Sean Tarry’s Hollywoodbets Durban July entry Lucky Lad put in a sensational late run under a breathtakingly stupendous Richard Fourie ride to grab top honours in the R1 million Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday, giving the leading conditioner a 50% win strike-rate in the 1200m contest over the last eight renewals.
Superlatives elude us for the exploits of our SA champion jockey elect. Some say ice flows through his veins. Then he flips the accolades on their head, and lauds the Tarry team, saying he couldn’t do it without the horse under him!
Candiese Lenferna captured this terrific shot of the Golden Horse cliffhanger today – Sean Veale, closest to camera, was fourth on Cruise Control, while Kabelo Matsunyane has I Am Giant up for third, while Craig Zackey (red pom pom) is in the runner-up berth on At My Command. That’s Lucky Lad’s nose on the far side!
Whatever, the magic is tangible, and just over a month since Sean Tarry labelled his charge’s Jehan Malherbe Gr2 Senor Santa Stakes last-to-first rocket a ‘mind-blowing win’, the Fourie factor was again in play as Lucky Lad soared to his second Grade 1 victory, and his second strike in the newly-fitted blinkers.
A hop and a skip from home, Lucky Lad couldn’t win the Golden Horse, with lengths to make up, and a wall of horses blocking his path.
But the never-say-die Fourie got the horse he knows so well into full stride and he flew up to snatch victory on the line, a popular 18-10 winner and many folks’ exotic bet anchor.
Lucky Lad registered 67,58 secs for the 1200m, with a flying At My Command (20-1) 0,10 lengths away in second, ahead of stablemate I Am Giant (25-2), with the runaway former Gqeberha resident Cruise Control (16-1) flashing his enormous speed, and almost pulling off a romantic victory. Only 0,30 lengths separated the top four.
An R850 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, Lucky Lad, who races in the famous Beck silks, has now won 6 races with 2 places from 9 starts for stakes of R1 950 000.
Bred by Varsfontein, he is the second consecutive son of Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) after Gimme A Prince to win this race, and is out of the twice winning Caesour mare, Imperial State.
He was also the second leg of a Gimmethegreenlight-Tarry-Fourie Gr1 double after Proceed won the Gr1 Gold Medallion an hour earlier.
