The Sean Tarry-trained filly Trophy Wife travelled down to Summerveld today for her Vodacom Durban July engagement on Saturday and looked fine upon exiting the float at about 2pm.

Tarry said, “I am happy with her and I don’t think the 2200m trip is a concern. It is a rough race and you need a heap of luck, but it won’t be a bother if she loses her usual one or two lengths at the start as she is drawn wide and we are going to come from off them anyway.”

S’Manga Khumalo rides Tropy Wife from draw 14.

Meanwhile, French Navy and Samurai Blade have both been doing well at Summerveld.

Jockey Weichong Marwing said he would have preferred a wider draw for French Navy, who is drawn in barrier four. However, Tarry did not envisage a problem. He said if the pace was slow French Navy could well find himself handier than usual, which would be fine. However, if they went hard he would be happy to see him well back. He said the big horse would simply be kept where he was comfortable.

Samurai Blade will be ridden by Andrew Fortune. However, Lyle Hewitson rides him regularly in work and said the July Gallop was the best he had ever felt him, so he could be a dark horse from a plum draw of six.

Tarry felt he had a strong chance with Visuality and Myfunnyvalentine in the Gr 2 Gold Circle Golden Slipper, but seemed more bullish about the former due to her draw of seven compared to the latter’s barrier position of ten. He felt Visuality could well be looking for the 1400m trip and it certainly looked that way when she finished strongly for a close third in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson over 1200m. Piere Strydom has stayed aboard.

David Thiselton