry-trained A Greater Power, a two-year-old National Emblem colt who started 9/20 favourite in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1600m.

Hewitson achieved this feat in record-breaking time, having had his first professional ride on March 6 this year, and A Greater Power was only his 460^th ride. He said, “It is all down to the support I have been given.”

However, that was a typically modest assessment. He rode 22 winners as an amateur workrider, but few would have foreseen him setting the stage alight as much has he has done since matriculating with 6 A’s at Kearsney College at the end of last year before joining the South African Jockey’s Academy (SAJA).

He already has one ride in the Vodacom Durban July under the belt, as well as a Gr 3 and a Listed victory, and has ridden at a strike rate of  just over 13%.

He is lying in second place in the national apprentice championships, despite having only ridden for a third of the season, and is only thirteen behind Callan Murray’s 74 winners.

Murray rode a winner at the meeting yesterday, but Hewitson completed a double in the last race on the Mike Azzie-trained Awesome Adam to go to 61 winners and close the gap again.

Unfortunately, there are just under two-and-a-half weeks of the season remaining so he is unlikely to catch Murray, who is also a shining beacon to the important role SAJA plays in the industry.

David Thiselton