Princess Calla tops boards for Empress Club Stakes

Although she will be having her first race on the Highveld, Princess Calla remains the favourite for Saturday’s Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes over 1600m on the Turffontein Standside track.

She is currently trading at 22-10 with Zarina next best at 33-10.

Princess Calla arrived on the Highveld at the end of February and has settled in well with trainer Ashley Fortune at the Vaal.

Zarina is trained by Candice Bass-Robinson who also has Chat Ching in the race but she could find 1600m a touch sharp in a field of this strength.

But this is far from a two-horse race, and one has to respect Mike de Kock-trained Sparkling Water who is third favourite at 7-1.  Although she has been racing over further, she is quite capable of performing over 1600m and it would come as no surprise to see her fight out the finish.

She’s A Keeper will be having her first race on the Highveld but she has good form and with Anton Marcus up, bookmakers are taking no chances and she is fourth favourite at 7-1.

There are three three-year-olds in the line-up and they all have chances. Paul Peter-trained Sprinkles is at 8-1 with Sean Tarry-trained Under Your Spell at 12-1 and stablemate Marygold Hotel at 20-1.

Current betting for the R1.25-million HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes (Grade 1).
22-10 Princess Calla
33-10 Zarina
7-1 Sparkling Water
8-1 She's A Keeper
9-1 Sprinkles
12-1 Under Your Spell
14-1 Bold Fortune, Sentbydestiny
18-1 Chat Ching
20-1 Mount Laurel, Marigold Hotel
40-1 Pretty Betty, Rouge Allure