What do they say about 99 percent of all statistics only telling 49 percent of the story? History shows the R250 000 Gr3 Sycamore Sprint to be a veritable favourite’s graveyard but we found a smart Australian bred flyer from the Tarry stable to buck that trend at Turffontein on Saturday.
No tongue tie! S’manga Khumalo looks for the chasers as Tiger’s Touch storms home (Pic – JC Photos)
It is a tough old game this – even when the favourites win – and the slate of amply priced winners on the Sycamore honour roll was wiped clean in just over a minute with a dazzling display of tempered speed from the Tarry flyer Tiger’s Touch.
The daughter of imported stallion Where’s That Tiger put her opponents out of their misery with a very impressive late burst to win decisively as 5-2 favourite under S’manga Khumalo, with another good sort from Down Under in the Good Journey filly Sensible Lover making it an Australian-bred exacta.
Trainer Sean Tarry had enjoyed something of a rollercoaster ride up to then with a 1-2 in the Oaks Trial and the disappointment of losing the Colorado King Stakes in the boardroom – on top of an inexplicably relatively mediocre showing from his star, French Navy.
But the Sycamore was a different story with Tiger’s Touch coming from some way off the pace to cut down her opponents with a smooth first stakes victory that suggested she is destined for better things in the equine world of speed.
Coming through at the 300m, Tiger’s Touch simply drew clear to win by 3,40 lengths in a time of 66,75 secs.
Fellow Aussie-bred Sensible Lover made it an Australian bred exacta when she flew late over a distance short of her proven best to grab second ahead of the game mare Easy Lover, who ran a decent race again to secure third.
Seattle Lady ran on for fourth.
Sean Tarry – happy day at the office after a few bumps in the road
The supremely consistent Tiger’s Touch has now won 4 races with 5 places from 9 starts for stakes of R405 625,
Tiger’s Touch is the third stakes-winner for her sire Where’s That Tiger, who stood at Evergreen Stud and was exported to South Africa in 2014 after five seasons at stud in Australia.
The impressive chestnut stands at The Alchemy in the Western Cape for a stud fee of R10 000 and boasts 80% winners/runners and 40% stakes winners/runners with his imports
Tiger’s Touch is out of the stakes winning two-time winner Brocco Babe (by Brocco) and was retained for racing in South Africa by her breeders, Larry Nestadt and Bernard Kantor.
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Gr3 Sycamore Sprint (SAf-Gr3)
Turffontein, South Africa, March 26, R250k, 1160m, turf, good, 1.06.75
1 – TIGER’S TOUCH (AUS), 55.5, ch f 4, Where’s That Tiger (USA) – Brocco Babe (AUS) by Brocco (USA). Owner Messrs B Kantor & L M Nestadt; Breeder bred in Australia; trainer SG Tarry; jockey S Khumalo
2 – Sensible Lover (AUS), 53.0, b f 4, Good Journey (USA) – Almah (SAF) by Al Mufti (USA)
3 – Easy Game (SAF), 55.5, b m 5, Var (USA) – She’s Game (AUS) by Desert King (IRE)
Margins: 3.40, 0.60, 0.50
