Tiger’s Retreat beats Master Sabina in the 2013 Victory Moon
Trainer Sean Tarry sends out Chris Van Niekerk’s Tiger Ridge gelding Tiger’s Retreat in defence of his R400 000 Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes title at Turffontein on Saturday. The leading trainer confirmed that the traditional Summer Cup last chance saloon was a wide open race with chances to a few.
The yard has been in sparkling form and the Highveld feature season is a renowned hunting ground for a man who has kept Mike De Kock on his toes over the years – despite seldom raiding all over South Africa.
Niggles
Tarry confirmed that Tiger’s Retreat has ‘had his niggles’ when explaining away the statistics which show that the gelding has had only three runs since his big win here last season. He will be ridden again by the jockey who rode such a cracker on him last year.
“Raymond Danielson jumped off after working him on Tuesday morning and said that he was moving really well. That conflicts with what Randall Simons reported after he ran 9,25 lengths behind Bezanova in the Charity Mile two weeks back. I can only think that the going was a touch too hard that day and he may have lacked fitness after his ten month break. He is much fitter now and I expect him to give a decent account of himself.”
When questioned on the fact that Tiger’s Retreat was in the Summer qualifying ‘danger zone’, Tarry confirned that he saw no point in running horses in big races to make up the fields.
“If he is good and ready enough he will show. Then we can look at the Summer Cup.”
Execution
Sean Tarry – quiet confidence
He also saddles the former Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes winner The Hangman, who runs after a seven month break from race action.
He is ridden by SA champion jockey S’manga Khumalo.“The Hangman is a classy gelding and he will line-up quite fit on Saturday. He put in a very good bit of work on Tuesday morning and beat his opponent easily. His recovery rate was a touch on the slow side though and that is an indicator that he may just be found wanting on Saturday,” he said.
On what he rates as his major opposition, Tarry said that the race looked open.
“I would probably have to rate Everest, Glorious Jet or Heart Of A Lion as likely winners, without fully analysing the form, with a horse like Rushmore River a likely danger. Mountain Master is yet to prove himself at this level but he appears to have scope for improvement.”
Mountain Man
James Doyle – rides Everest
As in Kenilworth’s feature on Sunday, visiting jockey James Doyle is the only ‘international’ to have picked up a feature ride and he pilots the grey Everest for St John Gray.
The son of Sarge enjoys a weight swing of 4,5kgs with both Mountain Master and Rushmore on their last meeting
Rushmore River ran a 5,75 length third to Master Sabina last time but is in under sufferance and has a poor draw to contend with.
Form Yard
Piere Strydom rides Mountain Master for Bass
Mountain Master hails from the form Bass Gauteng yard and the R2,3 million purchase needs to start putting things together at this level.
He has won 3 from 12 and gets the services of Piere Strydom. His two Joburg runs have been indicative of steady improvement.
Jet Jamboree was well back in the Charity Mile and is a horse who travels a touch too well for his own good. The 1800m may be a bridge too far.
Top weighted Killua Castle represents the class in the race and he stayed on steadily 3,85 lengths behind Bezanova in the Charity Mile. His last victory was over the course and distance and is a horse who should not be underestimated.
Pacy Sort
Killua Castle is the class horse
Everest’s stablemate Glorious Jet is a little inconsistent but finished marginally ahead of Killua Castle in the Charity Mile.
The pacy free-striding Heart Of A Lion has course and distance form to Triple Crown star Louis The King and would be a serious challenger off his weight at best.
It looks tough for the balance of the field, but the race does throw up longshots.
Selection
Killua Castle and Everest are both fit and capable of big efforts, while Tiger’s Retreat can confirm his good work and pull off an unlikely double.
Strydom could be the tonic to get the best out of Mountain Master, while Keagan De Melo will be hard at work to turn a soft lead in his favour on Heart Of A Lion.
