Former multiple SA champion trainer Sean Tarry may well be looking ahead to the Hollywoodbets Scottsville Festival Of Speed on 3 June after two decent looking fillies maintained their respective clean sheets at Turffontein on Sunday.
Silvano’s daughter American Graffitti completed a 2yo feature double for the Randjesfontein team when winning the R175 000 Listed Storm Bird Stakes under Winning Form jockey Keagan de Melo.
Keagan de Melo (scarlet cap) steers American Graffitti ahead of Fire ‘N Flames (Denis Schwarz) and Qhawe Lami (Kabelo Matsunyane) in an exciting finish (Pic – JC Photos)
The field was reduced to only six runners after three withdrawals, but it produced an exciting outcome.
Following up on her well-supported Vaal winning debut six weeks ago, American Graffitti did the job despite running green and being slightly outpaced early on.
When the in-form De Melo produced American Graffitti (17-10), she picked it up and went on strongly to beat Fire ‘N Flames by half a length in a time of 56,47 secs. This was a marginally slower clock than that achieved by her stablemate Mrs Geriatrix, who carried 2,5kgs more to win the earlier Ruffian Stakes.
Clinton Binda’s maiden Qhawe Lami (16-1) was not disgraced, a half length further back in third.
Watch the replay here:
A R525 000 BSA National Yearling Sale graduate, the Maine Chance-bred daughter of deceased multiple champion sire Silvano (Lomitas) is out of the Al Mufti mare Arabian Empress.
She has now won two from two and has raised her stakes total to R175 000.
Sean Tarry thanked owner Mary Slack for giving him a chance with a filly who should be better suited to further.
“She wasn’t big, but I liked the way she walked and she was very balanced,” observed Tarry, who enjoyed the distinction of selecting and training the 2yo feature double on the day.
