Miss Tarzy causes Flemington boilover

Quirky but talented mare Miss Tarzy has come from last to win the Leilani Series Final (1400m) under a patient Jett Stanley ride at Flemington.

The daughter of Tarzino was sent out a $51 chance with horse racing bookmakers but defied the punters in the last to close over the top of Sassy Boom, who had looked poised for victory.

Prepared by Anthony and Sam Freedman, Miss Tarzy has now won five of her 19 starts, with a further seven placings, but is usually seen to best effect at a mile and beyond.

Connections have hailed the companionship of a stable pony as a key tool for managing the five-year-old mare.

“She is obviously a really gallant mare and she always has been, so we never come here not confident with Tarzy,” stable representative Billie Rodda said.

“It was really impressive to see her win over the 1400m today as she has never done that before.

“She is quite a hot horse on her day and she has got a little friend called Jerry who comes to the races with her now that has completely changed her and that might have been the making of her today.

“She likes a little bit of give in the track and she is just a gallant mare.”

Jockey Jett Stanley said the mare had returned in fine fettle this campaign.

“I jumped her out at her most recent jump-out and underneath me I felt like there was a lot of horse there,” he said.

“She is very quirky and she has a stable pony that lives with her. Because of those quirks we didn’t want to bustle her early.

“1400m was very much a query and she was first-up and up in class. She has proved to us that she has come back a totally different horse this preparation.

“I had a beautiful run into it and went to get on the back of Cindy Falls but I was just moving too fast for the gaps and had to weave my way through them, which I think is what won me the race. She was able to do it without thinking she was doing it.

“Once she hit the front she got a little bit lost but once I asked for that final effort she got me over the line.”

An emotional Stanley paid tribute to much-loved stablehand Peta Tait, who died on Tuesday following a tragic accident at the Cranbourne stable of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, with Tait well-known in the Victorian racing industry.

“I want to send all my love to Peta’s friends and family,” Stanley said.

“It is all the people in the background that make this sport so great and it is a huge credit to everyone for putting in the hard hours and the hard work.”

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