Sean Tarry stepped up to the feature plate again a week after his big day at Scottsville when 2017 Summer Cup winner Liege bounced back to something near his best form when winning the R250 000 Gr3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup.
Coming off a fair run in the Gold Bowl on Champions Day, the 6yo Liege put his best foot forward running off a mark 15 points below his peak lifetime rating.
Raymond Danielson has Liege in control at the line (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
Easy to back at 12’s, Raymond Danielson, who has a penchant for the features as he showed when steering Chimichuri Run to victory in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint seven days earlier, had Liege relaxed some way off the gallop set by PE visitor Mangrove, who was followed by the favourite Strathdon and Silver Rose.
In the stampede for home , the gaps opened an Danielson switched Liege out at the 300m and the Dynasty gelding stayed on strongly to beat the staying on Gimme One Night by about a length in a time of 148,9 secs.
Raymond Danielson – confident ride
Silver Rose stayed on best after being prominent for a long way to grab third and shade Dynasty’s Blossom, who was finishing well down the inside.
Roy’s Riviera and Silva’s Bullet were not disgraced as they rounded their race off well.
Strathdon faded out and his performance must be classed a disappointment.
Sean Tarry said that they had given Liege a long rest after he won the Summer Cup – “he just never found his form. But the step up in trip seemed to do the trick. And I told Ray (Danielson) that I didn’t want to hear that they went to slow or to see him pulling”.
Owner Chris van Niekerk and his son Erich were not on course to receive the trophy as they were away at Epsom for the Derby.
A R650 000 Cape Ready To Run Sale graduate , the Maine Chance bred Liege is a son of the deceased Dynasty (Fort Wood) out of the eight time winner Lyrical Linda (Jallad).
It has been a while between drinks for Liege – his last win was in the 2017 Summer Cup – but he has done alright and has now won 7 races with 5 places from 34 starts for stakes of R2 123 800!
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Gr3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup (SAf-Gr3)
Greyville, South Africa, June 1, R250k, 2400m, turf, good, 2.28.09
1 – LIEGE (SAF), 55.0, b g 6, Dynasty (SAF) – Lyrical Linda (SAF) by Jallad (USA). Owner Mr C J H Van Niekerk; Breeder Maine Chance; trainer SG Tarry; jockey R Danielson
2 – Gimme One Night (SAF), 53.0, b g 5, Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) – Fiesta Queen (SAF) by Parade Leader (USA)
3 – Silver Rose (SAF), 56.0, b g 6, Silvano (GER) – Sydney Rose (AUS) by Last Tycoon (IRE)
Margins: 2.10, 0.25, 0.05
