Strong entry for Empress Club Stakes

Jack Milner

This is definitely a case of quality over quantity as eight runners have been nominated to contest the R1.25-million HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes.

The Grade 1 race for fillies and mares run at weight-for-age over 1600m will be run on the Turffontein Standside track on Saturday, 15 April.

Heading up the field is defending champion Princess Calla. Now trained by Sean Tarry, this five-year-old mare is in the form of her life, having won five of her last six starts. The daughter of Flower Alley has turned into a top sprinter-miler having added three Grade 2 sprints this season to her already impressive record.

While in Cape Town she took top honours in the Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m, her first run back since winning the Empress Club Stakes in April last year, and the Sceptre Stakes, both at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

She then made a triumphant return to Joburg where she romped to a 5.25-length victory in the Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m at Turffontein.

But she will be meeting some top opposition headed up by Mike de Kock-trained Desert Miracle, who lowered the colours of Captain’s Ransom in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes over 1600m in the Cape.

Add to that Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes winner Under Your Spell, two talented three-year-old fillies in Feather Boa and Gimme A Shot, consistent Humdinger, back-to-best Marigold Hotel and Listed Jacaranda handicap winner Bureau Des Legendes and racing fans are in for a thrilling contest.

Supplementary entries close at 9am tomorrow with declarations by 11am on Tuesday.

World Sports Betting's early odds:

7-10 Princess Calla;

5-1 Desert Miracle, Under Your Spell;

8-1 Feather Boa, Gimme A Shot;

10-1 Humdinger;

16-1 Marigold Hotel;

50-1 Bureau Des Legende.

Entries for the R1.25-million HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes (Grade 1)(Fillies and Mares at weight-for-age) over 1600m.

1 BUREAU DES LEGENDE (R Klaasen) 60.0

6 DESERT MIRACLE (M F De Kock) 60.0

5 HUMDINGER (M F De Kock) 60.0

7 MARIGOLD HOTEL (S G Tarry) 60.0

4 PRINCESS CALLA (S G Tarry) 60.0

8 UNDER YOUR SPELL (S G Tarry) 60.0

3 FEATHER BOA (S T Pettigrew) 57.5

2 GIMME A SHOT (M/A Azzie) 57.5