Southern Cross Stakes success for Flower Alley


Wilgerbosdrift’s inform stallion Flower Alley had a memorable day on Saturday when the G1 winning son of Distorted Humor came up with three eye catching South African winners.

Flower Alley’s Saturday South African treble was headed by his star daughter Princess Calla producing a stellar performance to win Saturday’s G2 wsb.co.za Southern Cross Stakes (1000m), run at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, in scintillating style.

Making her first start for new trainer Sean Tarry, the classy five-year-old was also having her first start since winning April’s G1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein.

Despite her lengthy layoff, and tardy start on Saturday, Princess Calla showed her class with a convincing win in Saturday’s 1000m sprint.
Under Gavin Lerena, the five-year-old Flower Alley mare ran on strongly to score by half a length, defeating a host of speedy fillies and mares in the process.

Bred by Maine Chance Farms, Princess Calla has now won six of her 16 starts, with the mare’s previous victorious including the aforementioned Empress Club Stakes, G2 Western Cape Fillies Championship, G3 Umzimkhulu Stakes and G3 Prix Du Cap.

Out of the Captain Al mare Princess Royal, Princess Calla is one of 33 stakes winners for Flower Alley.

Princess Calla was one of two winners at Kenilworth on Saturday for Flower Alley, whose smart daughter Evening Primrose captured the third race on the card. Third in last season’s G2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks, the four-year-old made it two wins from her last three starts when she won Saturday’s Freeman Stallions Middle Stakes over 1800 metres.

Flower Alley also struck at Turffontein on Saturday with the stallion’s promising three-year-old son Otto Luyken won the second race. Under an inform Philasande Mxoli, the Flower Alley colt stayed on strongly to best R7 000 000 yearling buy Celestial City by a length.

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Otto Luyken (who benefitted from the removal of blinkers) has now won twice from just five starts.