It may be called the Off To Stud Stakes (Listed) that heads the card at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Wednesday but in all likelihood, most will still be around next season. Sean Tarry is one trainer who can keep a horse on the boil long after most have given up and he saddles three strong contenders in Sister Light, Emerald Princess and Magical Flight.
Lyle Hewitson is back in town after a successful stint in Hong Kong where he rode 50 winners in one of the world’s most competitive racing jurisdictions, testimony to his riding skills. Sean Tarry was a staunch supporter in his formative years and supplied the majority of his winners in shedding his apprentice claim in record time. Hewitson partners Emerald Princess for Tarry who has recently placed in two Highveld features.
Magical Flight is the oldest of the three and has plenty of milage on the clock. However, that did not stop her winning her sixth race from 37 starts last time out and she goes into this event in top form. She has the widest draw but with only nine runners in the race, that should not prove an insurmountable problem for Khumalo.
Sister Light has been close-up at recent starts and is due a fourth success. She has had the benefit of an outing on this track and the trip is right up her alley.
Paul Lafferty sends out Southern Cape who is something of a course specialist. She was runner-up to Dawnofanewday in The Scarlet Lady and last time out made most of the running to hold off Ice Sunsation. Lafferty has booked Keagan de Melo once again and she may be the one all will be chasing in the home straight.
Lucky Miss is a hard knocker although she tends to find the second box more to her liking while Alec Laird sends down recent Turffontein winner Queen Of Shadows for a crack at some black type.
In all it is a tricky handicap but Hewitson could make a winning return on Emerald Princess with Magical Flight to give Tarry a feature race exacta.
Of interest to local racegoers is the appearance of the R7 million yearling buy Celestial City in the opening leg of the Pick 6. The full brother to Hawwaam made a late start to his career and although not likely to recoup his purchase price Tarry has got him to win four races, the last two on the trot. Hollywoodbets Durban July winning jockey Kabelo Matsunyane has struck up a winning relationship with the colt who faces his stiffest test to date but another success could see him on to better things in the future with Tarry taking it one step at a time.
Celestial City does face some useful opposition, mainly in the form of Kitchakal, Ideal Act and Prince Of Taranto.
Kitchakal spent the summer in Cape Town under the care of Eric Sands where he did not win but was never beaten far. Back on home soil with Duncan Howells, he finished three lengths off the smart Strawberry Bear in the Byerly Turk in his first run back before running out a comfortable winner over course and distance next time out.
Dean Kannemeyer will be hoping that Ideal Act can break a string of second placings although he has not been out since February when second behind Captain Fontane on this course. He may need the outing however, he is a model of consistency.
Prince Of Taranto has also been runner-up at his last two, both on the poly, which may be of concern.
Garth van Zyl has done wonders with Quest For The Best who took ages to win his second race but is now a six-time winner and can add a seventh when he lines up in the fourth. He loves the Scottsville straight and has only crept up the handicap which is testimony to Van Zyl’s astute placing. He carries top weight but should be right up there when the whips are cracking.
The Gliding Fish and Philispiel are both useful on their day and could prove the biggest threats.
