Capping a good day at the office for the Sean Tarry yard on the former champion trainer’s late Dad’s birthday, the Vercingetorix filly Mia Moo registered her maiden stakes successat her first run since returning from her Cape Summer campaign.
The smart filly won the R225 000 4Racing Gr3 Sycamore Sprint at Turffontein on Saturday.

Mia Moo (Piere Strydom) registers her maiden stakes win at her first run since returning from her Cape Summer campaign (Pic – JC Photos)
Racing in the orange and blue silks of World Sports Betting, in partnership with Sandy and Eugene Arundel’s Itssa IT & Business Solutions – the same ownership of Sunday’s recently auctioned Cape Slipper candidate Malmesbury Missile – the Klawervlei bred flyer was given a superb ride by veteran champion Piere Strydom, who guided her to an overdue and deserved victory.
Strydom produced Mia Moo (6-1) late in the race to hold off the pacy and determined year younger Komati River (25-1) to win by a half length in a time of 67,07 secs for the 1160m.
Chrome Tourmaline (7-1) maintained her consistent form in third, with gallant topweight Elegant Ice (7-2) rounding off the quartet, some 2,65 lengths off the winner.
Stablemate to the runner-up and the 18-10 favourite, Almond Sea was relaxed after a slightly slow start, and then appeared hesitant under Gavin Lerena to take a gap between Elegant Ice and the outside rail. She ran fifth and 3,55 lengths off the winner. We’d suggest that this run is best ignored.
Winning rider Piere Strydom called it a ‘pleasing win’.
“Mia Moo flew the gates and showed plenty of speed. I pulled her back. At the end she had had enough on the sticky going. Well done to Sean Tarry for having her ready to win,” added Striker.
Tarry said that Piere Strydom had given Mina Mou ‘a sympathetic ride’.

Piere ‘Striker’ Strydom strikes a winning pose! (Pic – JC Photos)
“We went light on her the last ten days , given the continuity of work we did in the Cape. Our team did a really good job in the Cape. This is my late Dad’s birthday and it’s funny how the yard always seems to have a good day,” added the former national champion emotionally.
A R300 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, Mia Moo took her win tally to 4 with 8 places from her 14 starts. She has earned R488 325.
Bred by Klawervlei, Mia Moo is a daughter of Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the four-time winning Captain Al mare, Leeward.