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Horse Racing, General News, Sean Tarry, Stuart Pettigrew, Alec Laird, Calvin Habib, Muzi Yeni, Gavin Lerena, PARISIAN WALKWAY, Mike and Mathew de Kock, Callan Murray, SPEEDMAN, Keagan de Melo, TURN IT UP, THE REASON, REECE'S WISH, TROMBOLINES, Candice and Tammy Dawson, DELAWARE RIVER

Tarry to Turn It Up at Turffontein

December 2025

Jack Milner

There is an interesting 10-race card on the Standside track at Turffontein on Tuesday and a number of the races appear to be two-horse affairs.

That, however, does not look to be the case with the opening race on the card where Sean Tarry sends out Turn It Up in this Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m.

The Querari colt made his debut in the first juvenile race of the season on the Highveld and was one of the talked-about runners in the field of that 800m event.

He was the early favourite but then the money poured on to Tony Peter-trained Heath House who he said was showing loads of speed at home. That proved to be the case but Turn It Up did well to finish second, although beaten 3.50 lengths.

He showed his inexperience in that race but still produce the fastest final 400m and the form was franked when Heath House came out to win again, this time by seven lengths.

One would imagine that unless there is a very good first-timer in the field Turn It Up will be very hard to oppose.

Keagan de Melo takes the ride.

Races 4, 5, and 6 could well be two-horse affairs. Race 4 is a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1400m and with Winds Of Grace finally winning last week and now a scratching, this race should be fought out by Stuart Pettigrew-trained Delaware Bay and Tarry’s The Reason.

Delaware Bay has had a third-place followed by two seconds in her last three races, and jumping from No 1 draw, is the horse to beat.

However, she has had a number of chances so preference is for The Reason, who has only raced twice and improved markedly in her last outing to finish a 1.90-length third behind Hathighwaytothesky over 1160m at this course.

He should enjoy the slightly longer trip and will have Muzi Yeni up again.

There was a lot to like about the debut run of Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Trombolines when finishing a 0.50-length second behind Magic Carpet Ride, and the son of Querari is expected to go one better in Race 5, a Maiden Plate over 1400m.

He will jump from No 1 draw and has Callan Murray in the irons.

However, Candice and Tammy Dawson, who are in top form currently, have a useful Vercingetorix filly in Reece’s Wish, and she has run twice for two seconds. She gets a 3kg sex allowance and will have Gavin Lerena up.

Race 6 is a Graduation Plate over 1600m and on paper this race is at the mercy of last season’s Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas winner Parisian Walkway. Alec Laird’s charge is the best weighted runner by 2.5kg over next best weighted Solar Sail, and then 14kg and more against the balance of the field.

He has been running against the likes of Eight On Eighteen, The Equator and Quid Pro Quo and should be hard to beat with Calvin Habib up.

However, Tarry has unbeaten Speedman in the field who he rates highly, and this three-year-old Vercingetorix gelding will need to live up to his name if he is to win this. He has been thrown into the deep end but has done nothing wrong so far and needs to be respected, especially with Craig Zackey up.

 

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 8 Turn It Up, 1 Buffalo King Cody, 2 Catfish, 7 Theodore Rooseveld

Race 2: 4 Duchess Zahra, 5 Elegant Edge, 1 Princess Of All, 6 Foxy After Dark

Race 3: 8 Taking A Risk, 1 Rock Music, 7 Stoneywood, 3 Underdog

Race 4: 9 The Reason, 3 Delaware River, 8 Master's Rose, 7 Asminderod

Race 5: 8 Trombolines, 10 Reece's Wish, 4 Red Sunrise, 7 Knowmore

Race 6: 1 Parisian Walkway, 4 Speedman, 3 Solar Sail, 2 Deception Pass

Race 7: 5 United Council, 4 Nebraas, 3 Navajo Nation, 2 Poets Warrior

Race 8: 9 Military Moves, 4 Texas Missile, 6 Repetition, 5 Real Stunner

Race 9: 5 Mattiazo, 1 The Mightiest, 2 Michael Faraday, 7 Commander Of All

Race 10: 9 Tommy Atkins, 11 Spy Story, 6 Clever Trevor, 2 War Of Kingdoms

 

BEST BET

Race 1: 8 Turn It Up

VALUE BET

Race 9: 5 Mattiazo

BEST SWINGER

Race 4 3x9

 

BIPOT                                

R216

Leg 1: 1, 4, 5

Leg 2: 1, 7, 8

Leg 3: 3, 9

Leg 4: 8, 10

Leg 5: 1, 4

Leg 6: 3, 4, 5

 

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R144

Leg 1: 1, 8

Leg 2: 3, 9

Leg 3: 8

Leg 4: 1, 4

Leg 5: 4, 5

Leg 6: 4, 6, 9

Leg 7: 1, 2, 5

 

PICK 6

R720

Leg 1: 3, 9

Leg 2: 8, 10

Leg 3: 1, 4

Leg 4: 3, 4, 5

Leg 5: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9

Leg 6: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7

 

JACKPOT 1

R72

Leg 2: 8, 10

Leg 3: 1, 4

Leg 4: 3, 4, 5

Leg 5: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9

 

JACKPOT 2

R450

Leg 1: 1, 4

Leg 2: 3, 4, 5

Leg 3: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9

Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7

 

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