Jack Milner
What the R1.25-million HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes lacks in quantity, it sure makes up in quality.
The Grade 1 race over 1600m will be run on the Standside track at Turffontein on Saturday but
Princess Calla, who won this race last year, is the surprise omission from the final line-up.
There are seven runners carded to go to post but it is highly competitive with many runners having winning chances.
A lot depends on the mood of Mike de Kock-trained Desert Miracle, who if runs to her best ability, is unquestionably the runner to beat.
In January she caused a major upset when she beat hot favourite Captain’s Ransom to win the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
She comes in as the best-weighted runner by at least 5kg and will have Craig Zackey in the irons.
She did, however, disappoint in her first run back on the Highveld when a 5.50-length fourth behind stablemate Humdinger, as well as Marigold Hotel and Feather Boa, all of whom will be reopposing her on this occasion.
She was reported to be coughing post-race and it is perhaps best to just put a line through that performance. After all, De Kock is preparing her for a Grade 1 race, not a Pinnacle Stakes.
While Tarry has not got Princess Calla in the field, he does have two useful performers in Marigold Hotel and Under Your Spell.
Under Your Spell ran out an easy winner of the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes and followed that up with a fourth place behind Trip Of Fortune in the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over this course and distance last time. This daughter of Capetown Noir is ultra-consistent and has to be a lively contender in this line-up.
Jockey Louie Mxothwa rode her in both of her last two starts and he is back on board again.
However, the value in the race could lie with Gimme A Shot.
After a couple of disappointing runs, she put in a cracking performance in the Horse Chestnut Stakes when suffering severe interference close home and still manage to finish sixth behind Trip Of Fortune.
The Mike and Adam Azzie-trained filly finished just 0.75 lengths behind Under Your Spell and but for the interference that distance could have been overcome.
“I believe she could have at least finished second had she not been taken out,” said Mike Azzie yesterday. “She could even have perhaps troubled Trip Of Fortune.”
He reported the filly was well and they were hoping for a big run. She did in the Grade 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes over this course and distance in November last year.
De Kock-trained Humdinger does not know how to run a bad race. The daughter of What A Winter has run 12 times for the De Kock yard for four wins and seven places. S’manga Khumalo takes the ride for the first time.
Feather Boa has to be one of the unluckiest fillies in racing as she has been touched off in her last three races, which included the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas and SA Fillies Classic, as well as a recent Pinnacle Stakes won by Humdinger, with Marigold Hotel in second over 1400m at this course. Just 0.15 lengths separated the three so it could be tight between the trio this time.
The seventh runner is Grade 3 Starling Stakes winner Miss Daisy. The Billy Ruiters-trained runner was supplemented into the field and has some excellent form to her name. The one concern is she has not run well over 1600m.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 2 Pure Predator, 1 Fire 'N Flames, 9 Royal Summons, Barbaresco
Race 2: 0 Women Of Fame, 7 Red Hot Rose, 1 Global Thunder, 9 Sugary Sweet
Race 3: 4 Poursomesugaronme, 1 Gimme A Diamond, 2 Quixote, 16 Simply Magic
Race 4: 7 Chyavana, 4 Hithemhardsunshine, 2 Godswood, 8 Ikigai
Race 5: 2 Terra Time, 1 Gilded Butterfly, 4 Escape Artist, 3 Crimson Princess
Race 6: 2 Trump My Queen, 1 High Roller, 3 Elembee, 9 Skyfull
Race 7: 5 Apache Fighter, 9 Red Maple, 1 Light Of The Moon, 3 Flying First Class
Race 8: 5 Gimme A Shot, 1 Desert Miracle, 2 Under Your Spell, 6 Feather Boa
Race 9: 4 Just Be Nice, 8 Sharapova, 2 Trentino, 1 Lilliana
Race 10: 1 Aussenkehr, 2 Wind Water, 3 Super Agra, 4 Set To Go
BEST BET
Race 2 No 10 Women Of Fame
VALUE BET
Race 3 No 14 Poursomesugaronme
BEST SWINGER
Race 10 1x2
BIPOT
R288
Leg 1: 10
Leg 2: 1, 2, 14, 16
Leg 3: 2, 4, 7
Leg 4: 1, 2, 4
Leg 5: 1, 2
Leg 6: 1, 3, 5, 9
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 1, 2, 14
Leg 2: 4, 7
Leg 3: 1, 2
Leg 4: 2
Leg 5: 1, 5, 9
Leg 6: 1, 2, 5
Leg 7: 4, 8
PICK 6
R2160
Leg 1: 2, 4, 7, 8, 11
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3
Leg 4: 1, 3, 5, 9
Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Leg 6: 4, 8
JACKPOT 1
R252
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3
Leg 4: 1, 3, 5, 9
Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
JACKPOT 2
R112
Leg 1: 1, 3, 5, 9
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Leg 3: 4, 8
Leg 4: 1, 2