It has been ten years since five-times SA champion trainer Sean Tarry saddled a Durban July winner.
But with 6 of the remaining 48 entries for the 2023 Hollywoodbets Durban July, the Randjesfontein conditioner might fancy his chances in the 127th renewal of the big race on 1 July.
Sean Tarry – top notch trainer (Pic – JC Photos)
Currently second on the national log behind Justin Snaith, Tarry recently celebrated his 2500th winner and will go down in history as a leading South African 21st century trainer, with an impressive 277 stakes winners and 65 Gr1 winners, including all of South Africa’s ‘majors’.
The Tarry honour roll lists 32 Equus Awards, a Triple Tiara winner and five National Trainer titles. That’s good going in anybody’s book!
While he concedes that his yard is half the size it was in the halcyon days, and that it has been challenging over the past few years, Tarry is on record saying that they have got some good clients that are rebuilding with them and that his team are ‘gaining momentum and getting strong again.’
In reference to his 2500 winner milestone just over a week ago, he said: “We’ve got such poor visibility of what’s been achieved in the past, I don’t know what a good number is? Mike de Kock has over 3000 and I’m sure Justin Snaith must be close, but sure, it’s a round figure. To be honest, I don’t know what it means, but what it equates to is that I’ve averaged 100 winners a season since I’ve been training, which is what is significant to me.”
Tarry trained Heavy Metal (2013 – Smanga Khumalo) and Pomodoro (2012- Piere Strydom) to win the Durban July when it was still sponsored by Vodacom.
Both horses raced in the silks of then leading owner Chris van Niekerk.
Chris van Niekerk and Piere Strydom after the 2012 Durban July
The big race stake was R3 million the year Piere Strydom produced the magic on the second son of Jet Master after Pocket Power to win the great race.
The 3yo pipped a youthful Grant van Niekerk on Tyrone Zackey longshot Smanjemanje.
Watch the 2012 replay:
Strydom was to wait four years for his fourth July success when The Conglomerate won for Joey Ramsden and owner Markus Jooste in 2016.
Tarry and Van Niekerk won the July again in 2013 when Bosworth-bred Silvano 4yo Heavy Metal beat Run For It to the line to win the R3,5 million contest.
How many faces do you recognise in the Durban July jockey class of 2013?
Bling Khumalo became the first jockey of colour to win the race on a day that the large crowd was called upon to mark a 67 second moment of silence to honour the extraordinary contribution of Nelson Mandela. Khumalo had to wait 9 years to win it again courtesy of Sparkling Water winning the first Durban July sponsored by Hollywoodbets.
Watch the 2013 replay:
The Tarry sextet for the 2023 Hollywoodbets Durban July includes a diverse group of males and females, headed by 2022 SA Triple Tiara queen Rain In Holland (16-1), who found her best form when winning the Gr2 Colorado King Stakes and then going down under a length in third behind Puerto Manzano in the WSB Gr1 Premier’s Champions Challenge.
The current Tarry Hollywoodbets Durban July entry draft includes Sunday’s impressive WSB Gr3 Gold Bowl winning 3yo Future Pearl, fellow fairer sex sophomore Bless My Stars, past Equus champion stayer Nebraas, and smart 4yo’s Litigation (100-1) and Pyromaniac.
- Second declarations close at 11h00 on Monday, 29 May
- Final supplementary entries close at 11h00 on Tuesday, 13 June
- Weights will be published on Tuesday, 13 June
- Final Declaration close at 11h00 on Monday 19 June
- Final Field and Draw announcement will take place on Tuesday, 20 June
- Public gallops (compulsory) will be held on Thursday, 22 June
