Sean Tarry and Richard Fourie have formed a powerful combination in recent weeks and the duo were back in the Turffontein feature winner’s box on Saturday when Lucky Lad finished powerfully to catch the free-striding debutante Amber Rock in the final strides to win the R250 000 Gr3 Protea Stakes.
Both the top two are by champion sire Gimmethegreenlight.
There was plenty of confidence and subsequent betting support for the Azzie’s Drakenstein home-bred Amber Rock, who was receiving 5,5kgs from the Tarry topweight.
She eventually started a 17-10 favourite and went from the break at quite a pace.
![](https://www.sportingpost.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Lucky-Lad-JC-Photos-946x630.jpg)
Richard Fourie wins the feature in the famous Beck silks (Pic – JC Photos)
But with the debutante lugging across to the inside and using up valuable energy and ground, Fourie timed things perfectly as Lucky Lad surged forward down the outside with the entire track separating the two.
At the line the 33-10 debut winner Lucky Lad gained the upper hand to score by a neck in a time of 65,18 secs.
Gimmeanotherchance (33-10) was always outpaced and stayed on best of the balance for third.
“He jumped better than last time and was a lot more racy. I battled to keep up with the 54,5kg filly. I was always at him. When the pressure came he responded well and he could be a nice miler in the making,” said Richard Fourie.
An R850 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, Lucky Lad is unbeaten in two starts for stakes of R212 500.
Bred by Varsfontein, he is a son of Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) out of the twice winning Caesour mare, Imperial State.
Watch the replay here: