Tarry said that being a “seasoned campaigner” he would not be a bundle of nerves before the Elusive Fort filly’s run in the Gr 1 Wilgerbsdrift SA Oaks over 2450m, in which her regular pilot Piere Strydom will have to negotiate a tricky draw of 12. However, Tarry didn’t think the wide draw would be a problem over this trip and also pointed out that she had won in fast going before, as opposed to the bog of her last win in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic, so any ground would do. He said she was very well and had taken her last run well.

Siren’s Call (JC Photos)

Her SA Fillies Classic win on 28 March followed wins in both the R2,5 million CTS Book 2 Graduates race over 1400m on February 10 and the Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas on February 28, so she has had a gruelling campaign, but looks to be a tough horse with a huge heart. Tarry didn’t feel that her task would be easier here than in any of the aforementioned races as he felt that the Mike de Kock-trained Pine Princess would be a big improver over this trip.

Tarry has also entered Tiger Ridge filly Epsom Downs, despite being way out at the weights off an 88 merit rating, but said she stayed well and this would likely be her best chance to find a place in a Gr 1.

French Navy could give Tarry an Oaks and Gr 1 SA Derby double on the day. He said that this Gr 1 SA Classic winner’s racing style seemed to suggest that he would stay, particularly considering he relaxed so well in the running. He is another who has won in all types of going.

Tarry has also entered the up and coming Greys In gelding Legal Eagle and felt that he was certain to get the 2450m trip. He has the gelding entered in the July alongside French Navy, Siren’s Call and eight others and said he had put his name in the hat and would see what happened going forward.

The weather forecast shows that there is a 30% chance that 11mm of rain will fall between today and Friday and there is no rain forecast on Saturday, so the ground should be faster than in the SA Classic meeting.

Tarry responded to this prediction by saying, “I think faster ground will probably be in my favour as 2450m in soft going is a different race and would suit an out and out stayer.”

Tarry has Halve The Deficit and Heavy Metal entered in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m and said, “Majmu will be hard to beat but both of ours have had good preps. Heavy Metal is doing very well, but needs cover and needs to settle. Halve The Deficit has more in his favour in terms of the draw (2 compared to Heavy Metal’s 7).

Willow Magic (JC Photos)

The yard also have two entries in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m and both of them, Willow Magic and Carry On Alice, are former Gr 1 SA Nursery winners. He said, “Both are doing very well and it wouldn’t surprise me to see either of them win.”

Willow Magic has been targeted at this race and had impressed in his first two comeback runs from a long injury enforced layoff, but last time in the Gr 2 Senor Santa he played up in the starting stalls and never travelled well before finishing last. Tarry said, “It’s not an ideal way to come into the race, but otherwise all is well. The start played a big part in that disappointing run and I hope the starter will have learnt from it and that we see him loaded a little later.”

He said about the three-year-old filly Carry On Alice, who renews rivalry with the two horses that beat her into third in the Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships, Alboran Sea and Captain Of All, “She comes in off a good win, her form is solid and I think she will be involved in the finish.” By current trends both horses have landed favourable high draws.

Tarry felt that the Ormond Ferraris-trained Lazer Star looked hard to beat in the Gr 2 Camellia Stakes over 1160m, but added that he regarded his charge Bichette as a classy filly who had enjoyed a good prep and he felt she was capable of “upping her game.”

In the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m he has entered Supertube, who is 1kg under sufferance on official merit ratings. He said, “He had to do it the hard way last time as he was 3kg out at the weights and being better weighted and with a more conservative ride he has an eachway chance.”

In the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2000m, he runs three fillies and said, “I think Tamanee is the right horse and will enjoy the distance. Enchanted Silk is a big runner as her last two runs have been encouraging. Amber Orchid is out at the weights but is fit and well.”

In the big day’s opening race, a MR 100 handicap over 1600m, he runs recent King’s Cup winner The Hangman as well as Baracah. He said, “The Hangman has prepped well and has an eachway chance. Baracah has been disappointing of late. He did well in a staying race last year and we got stuck there. However, we have freshened him up and he has done nothing wrong over the shorter distances. He is also down in the weights so it wouldn’t shock me to see him doing well here.”

Conspicuous by his absence is the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner Act Of War who is being targeted at the Winter Series in Cape Town.

Ramsden’s Champions Season string consists of King Of Pain, The Conglomerate, Kingvoldt, Disco Al, Coltrane, Gallica Rose, St. Tropez, Grey Light, Azincourt, and one unraced two-year-old.

King Of Pain travelled up to Johanesburg  recently to run in the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, a race for which Ramsden said he had enjoyed a superb preparation, but  had to be scratched after kicking a stable wall and bruising his heels.

Consequently, Ramsden has pulled the five-year-old Greys Inn gelding out of the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge and will run him in the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at Greyville on May 2 instead. Unfortunately, he has drawn wide in the Drill Hall in 25 out of 32 entries. However, it would be no surprise to still see him lining up as one of his chief targets will be the defence of his Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge crown over 1600m at Greyville on June 6.

The Conglomerate, a classy Australian-bred colt by Lonhro, has been priced up at 45/1 for the July and is one of the best value horses in the market at present as he has the look of a progressive type who has still not been fully exposed. He won the Listed Politician Stakes over 1900m last time out on January 10 and gave the impression that he would stay further. He received 3kg from the runner up MLJet that day, but had to be switched once or twice in the straight and won cosily in the end. He is merit rated 100 and has drawn 15 out of 28 entries for the Gr 2 KRA Guineas on May 2. The Gr 1 Daily News 2000 on May 30 is likely to be his chief target and as the male three-year-old division is not overly strong this year he is likely to make his presence felt, although on the other hand the mighty filly Majmu is due to be an entry in that race.

The Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas third-placed Kingvoldt had a fine Champions Season pipe opener last Friday night when conceding 3kg to the classy Heartland over 1400m at Greyville and being beaten just 0,75 lengths. This classy Western Winter colt is drawn  17 for the KRA Guineas. He hasn’t raced beyond a mile to date and as he was not entered for the July he looks likely to run in the Gold Challenge rather than the Daily News, although being out of a Parade Leader mare he could possibly stay further than 1600m.

Disco Al will likely have his best chance of feature success in staying races and could have races like the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m, the Gr 2 Track And Ball Derby over 2400m and the eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m, all at Greyville, as his chief targets. He has drawn 11 in the Listed Sledgehammer over 1750m on Sunday and is a versatile type who is also effective over this trip.

Coltrane is one of the best stayers in the country so will likely have all of the aforementioned staying races on his program. He is drawn 15 in Sunday’s Sledgehammer, a race he finished a short-head second in last year from a wide draw, which proved that he is also effective over this distance.

Gallica Rose is a Silvano filly who has come into her own this season and, having finished a 0,2 length second in the Listed Sun Classique Handicap over 2400m last time out, she could have staying races for fillies and mares on her agenda. The merit rated 95 filly is drawn 8 in the Listed Scarlet Lady over 1750m at Scottsville on Sunday and could then perhaps be entered in races like the Listed East Coast Cup over 2000m at Greyville on May 17 and the Gr 2 Gold Circle Oaks over 2400m at Greyville  on June 21. The Gold Cup might be on the cards if she does well in those races.

St. Tropez received 3kg from the classy Ultimate Dollar on Sunday at Greyville and was awarded the result on objection. Anthony Delpech was certain that he would have won the race but for the interference. This Silvano gelding  has a nice turn of foot and his tendency of hanging to the right will make him suited to Greyville, so it is a surprise to see him not entered in the KRA Guineas and perhaps the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 is his chief target as he will relish the extra trip on pedigree, being a full-brother to former narrow Investec Cape Derby runner up Tan Can.

Grey Light is a strapping filly by top USA sire Tapit and has dropped to a 93 merit rating, so should be watched in handicaps as Cape Town horses often have suppressed merit ratings due to the class of horse there. She has faced the like of Majmu and Inara. The sprint-miler Count Dubois  gelding  Azincourt is another to watch in handicaps.

Ramsden’s Summerveld string is being taken care of by Alson Ndzilana, who did a fine job for the yard at Clairwood last season.

Lloyd travelled near the front of the field and lost his iron on the home turn, dislodging him from his mount. Other horses then cannoned into Lloyd, in particular, Michael Cahill’s mount Whatalovelyday.

“I couldn’t avoid him and it made a cracking sound when I hit him,” Cahill said.

But Lloyd walked away and eventually had to be persuaded by stewards not to drive home.

Eventually, the veteran rider agreed to let Robbie Fradd drive him home.

“I’m fine. My leg’s a bit sore, but I knew everything that was happening right through the fall and as I hit the ground,” Lloyd told stewards.

Doctors reported Lloyd, who suffered a stroke in 2013, escaped with only minor abrasions and showed no signs of losing consciousness at any stage.

It had been an otherwise very successful day for Lloyd, who notched a double on outsider Monaco Doll and Matt Dunn’s Write Cheek.

The fall took the spotlight off what was a most impressive win by the John Zielke-trained Worthy Cause, who is now likely to step up sharply in distance in Saturday’s Gunsynd (1800m) at the Gold Coast.

Supplied by News.com.au

Picture: Jeff Lloyd

His Champions Season string includes Vodacom Durban July entry De Kock as well as Alexis, Maybe Yes, Gulf Storm, Sail South, Zacharias, Cuve Brut, Valerin and four babies.

The four-year-old Dynasty gelding De Kock won the Gr 2 Selangor Cup over 1600m as a three-year-old but fractured his near fore knee in his next start in the Grand Parade Cape Guineas.

He won his comeback over 1000m last September but has run well below par in three sprints since, so will likely be looking forward to going over further. He is entered in the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at the Champions Season’s opening meeting on May 2 at Greyville.

Alexis is a top class filly by Dynasty and has a realistic chance of giving Crawford a second successive win in the Gr KRA Fillies Guineas on May 2. She had to be taken from the inside to the outside in her last start over 1400m at Greyville in order to find a clear run, yet still went down by only 1,75 lengths to the proven Gr 1 performer One Fine Day, despite conceding 2kg to the latter.

Crawford won the KRA Fillies Guineas with Maybe Yes last season. This Tiger Ridge filly has a fine turn of foot and races such as the Gr 2 Tibouchina over 1400m and the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m will likely be on her agenda. She has her Champions Season pipe opener in the Gr 3 Poinsettia Stakes over 1200m at Scottsville on Sunday.

The gelding Gulf Storm is a tough four-year-old sprint handicapper by Sail From Seattle with a merit rating of 100 and looks an ideal type for the Gr 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint as he will come in with a nice galloping weight if he makes the cut. He is running in the Listed In Full Flight Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville on Sunday.

Sail South, another four-year-old gelding by Sail From Seattle, is full of class but has never really fulfilled his potential due to his headstrong antics. If he learns to settle he could pick up a minor feature. He is entered in the Drill Hall, but might not get a place in the final field due to his merit rating of 97 and he might prove difficult to place.

Zacharias, a cheap filly by Lundy’s Liability, won twice in KZN last season from 1400-1600m and is entered in Sunday’s Listed Scarlet Lady Handicap over 1800m, a race the yard scored a one-two in last season with Dancing Dynasty and Luna De Victoria.

Cuvee Brut is a classy, lightly race three-year-old filly by Count Du Bois and the best might not have been seen of her yet as she has only raced beyond 1200m once in six career starts, so it is interesting to see her with an entry in the KRA Fillies Guineas.

Valerin is a merit rated 83 gelding by Lateral, so should be watched in handicaps as the merit ratings of the Cape Town-based horses are often suppressed due to the class of horse there.

Olma finished 25 lengths back in the Gr 3 Fillies Mile last November and was then over ten lengths back in her last start in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas on February 28.

However, between those runs she carved out a five length win over 2000m on the Greyville polytrack to prove that she had not lost any of her ability, and Robinson said, “She just doesn’t travel well and her only two bad runs have been when she’s travelled. She coliced the first time she travelled up and fretted and sweated last time. So we left her up there at Turffontein after that last race to give her her best chance in the Oaks and this is especially the case in that Mr. Ferraris is helping with her preparation. She has done her gallops and Mr Ferraris is very happy with her. I am very lucky to have him help me as he knows what to do for these races and he is also in fine form having had four winners on Saturday.

“I think she will easily stay the trip as she is by Dynasty and won going away over 2000m on the Greyville poly. If you look at her she looks like a staying filly too and furthermore if the trainer I have her with can’t get her to stay, nobody else would be able to! I couldn’t have the horse with anyone better. She is bred in the purple as there are not many horses in South Africa that are out of Danzing mares. I hold her in high regard and I think the tougher the race, the better she is.”

Olma is merit rated 98 and has become well known for her superb polytrack performances. However, she won her maiden impressively on the turf at Clairwood over 1800m and has never really had the opportunity to prove herself on the surface since.

She could offer fine eachway value on Saturday from draw two with Ian Sturgeon, who partnered her to that last impressive victory on the poly, aboard.