David Mollett (Business Day)

Strange though it might seem, Majorca Stakes winner, Desert Miracle, looks set to drift like a barge in the betting for Saturday’s HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein.

The opening call was 2-1 about Mike de Kock’s talented filly, but she was already out to 22-10 on Wednesday.

There may be two reasons bookmakers are keen to take on the five-time winner. De Kock has been away in Australia and the filly’s recent five lengths defeat by stablemate Humdinger was arguably the worst run of her career.

Interestingly, the two tipsters in the popular publication Winning Form only select Desert Miracle to finish third and fourth respectively. What needs to be taken into consideration is that — in that recent defeat — the daughter of Dynasty drifted from 12-10 to 33-10.

While the market is seldom wrong, there’s no escaping that Desert Miracle’s merit-rating is 10 points higher than Sean Tarry’s runner, Under Your Spell.

Now an eight-time winner with more than R1.5m in stake earnings, Under Your Spell has done her connections proud and may well shorten from her price of 33-10.

With placed runs in her past five outings, Feather Boa has frustrated her backers this term and Richard Fourie couldn’t get her home in either the Fillies Guineas or Fillies Classic. Keagan De Melo has got the call this time with Fourie switching to Marigold Hotel.

Gimme A Shot somehow got a one-point penalty for finishing sixth of 10 behind Trip Of Fortune in the Horse Chestnut Stakes. The Azzie inmate is drawn in pole position and could shorten from her price of 5-1.

Whatever his fate with his two Empress Club runners, Sean Tarry has an excellent chance of taking the supporting feature — the WSB Spook Express Stakes — with the lightly weighted Red Maple.

The daughter of Silvano ran third in the 2,000m Oaks Trial and — with the weight too light for Fourie — the ride on the three-year-old goes to Philasande Mxoli.

With Red Maple and Apache Fighter heading the market at 9-2, this is a wide-open contest and punters need to include a number of runners in their exotic perms.

Apache Fighter has no stamina limitations and should go well with Muzi Yeni doing the steering though it should be noted Roy Magner’s filly got a 10-point penalty for her recent Sun Chariot win.

Light Of The Moon has far and away the best merit rating and probably needed her run at the city track in February. Piere Strydom is sure to get the best out of the four-time winner.

There’s an early start to the meeting (11.35am) and the first race includes some choicely bred juveniles including Pure Predator, Fire ’N Flames, Barbaresco and Royal Summons.

One of the world’s most famous races — the Randox Grand National at Aintree — gets under way at 6.15pm on Saturday and a 40-strong field is set to face the starter.

Corach Rambler is the firm 6-1 favourite, but this column is hoping one of two runners, Gaillard Du Mesnil (12-1) and Vanillier (22-1), will give punters a run for their money in this gruelling event.

1st Race: (9) Royal Summons (5) Barbaresco (2) Pure Predator (1) Fire ’N Flames

10th Race: (4) Set To Go (1) Aussenkehr (2) Wind Water (3) Super Agra

1 Galliard Du Mesnil

2 Vanillier