Defending champion Princess Calla will not line up in Saturday’s HSH Princess Charlene Gr1 Empress Club Stakes, but the final field of seven promises a tightly contested race.
Former SA champion trainer Sean Tarry told the Sporting Post on Tuesday afternoon that Princess Calla had recorded a slightly raised temperature a fortnight ago and a decision was made to rather skip Saturday’s Gr1 contest.
Hawaii Stakes winner Under Your Spell – big runner in tightly contested Gr1 on Saturday (Pic – Candiese Lenferna )
“One can run a maiden two weeks after a mild temperature, but she’s a class Gr1 performer and I would not want her to have run a sub standard race. The temperature also meant that she missed a few days work. The owners understand racing, and while we are all disappointed, we will be back this season,” added Tarry, who has two serious contenders in Hawaii Stakes winner Under Your Spell and Marigold Hotel.
The seasoned conditioner said that while the 2023 Schweppes Gr1 Majorca Stakes winner Desert Miracle was the horse to beat at best, it was a fascinating race looking at the formlines.
He pointed out that in the Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge on Summer Cup day, Gimme A Shot (52 kgs)had beaten Under Your Spell by 3,50 lengths in receipt of 8 kgs, with Feather Boa (52 kgs) and Marigold Hotel (59 kgs) in third and fourth.
“Both Under Your Spell and Marigold Hotel are very well. It’s going to be interesting at the weight for age terms on Saturday,” said Tarry.
Under Your Spell was a fair fourth behind Trip Of Fortune in the HF Oppenheimer Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes last time out and was just under a length in front of the Azzie’s Gimme A Shot (received 2,5kgs), who was badly impeded in running.
Standout top-rated Desert Miracle has had just the single start since her Gr1 success on Cape Town Met day, and was clearly in need of it when beaten 5,50 lengths by Humdinger and Marigold Hotel (both in receipt of 4 kgs), with Feather Boa (receiving 6kgs from Desert Miracle) a neck behind the top two.
As Sean Tarry suggests, there are a number of sub-plots and formlines and nothing is cut and dried.
1st R781250, 2nd R250000, 3rd R125000, 4th R62500, 5th R31250
HSH PRINCESS CHARLENE EMPRESS CLUB STAKES (Grade 1)
For Fillies and Mares at Weight-for-Age
WFA: 2yrs-12.5kgs 3yrs-2.5kgs 4yrs-0kgs
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
| 1 | 5 | Desert Miracle | 60 | 124 | A | Craig Zackey | Mike de Kock | |
| 2 | 7 | Under Your Spell | 60 | 114 | THA | Luyolo Mxothwa | Sean Tarry | |
| 3 | 4 | Humdinger | 60 | 108 | A | S’manga Khumalo | Mike de Kock | |
| 4 | 6 | Marigold Hotel | 60 | 107 | HA | Richard Fourie | Sean Tarry | |
| 5 | 1 | Gimme A Shot | 57.5 | 113 | A | Juan Paul v’d Merwe | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 6 | 2 | Feather Boa | 57.5 | 108 | A | Keagan de Melo | Stuart Pettigrew | |
| 7 | 3 | Miss Daisy | 57.5 | 108 | T A | Ryan Munger | Billy Ruiters | |
| Same Trainer | ||||||||
| (1,3) (2,4) | ||||||||
