Tarry Dominates Turffontein Classics

 

South African trainer Sean Tarry dominated racing at Turffontein on Classic Day March 28, saddling four group winners, including two classic victors on the 11-race card.

 

Tarry runners Siren's Call and French Navy provided wins at the highest level, capturing the Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic and SA Classic (both SAf-I), respectively.

 

Siren's Call took one step closer to becoming the third filly to sweep South Africa's Triple Tiara when she landed the spoils in the R1 million Wilgerbosdrift SA Classic at 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles). Only Igugu and Cherry On The Top have previously swept the Tiara, which consists of the Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas (SAf-I) or Gauteng Fillies Guineas (SAf-II), SA Fillies Classic (SAf-I), and SA Oaks (SAf-I). 

 

Despite having won the first leg of the Triple Tiara—the Gauteng Fillies Guineas last month—the daughter of Elusive Fort was allowed to start as the 5-2 second favorite behind Kwa-Zulu Natal visitor Same Jurisdiction.

 

After Estindraaj and Banbury set slow early fractions, Same Jurisdiction looked poised for victory with 400 meters left to run. Eventual winner Siren's Call looked in all sorts of trouble as she battled to find a clear passage, while her rival kicked for home under a confident ride from Anton Marcus.

 

Siren's Call, however, is nothing if not game, and she produced a fine finish under regular rider Piere Strydom. The jockey has an excellent record aboard Siren's Call, with the pair having teamed up six times, for five wins and a second placing.

 

Strydom, however, was less than complacent after the race, commenting, "The way she runs is enough to give one a heart attack. She takes so long to get there, but I felt the rain helped us and made the race more testing, which suited Siren's Call. It is nice to get on horses like this and even nicer to stay on them." 

 

Siren's Call got up in the shadow of the post to produce a typically gutsy finish and win by a neck from Same Jurisdiction, who appeared to have every chance. Trophy Wife, stablemate to the winner, ran on well for third, ahead of the Mike de Kock-trained Pine Princess, who was last at one stage.

 

The SA Fillies Classic was a magnificent result for the Tarry stable, which landed the race for the first time. Tarry saddled the 1-3-5 finishers (his Tamanee ran on to fill the fifth spot). The winner stopped the clock in the somewhat slow time of 1:51.36.

 

Bred and owned by Peter de Beyer, Siren's Call took her earnings to over R2 million with Saturday's success. The first group I winner for her sire Elusive Fort, Siren's Call is out of the winning, but now deceased, mare Siren's Cove (by West Man). She has won five of her seven outings, with Saturday's win being her first score in group I company. The filly is likely to make her next start in the final leg of the Triple Tiara, the Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks April 25, where connections appear confident she will stay the 2,450-meter (about 1 1/2-mile) trip.

 

Tarry, who is currently on track to record his first trainer championship, said after the win, "The pace did not suit (runner-up) Trophy Wife or Siren's Call. But it is such a privilege to train such a gutsy and talented girl. I don't think the 2,450 meters (of the SA Oaks) will be a problem for her, and if there is a concern with the Oaks it is not the trip."

 

The filly's stablemate French Navy picked up the biggest win of his eight-race career when running out a convincing winner of the R2 million SA Classic, the second leg of the SASCOC Triple Crown. 

 

Second in the Gauteng Guineas (SAf-II) last time out, when running on strongly behind the victorious Harry's Son, French Navy was allowed to jump an 8-1 choice for the Classic, behind Mike de Kock's Investec Cape Derby (SAf-I) hero Ertijaal, an 11-10 favorite, and Harry's Son (9-2). However the fancied colts had to jump from the wide barrier draws of 14 and 15, respectively and it was never going to be easy for either.

 

Outsiders Arniston and Amsterdam made the early running, with eventual winner well off the early pace. However, Ertijaal overcame his wide draw and went on to lead while Harry's Son was content to track his market rival. The Paul Lafferty trained Harry's Son looked hard to beat at the 400-meter mark, having stormed in to the lead, but the efforts of overcoming a wide draw seemed to take its toll on the Australian-bred colt and he faded away tamely.

 

With a wall of challengers across the track, it was French Navy who burst into the lead with 100 meters left to run and it was that gelding who got the best of outsiders Amsterdam and Deputy Jud to score the first group win of his career with a three-quarter-length success, stopping the clock in a time of 1:51.47, in conditions which looked somewhat soft.

 

In scoring his third win from just eight outings, the Chris Van Niekerk-owned French Navy is the fourth group I winner for former Italian group I winner Count Dubois and the first stakes winner for his dam, the stakes-placed Elliodor mare Redoubtable. The latter is out of former Zimbabwean champion 3-year-old filly Gypsy Silk and from the same family as former South African champion sprinter Basic Instinct. 

 

French Navy, who was bred by James Armitage, could be aimed at the third leg of the Triple Crown, the SA Derby (SAf-I), to be run April 25 at Turffontein.