Trainer comments Gold Cup day by

Sean Tarry has a big team for the Super Saturday meeting at Greyville this weekend and included among them are Gold Onyx and Serissa, who run in the big one, the eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m.



He said, “Gold Onyx is in good order, but the jury is still out on whether he stays. Serissa is even more of a gamble. He is a big free-strider, and doesn’t quicken too well, but we might even change the tactics and drop him out. It is one thing setting the pace for Gold Onyx but you are then doing it for a dozen others too.”



Tarry has three runners in the Gr 1 Beach Beauty Champions Cup, Pomodoro, Halve The Deficit and Whiteline Fever.



Pomodoro is a former Vodacom Durban July winner and was controversially only made second reserve for this year’s big race, so missed out.



Tarry said, “He is in good shape and I expect a big run.”



Jockey Anthony Delpech was pleased with Pomodoro’s recent workout and said, “The main thing is he’s sound and is striding out very well.”



Interestingly, Piere Strydom had said before the July that he would have preferred to have been on Pomodoro, but asked by Tarry who he wanted to ride here, he stuck with his July ride Halve The Deficit.



Tarry said, “Piere probably thought this race was too short for Pomodoro and I can understand that. Anthony has also done a lot of the work on Pomodoro and we have freshened him up. The bottom line is that this race is 400m shorter and he was being prepared for the July 2200m trip. The July panellists probably thought I was bluffing when I said he was my number one, but if this race was over 2200m I don’t think it would be a race. I probably only kept Halve The Deficit in because of Piere’s decision. I think he is in trouble at the weights and can’t see him giving Pomodoro 2,5kg, although neither have the best of draws. Halve The Deficit probably showed his level of ability in the July as he had every chance. He might do better over this shorter trip, but has had a long campaign.”



He said about Whiteline Fever, “He has taken the July run well, we have freshened him up and he is looking fantastic. The draw is against him, but he is better treated at the weights than Halve The Deficit and is very honest.”



He runs the top filly Carry On Alice as well as Run For Revelry in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m and said, “Carry On Alice had a wide draw on July day and the horses on the outside seemed to struggle all day and they struggled to make up ground as there was a tailwind. I think the results there can be ignored. She is drawn wide again, but is fit and well and I hope there is not a bias again on Saturday.”



He added, “Run For Revelry has made good progress every time she has run, I don’t know if she is this class but it’s a good time to find out, although she is also drawn badly.”



He said about his three Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes runners plus one reserve, “I think Captain Clipper is a nice horse and he will appreciate the extra distance and will probably appreciate being closer to the pace too, so from a nice draw I think he can improve on his Golden Horseshoe run on July day. I think Imperial Gold is a top horse. It might come too soon, but he’s got the ability and the draw and it wouldn’t shock me to see him win. Lock Him Up has been disappointing since his maiden win, but I think he needs to be left alone and picked up when he’s ready rather than be forced and he could improve. They somehow felt that Kapitan was not good enough to get in and that’s fine.”



Tarry runs Enchanted Silk in the Gr 2 Gold Bracelet less than a week after she ran in the Listed Queen Palm Handicap over 2400m. He said, ”That last run was probably too far. She will go for a nice break after this so it is worth taking a chance, but we can’t be too hopeful at the weights.”



Tarry is bullish about the chances of Money Doesn’t Count in the first race.



He said, “He is a big runner from a reasonable draw. He didn’t get a good position last time and Anthony (Delpech) said afterwards he would go close the next time he ran on the poly.”



Delpech duly has the ride again over the same course and distance.



Tarry runs Gold Bank in the fourth over 2400m.



He said, “His last run can be ignored as he was too handy, he must be dropped out and then he will run on strongly.”



He felt that both Always Al and Circle Of Speed would take well to the polytrack in the eleventh and twelfth races, although they have both landed wide draws.

The Tara Laing-trained Port Elizabeth raider Crown Of Gold arrived at Clairwood this morning (Thursday) ahead of his engagement in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m at Greyville on Saturday.



The five-year-old Silvano gelding is staying at the Vaughan Marshall yard and clearly travelled well as he got off the float and went straight to the manger and began eating up.



Laing seconded the belief that Silvano’s progeny improve with age and added, “It is without a shadow of a doubt that they do.”



Crown Of Gold takes his racing very well indeed and his campaign in which he has run seven staying races this year should be of no concern to supporters.



Laing said, “He was hardly blowing after his easy win over 3600m last time. We usually give them a good week long break after a race like that, but he was bouncing around so we put him back into work two days later. He is well and we have kept him fresh.”



Kevin Shea’s agent phoned and asked for the ride and Shea will canter him at Clairwood tomorrow (Friday).



Laing concluded, “The way he won the Port Elizabeth Gold Cup (Listed race over 3600m with 59kg on his back by 7,5 lengths) he has to have a chance.”

Mike Bass said that it was debateable whether Jeppe’s Reef was good enough to retain his crown in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m at Greyville on Saturday, but was happy with the six-year-old Jallad gelding’s wellbeing.



He said, “He has come well and has had a nice preparation. His last run in the Nokia Gold Vase didn’t work out well as he was caught wide. If things go his way he could be thereabouts.



Bass has one other Gr 1 runner on the day, Seven Grand, who runs in the Thekwini Stakes over 1600m. He said, “She is going through a growing stage and is becoming big and rangy, so needs to strengthen, but she will definitely enjoy the mile and could be involved in the finish.”



He runs Shingwedzi and Supreme Sunset in the Gr 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m.



Stable jockey Grant van Niekerk is aboard Shingwedzi and MJ Byleveld rides Supreme Sunset.



Bass said, “They are not well in on weight for age terms, but Shingwedzi is improving all the time and I’m very happy with this distance for her. I’m not sure that Supreme Sunset stays this trip, but if she does she could get a blow in as she is doing very well.”



Bass was quite bullish about his chances in the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m on the polytrack where Anton Marcus rides Night Trip and Van Niekerk is aboard Ze Kaiser. He said, “This is the right trip for Night Trip. He is in good form and is doing quite well and working well. I think Ze Kaiser could surprise. He has a few niggles so has been a bit disappointing, so I think the poly will suit him. I’m hoping for a good run.”



Bass has Epic Tale in the first on the polytrack over 1400m and said, “Epic Tale ran a good race last time when 3rd over 1600m at Clairwood when coming from last. He is doing nicely and if he takes to the poly and gets going in time, he could have a shout.”

Vodacom Durban July “winner” Wylie Hall put in pleasing work at Ashburton on Tuesday morning in his preparation for Saturday’s Gr1 Beach Beauty Champion Stakes at Greyville. MJ Byleveld was well pleased with the work and Weiho Marwing pronounced him “spot on”.

Byleveld also put Gr1 Zulu Kingdom Golden Slipper winner Bilateral through her paces in preparation for the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes. “That was good work. I’m very happy,” Byleveld reported.

Also having her final hard prep gallop for the Gr1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup was Gr1 SA Oaks winner Ash Cloud. Sean Veale expressed his concern that the filly was taking on males from a bad draw but said, “The two things in my favour are a light weight and she will be fit. Weiho’s horses are always super fit and I won’t be stopping come the end on Saturday.”

Also having their final hard piece of work before Saturday’s Thekwini Stakes were KZN Breeders Million winner Same Jurisdiction and Littleblacknumer ridden by their respective big race riders Kevin Shea and Sean Veale.

Both jockeys expressed their satisfaction with their mounts. Trainer Duncan Howells said that Same Jurisdiction had come on nicely from her last win and was expecting another good performance from the daughter of Mambo In Seattle.