The top two runners in the betting, Princess Calla and Zarina, have drawn barriers No 2 and No 1 respectively for Saturday’s HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes.
The Grade 1 race for fillies and mares at weight-for-age, will be run over 1600m on the Turffontein Standside track and these two are expected to fight out the finish.
Princess Calla is a top-class filly who has been on the wrong side of Captain’s Ransom five times. Has won a Grade 2 and two Grade 3 events and placed in seven Grade 1 races. This time she looks the filly to beat, is reported to be working well and can claim a well-deserved Grade 1 victory.
She is now with trainer Ashley Fortune at the Vaal, will be ridden by Aldo Domeyer while Zarina, trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, has Keagan de Melo in the irons.
Both horses are reported to be in good nick. “We’ve had Princess Calla with us since the end of February,” said Fortune.
“We haven’t given her a run because we’ve found the horses that have come up to Joburg from Cape Town have done really well with a six-week break into their first run.
“You give them the six weeks, you give them a good gallop and it provides a good foundation and good prep for the race for which they are being prepared.”
Mike de Kock will have Sparkling Water competing in the race and although she has been running over further, she is very versatile, especially if all the rain makes the ground a lot more testing.
S’manga Khumalo takes the ride.
Anton Marcus has accepted the ride on KwaZulu-Natal visitor She’s A Keeper for trainer Gareth van Zyl and she has to jump from barrier No 12 while Paul Peter, who has a high regard for three-year-old filly Sprinkles, admitted he was concerned about pulling No 11 draw.
Unfortunately, HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco will not be able to attend Saturday’s meeting but her father, Mike Wittstock, says they are working hard to restore the Royal Race Day to its pre-Covid status.
“Last year we couldn’t have anybody at the course and this year we are allowed 2,000. But we still have a best-dressed competition and will continue to use the event to raise money for charity.”
Clive Robinson