Wilgerbosdrift’s resident sire Flower Alley has had a wonderful few days, and it got better for the son of Distorted Humor when his star daughter Princess Calla was honoured at Friday night’s Cape Breeders awards.
The Maine Chance Farms bred mare was not only crowned the Cape bred Horse Of The Year for 2022-2023, Princess Calla was also named the Cape bred Champion Female for 2022-2023.
The now six-year-old Princess Calla, South Africa’s Horse Of The Year for 2022-2023, has won 11 of her 23 starts for earnings of R4 584 725. Her ten graded victories include four at G1 level, namely the 2022 G1 HSH Princess Charlee Empress Club Stakes, the 2023 G1 South African Fillies Sprint, G1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes and G1 HKJC Champions Cup.
Trained by Sean Tarry, Princess Calla is out of the Captain Al mare Princess Royal.
Her G1 Travers Stakes winning sire Flower Alley had a big season in 2022-2023, with his flagbearers in South Africa last season including not only Princess Calla but also five other stakes winners, and his progeny claimed 13 black type races in South Africa last season.
From the same female line as breed shaping sire Lyphard, Flower Alley has made a good start to the current season with his daughter Flower Of Saigon having won Friday’s Listed Betway Insurebet Jockey Club Stakes.