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With 4 horses in the July, Tarry has the whip hand

SADDLING UP: Trainer Sean Tarry still favours Buy and Sell, despite the draw. Sean Tarry. Business Day 5 May 2009, page 20.
SADDLING UP: Trainer Sean Tarry still favours Buy and Sell, despite the draw. Sean Tarry. Business Day 5 May 2009, page 20.

Trainer Sean Tarry is hitting a rich vein of form - just 10 days before the Vodacom Durban July in which he has four runners.

Trainer Sean Tarry is hitting a rich vein of form - just 10 days before the Vodacom Durban July in which he has four runners.

Tarry saw Buy And Sell as his main runner this year before the draw. But he drew 16 while his other runners were luckier: Successful Bidder drew four, Wendywood one and Bound By Honour seven.

But, although initially believing Buy And Sell's draw was a disappointment, he now thinks the four-year-old could benefit from a slow-run race by coming out wide, especially with the experienced Felix Coetzee in the saddle.

Last season Tarry believed that the gelding would be better as a four-year-old and said his performance in his most recent race in the Gold Challenge was "very pleasing".

He says the July gallops will be important in bringing all of his horses "to their peak".

Successful Bidder's run in the Gold Challenge also pleased Tarry, as he ran on very well in the straight from a long way back.

Previous to that race, nothing had gone Successful Bidder's way in the Gomma Gomma and in the heavy ground he was unfortunately struck in the eye by a flying clod.

Tarry says that Successful Bidder needed to be "freshened up" after that race and he had therefore lacked his usual cruising speed in the Gold Challenge.

Successful Bidder will be ridden by experienced Australian-based jockey Glyn Schofield, who proved himself a top jockey here last year after returning from Hong Kong.

Tarry feels that the six-year-old Jallad gelding's odds of 50-1 looks too extreme, saying: "He has run one bad race in his career and people seem to have written him off."

Talking about the three-year-old filly, Wendywood, Tarry says he is pleased with her draw at one. "With her inexperience I am glad she got a draw she will be familiar with."

The filly was drawn in the same position when coming from way back in a slow-run race to win the Woolavington over 2000m at Greyville in her last start.

"She is a very big filly too, so will not be knocked about and squeezed out of it on the inside rail."

Wendywood, who will be ridden by Singapore-based Barend Vorster, has burst into the July frame from nowhere - having only made her debut on May 23. It would be an incredible feat if she were to land the big one but, with the devastating turn of speed she has shown in both her runs, it is not impossible.

Tarry says the Jubilee, at 1800m, was too sharp for Bound By Honour in the fast winter going of the Highveld in his last start. But despite the slow-run race "that race brought him on nicely".

Bound By Honour, who finished a creditable three-length fourth in hard going in the Gomma Gomma, over 2000m, will be ridden by champion jockey Mark Khan.

Tarry sums up his horses's chances in the July by saying: "Last year my two horses had such a perfect preparation that I thought if I didn't win it then, it would be a difficult race to win in the future - but we did have some bad luck in the running."

"So this year I'm hoping for better luck and I'm happy with their draws."

He mentions Pocket Power as a clear danger and says no one really knows whether Dancer's Daughter will stay the distance.

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