Grade 1 treble for Tarry

Jack Milner

Sean Tarry has done it again!

For the second consecutive year Tarry trained the winners of the two juvenile Grade 1 races at Hollywoodbets Scottsville - the Allan Robertson Championship for fillies and the Gold Medallion - over 1200m.

Both kept their unbeaten records intact, both were ridden by Richard Fourie and both won in style. 

But 35 minutes later he and Fourie added a third successive Grade 1 to their tally when Princess Calla absolutely decimated the field to win the SA Fillies Sprint by 3.20 lengths.  

He almost made it a clean sweep when Thunderstruck looked to be fighting out the finish of the Golden Horse Sprint with Surjay but 18-10 favourite Gimme A Prince flew up down the centre of the track under Keagan de Melo to win going away. 

That was the second Grade 1 victory for Dean Kannemeyer's charge in just 10 starts. The son of Gimmethegreenlight also won the Cape Flying Championship at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in January.   

"This meeting has been a happy hunting ground, "said Tarry. "I seem to be going at my best  this time of my season.

"As you know, you can't do it without the horses and I am privileged to have had the horses I've had through my hands."

Mrs Geriatrix, who went off at 7-2, coasted home by 2.30 lengths with Fourie looking over his shoulder with 75m to run in the Allan Robertson Championship while Lucky Lad, who went off at 11-10, came away to win the Gold Medallion by 5.30 lengths.

The expected battle between Mrs Geriatrix and Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Winter Cloud, the 11-10 favourite, never materialised as the latter dropped to last at one stage and while she did run on to claim second spot, some two lengths clear of third-placed Elegant Ice, she never looked like winning.   

Shortly after hitting the front Lucky Lad started to duck in quite badly but when he finally found his stride the race was all over. Outlaw King got second ahead of Guy Gibson.   

 "From day one he's given the feel of a quality animal and he gives it all when you ask him," said Fourie.

"But today he showed a lot of greenness. I went through a gap at the 500m and the moment he almost got to the front he saw the stage (on the inside of the track) and he ran in quite badly

"I was a bit concerned I wasn't clear enough of the other horses. But he is a two-year-old, first time at Scottsville and he was green.

"I kept riding him, I kept shouting at him just to keep up the momentum. But like I said, he always showed quality and class."

Princess Calla, who started at 8-10, sat off the pace in the early stages but once he popped the question she hit the front and then went clear of the opposition. Desert Miracle got second ahead of Golden Hostess and Cold Fact.  

"She was relaxed coming out of the gates, I put her in a gap quite early, she hit a flat spot for a moment and then she went way.

"She's really special," said Fourie.