Former multiple SA Champion Trainer Sean Tarry registered his 19th Grade win at Hollywoodbets Scottsville as the top Randjesfontein stable made it a 1-2 in the R1 million Gr1 Gold Medallion at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday, in a race dominated by the Highveld raiders.
It was a third consecutive success in the prestigious 2yo male 1200m contest for Sean Tarry, after Thunderstruck (2022) and Lucky Lad last year.
Richard Fourie again, as Proceed runs on well (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
We have said it multiple times this season, but have to repeat the maxim that with Richard Fourie in the irons, even the stable cat becomes a runner.
In his bustling and flamboyant style, Fourie produced Proceed through a gap late in the 1200m race, just as his colleague Grant van Niekerk was probably counting his lucky stars as stablemate Cosmic Speed looked a winner.
Backed from 8’s to 33-10, Proceed powered away to beat Cosmic Speed 920-1) by three quarters, in a time of 68,70 secs.
Azzie’s maiden Winds Of Change (14-1) was not disgraced in third, a further 1,40 lengths back, with Lucky Houdalakis’ recent debut winner One More (5-1) rounding off the quartet.
The tote favourite Pistol Pete (7-2) didn’t enjoy the easiest of passages, and finished a 3,20 length fifth.
Winning Form jockey Richard Fourie said the winner has a ‘seriously good turn of foot’.
“It got tight and Calvin (Habib) started moving. I shouted and said I am coming through. This horse makes me look good,” he laughed.
Sean Tarry chats to Rahiel Radakrishna as Daniel Tarry looks on (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Sean Tarry thanked his owners and his team and said that it ‘looked ugly at the 300m’ and observed that there were ‘lots of traffic problems’.
Bred by part owner Laurence Wernars, the winner is a diminutive son of champion Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) out of the one-time winning Captain Al mare, Xplosive Kiss.
A winner of the TAB Gr3 Protea Stakes last time, Proceed has won 3 races with 3 places from 6 starts for stakes of R930 000.
