Sean Tarry is a master on the big days but he delivered something of a curved ball for punters in the R500 000 Gr2 Dingaans when the lesser fancied of his duo stormed home at any price.
We didn’t learn from the King Of Gems curved ball in last week’s Gr2 Concorde Cup at Kenilworth!
Unfancied at 50-1, the 95 rated Shango looked to have plenty to do to beat his Gr1 winning 114 rated stablemate Eden Roc.
Gavin Lerena causes the upset on Shango (Pic – JC Photos)
But after things went Shango’s way and Eden Roc proved a touch enthusiastic in the running, the record Pick 6 bomb dropped as Gavin Lerena claimed his second Gr2 success on a day that looked less than promising when the sun rose on Saturday.
Shango finished full of running under the former SA Champion to storm through his field late and win going away by 2,75 lengths in a time of 96,57 secs.
Mike de Kock’s Frosted Gold was given every chance by Craig Zackey and ran on steadily without being a match for the Tarry galloper.
The smart and gutsy Corne Spies-trained filly Cockney Pride ran a great race a length further back in third.
Disappointments beyond Eden Roc included Astrix (7,75 lengths), Promiseofamaster (8 lengths) and the previously undefeated Marshall (14 lengths).
The Heritage Stud-bred Shango was a R425 000 CTS Ready To Run graduate and has won two races with three places from six starts for stakes of R399 625.
He is a first graded stakes winner for former SA Champion Sprinter Captain Of All, a son of the legendary Captain Al.
A triple Gr1 winner, Captain Of All was crowned South Africa’s Champion First Crop Sire for 2018-2019,
Shango is out of the four-time winning Jet Master mare, Scorched. Sean Tarry has enjoyed plenty of success with the family.
The top trainer appeared surprised and apologetic when he explained that he had genuinely expected Eden Roc to beat Shango.
As Geoff Woodruff quipped in an interview with the Sporting Post this week.- ‘we wouldn’t run races if we knew the results…’
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Gr2 Dingaans (SAf-Gr2)
Turffontein, South Africa, November 30, R500k, 1600m, turf, good, 1.36.57
1 – SHANGO (SAF), 60.0, b c 3, Captain Of All (SAF) – Scorched (SAF) by Jet Master (SAF). Owner Messrs C J H van Niekerk & B G Gardner; Breeder Heritage Stud; trainer SG Tarry; jockey G Lerena
2 – Frosted Gold (NZ), 60.0, gr g 3, All Too Hard (AUS) – Mary D’or (FR) by Verglas (IRE)
3 – Cockney Pride (SAF), 57.5, b f 3, Querari (GER) – Lovely Jubbly (SAF) by Rakeen (USA)
Margins: 2.75, 1.00, 1.00
