Tarry looks to stars in the Oaks

Jack Milner

While no filly can win the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara this year, it does make for an interesting clash in Saturday’s Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer Oaks over 2450m on the Turffontein Standside track.

That is because the winners of the first two legs, Lady Of Power (Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas) and Bless My Stars (Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic) will both be lining up for this race and they stand out as the key contenders.

One has to have a preference for Bless My Stars, mainly because Lady Of Power changed stables just before the running of the Fillies Classics and one is still not sure if she has made the adjustment to her new surroundings.

Bless My Stars has always been a talented filly and in her second start finished a 0.30-length third to Canadian Summer in the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600 at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Sean Tarry’s charge has always given the impression she needed a bit of ground and put it all together in the Fillies Classic when going toe-to-toe with Feather Boa right to the line. But under a typically strong ride from S’manga Khumalo, she prevailed by a nose.

She is likely to enjoy this distance even more and has the class to win a race of this nature. Khumalo is up again.

When Lady Of Power won the Fillies Guineas both jockey Piere Strydom and trainer Joe Soma felt she would be even better over further and was a strong Triple Tiara prospect. However, a split in the ownership saw her moved to Mike and Adam Azzie which disrupted her preparation.

However, there is a little but more confidence emanating from the stable right now.

“Her blood is much better, she is looking better and she is working well,” said Mike Azzie yesterday, “so we are far happier going into this race than we were going into the Fillies Classic.

“She has now been in the stable long enough to have the ‘Azzie touch’!”

Strydom has stuck with the ride and if close to her old self, she will contest the finish.

Lucky Houdalakis-trained None Other will enjoy this trip and that could also be true of Tarry’s other runner, Silver Hills.