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Princess Calla gives Richard Fourie and Sean Tarry their first Gr 1 win of the season. It was the six-year-old mare’s fifth career Gr 1 victory (Picture: Wayne Marks) 

The Sean Tarry-trained Flower Alley mare was rumoured to be working very well ahead of the City of Cape Town Majorca Stakes (WFA) G1 over 1600m and she bounced back to her best to notch her 12th win in a stellar 27 start career which has yielded six Gr 1 wins from distances of 1200m up to 1800m.

The Glen Kotzen-trained three-year-old front-runner Rascova made a bold bid and recorded her third Gr 1 place, despite starting odds of 40/1.

However, she was no match for Princess Calla who swept past her to win by 3,25 lengths.

Rascova just held on for second ahead of Double Grand Slam with Golden Hostess and Red Palace next best.

The dual Gr 1-winning three-year-old Beach Bomb failed to make inroads from behind and was beaten ten lengths into eleventh place in what was clearly a flat run.

Tarry’s season is gaining momentum in the same way as it did last season.

It was both his and Richard Fourie’s first Gr 1 win of the season.

The wonder-mare started at 15/10.

Fourie said, “There was no other plan. She had to win today. There was pressure. Today the speed was true. She jumped a bit sluggish. I was happy … she was happy. I came into the straight and they parted like the ‘red sea’ there. I said to myself that I’m going to go to the outside where Anthony is … that filly’s got a big stride and she’ll be there all the way and will probably just lay down the last bit. I sat through the 300m today … I waited. She turned it on at the 200m when I asked her. She quickened up like she quickened up in KZN. She finished off well”.
Tarry said, “We had no excuses today if she got beat. We had her exactly where we needed her to be. Well done to Richard. He rode a very clever race today. I disagreed with the interviewer, who said last time he rode a clever race … that wasn’t a clever race, THIS was a clever race. Well done, he deserves the accolades”.
Breeder Andreas Jacobs of maine Chance Farms said: “Very impressive. She’s a classy filly. I think the whole world loves her now, with this amazing success. Year after year she delivers … it’s fantastic. It’s a classy family. I am very lucky to be able to breed these wonderful horses”.