Princess Calla (speed score 103 +, has previously run a career best of 108) justified 15/10 favoritism when outrunning classy three-year-old Under Your Spell by three quarters of a length in the Empress Club Stakes, a Grade 1 over 1600m at Turffontein.

This quality daughter of Flower Alley has tangled with Captain’s Ransom often enough (when repeatedly being put in her place,) and took advantage of the champion’s absence on the Highveld to score a richly deserved Grade 1 success.

The runner up (s/s 102) put in a sterling effort and will be a threat over the next couple of months in big races, particularly over even further, based on her pedigree. Sparkling Water also caught the eye running on with determination over a distance way short of her optimal. She too is one to keep on side during the Winter, particularly when stretching out to a longer route.

The headliners at Kenilworth were won in opposing styles, though both races were not run at a true pace throughout. Gem King used a swift turn of foot to bullet home from the tail of the field (23 seconds for the final 400m on a rain affected lawn) to win the Variety Club Mile, whilst Young Love dictated from the front (23.79 final 400m) to win a falsely run Sweet Chestnut Stakes. These races comprise the first legs of the Cape Racing Winter Series for three-year-old colts and fillies respectively.

“Pace makes the race” is an oft quoted maxim. But there are different ways to win false run races – either by dominating from the front and timing the finishing kick to skip clear, thereby making it practically impossible to make up ground, or else coming from the rear with a superior turn of acceleration. Young Love did the former (which is a credit to her jockey Grant van Niekerk), Gem King achieved the latter under a bold rail skimming ride from Bernard Fayd Herbe.

There were three Group 1’s at Sha Tin (Hong Kong) with each won by the heavily supported favorite – not surprising given the sophistication and efficiencies of Hong Kong betting markets when form for exposed horses is so well tabulated and additional “background”” info (workouts/vet reports) are supplied with great transparency.

Golden Sixty (s/s 113 ++, career best of 121) has often been written about in glowing terms in this column and he continues to dominate as a world class miler; Wellington (s/s 110 + has done 116) is a seriously formidable power-sprinter whilst Romantic Warrior (s/s 117 +) is already truly outstanding over middle distances and has scope to hit even higher numbers!

Reverting to the local scene, Cliff Top (s/s 96+) is worth an honorable mention. This juvenile son of Canford Cliffs took out the East Cape Nursery over the Fairview 1200m. Forest Spy (s/s 93) and Khaya’s Hope (s/s 91) followed him in.

Back in January, Cliff Top ventured to Kenilworth where he defeated subsequent Cape Nursery victor, We’re Jammin so the strong speed figure he earned on Friday is in sync with that level of performance.