Tarry Takes Million Mile With Matador Man
It was a big day for the Kwazulu-Natal breeders at Greyville on Sunday and particularly for the Scott Bros that bred the winner of the KZN Breeders Million Mile, Matador Man, and the winner of the “Level the Playing Fields” series final, Mark My Card.
But it was champion trainer Sean Tarry that stole part of the limelight on the day with six winners including Matador Man that is out of the mare Sahara, a daughter of Scott Bros top stallion Mogok, sire of many top internationally Group race performers such as local and American Gr1 winner Gypsy’s Warning, and The Apache that won the Group 1 Arlington Million before being placed second on an objection. Gypsy’s Warnings’ three parts brother Romany Prince was part of the field.
Scott Bros not only bred the Toreador gelding but Robin Scott who runs the Highdown Stud in the Nottingham Road area of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and founded the stud 50 years ago with brothers Des and Neville, is part owner of the striking three-year-old that has now won three of his nine starts and placed in four others.
It was a special day also for apprentice jockey Eric Ngwane who was given the ride after carded rider S’manga Khumalo had been stood down during the meeting. The young rider produced an outstanding effort to bring Matador Man down the outside of the field from off the pace to collar the filly Dawn Calling in the final strides to the line.
Allowed to relax near the rear by replacement rider Eric Ngwane as Unagi showed the way into the straight, Matador Man made ground quickly as Dawn Calling hit the lead looking a winner at the 200m.
Matador Man had the reserves though and he came with a thundering late run down the outside to beat Dawn Calling going away by 1,75 lengths in a time of 94,10 secs.
Dawn Calling by Trippi, bred by Anton Procter and who races off a 95, remains a frustrating one-time winner and was registering her eighth second from 15 starts. On the flipside of the coin, she has earned in excess of R630 000!
The winner’s 44-1 stablemate Wukkin’ Up shaded dual Million Mile winner No Worries to bank third cheque.
For Tarry it was another display of the power of the yard that has set a new South African winning stakes record of more than R30-million in a season and there are still many big races to come before the end of July. The yard won the first three races on the card before winning the sixth with Heaps Of Fun, the feature with Matador Man and the final race with Hyaku.
He was purchased by the Tawny Syndicate at R180 000 at the 2015 National 2yo Sale and took his stakes earnings to R888 200.
The field is restricted to horses registered with the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme and the Million Mile field sires included three (all Graded Stakes winners) by Kahal, Silvano, Trippi, Mogok, Toreodor and Visionaire amongst others.
Tarry’s six winners were ridden by S’manga Khumalo (3), Lyle Hewitson (1), Anthony Delpech (1) and Ngwane.
Anthony Delpech won two on the day, the first with Alesh Naidoo’s son of AP Answer and KZN Yearling Sale Million winner, Cutting Edge. Delpech fell off the Clifton-bred before cantering down to the start of the race, when the horse spooked at a shadow on the ground.
For the KZN Breeders Club it was an outstanding success with the other eight races on the card all carrying stakes of R200 000 and all nine races confined to horses registered with the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme in the province.
With 400 breeders, owners and trainers booked into the Durban View room, a big thank you to all and Gold Circle for making an outstanding day possible.
Scenes from the KZN Breeders Race Day below:
