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Picture: Princess Calla powers into the lead (Cape Racing).  
 
There is no substitute for class and that was proven by the Flower Alley mare Princess Calla, who produced a powerful finish from the back to win the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes over the way too sharp 1000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday in her first run for Sean Tarry.
 
Princess Calla has been unfortunate to be a contemporary of the like of Captain’s Ransomn and War Of Athena, otherwise she would have won many more Graded races.
 
However, in her last three starts she has won the Grade 3 Prix du Cap over 1400m at Kenilworth last February trained by Adam Marcus , the Grade 1 HSH Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein Standside last April trained by Ashley Fortune and now the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m trained by Tarry.
 
She is owned by Mario Ferreira.
 
Her first trainer for whom she had one run and one win was Dennis Bosch.
 
Tarry said afterward her biggest target for the Cape Summer Festival Of Racing would be the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes on WSB Met day and he thought the best springboard into that race would be provided by the Grade 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes on L’Ormarins King’s Plate day.
 
Tarry had a mixed day accross the country as his R7 million colt Celestial City, the full-brother to Hawwaam and half-brother to Rainbow Bridge and Golden Ducat, was beaten in his second career start at odds of 63/100.
 
However, the horse who beat him, Otto Luyken, was thought good enough to run in the Dingaans, so it was no disgrace and Celestial City could bounce back.