Gr1 winning trainer Adam Marcus has engaged 2018 Met winning jockey Grant van Niekerk to ride his smart 3yo filly Princess Calla in the R1 million Cape Town Met on 30 January.
Princess Calla comes in with 51,5kgs, the same weight carried by the Snaith’s Oh Susanna, who held off a late challenge from Last Winter to win the 2018 renewal of the Cape flagship.
Princess Calla – runs in the Gr1 Cape Town Met (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
A multiple Gr1-placed daughter of Flower Alley, Princess Calla will be having only her sixth start and her trainer is adamant that she will enjoy the 2000m.
He says that she is a powerful filly who is getting mentally stronger with each run.
Adam told the Sporting Post that original plans had been to run the stable’s Gr1 star Missisippi Burning on the same afternoon in the Majorca, but a sale transaction has been concluded and the daughter of Captain Al is likely to enter quarantine next week en route to a stud career in Australia.
CAPE TOWN MET (Grade 1)
Open to horses at Weight For Age
WFA: 3yrs-6kgs 4yrs-0.5kgs
No Apprentice Allowance
| 0 | Rainbow Bridge | (6G) | 60 | 132 | A | Eric Sands | |
| 0 | Do It Again | Accepted | (6G) | 60 | 131 | CA | Justin Snaith |
| 0 | Belgarion | Accepted | (5G) | 60 | 130 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 0 | Cirillo | (5H) | 60 | 126 | A | Sean Tarry | |
| 0 | Nexus | Scratched | (5G) | 60 | 117 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 0 | African Night Sky | Accepted | (7G) | 60 | 115 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 0 | Capoeira | Scratched | (5G) | 60 | 113 | BA | Andre Nel |
| 0 | Hudoo Magic (AUS) | Scratched | (5G) | 60 | 110 | A | Brett Crawford |
| 0 | Sovereign Spirit | (5G) | 60 | 106 | BA | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 0 | Majestic Mozart | Scratched | (5G) | 60 | 105 | A | Candice Bass-Robinson |
| 0 | Golden Ducat | (4G) | 59.5 | 128 | A | Eric Sands | |
| 0 | Silver Operator | (4C) | 59.5 | 112 | A | Vaughan Marshall | |
| 0 | Sachdev | Scratched | (4G) | 59.5 | 108 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 0 | King Of Gems | Scratched | (4C) | 59.5 | 107 | AT | Brett Crawford |
| 0 | Super Silvano | Scratched | (4C) | 59.5 | 104 | A | Brett Crawford |
| 0 | Seventh Gear | (4G) | 59.5 | 103 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 0 | Azores | (4G) | 59.5 | 101 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 0 | Captain Of Stealth | (4C) | 59.5 | 101 | A | Vaughan Marshall | |
| 0 | Baby Shooz | Scratched | (4G) | 59.5 | 97 | AT | Peter Muscutt |
| 0 | Sir Michael | (4G) | 59.5 | 95 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 0 | Queen Supreme (IRE) | (5M) | 57.5 | 126 | A | Mike de Kock | |
| 0 | Running Brave | (5M) | 57.5 | 119 | A | Fanie Bronkhorst | |
| 0 | Summer Pudding | Scratched | (4F) | 57 | 129 | A | Paul Peter |
| 0 | Malmoos | (3C) | 54 | 114 | A | Mike de Kock | |
| 0 | Silvano’s Timer | (3G) | 54 | 108 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 0 | $Princess Calla | Accepted | (3F) | 51.5 | 116 | A | Adam Marcus |
| (26) | |||||||
A further three scratchings has reduced the Cape Town Met entry to 17, with Brett Crawford having withdrawn his trio of entries.
Crawford, who has won the Met three times, will thus not saddle a runner this year.
Randjesfontein-based Fanie Bronkhorst has adopted a wait-and-see approach with his Gr3 London News Stakes winner Running Brave.
Running Brave wins the London News (Pic – JC Photos)
Fanie told the Sporting Post on Tuesday that a decision had to be made on whether to travel and possibly risk losing the chance to run in the Highveld features.
He also does not have the option to utilise Running Brave’s regular pilot Muzi Yeni, who is locked in to Gauteng province under the present NHRA travel protocols.
Fanie says that he will make a decision at declarations on Wednesday.
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