So long Princess Calla — mare in a million

South Africa’s Equus Horse of the Year Princess Calla barely had time to catch her breath after finishing third in the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday before she was bundled onto a plane and dispatched to the US.

The six-year-old mare is still owned by South African businessman Mario Ferreira and it hasn’t yet been decided if she will race in America or go to stud, the website of her local trainer Sean Tarry revealed on Wednesday.

Princess Calla was part of a horse export consignment that departed on Tuesday and which included fellow Grade 1 winners Make It Snappy and Isivunguvungu, both of whom are owned by Hollywood Syndicate and whose translocation had already been announced.

The website said the horses will be quarantined for two months on arrival in their new country.

‘World will be her oyster’

“There is a lot of planning still to do. It wasn’t a last-minute decision, but I don’t think there is a firm plan,” Tarry was quoted as saying.

“She certainly has the option to race still. She took her run on Saturday very well and she’s sound. In terms of breeding, I am sure the world will be her oyster,” added the multiple national champion trainer.

Princess Calla was bred at Maine Chance Farms from imported American stallion Flower Alley and South African mare Princess Royal, who is herself by the South African-bred champion sire Captain Al.

She raced 28 times in South Africa for 12 wins and 14 places and never finished further back than fifth – meaning she delivered her owner a stakes cheque every time she ran.

Those 12 victories included five Grade 1 races, four Grade 2s and two Grade 3s and came for four different trainers – Dennis Bosch, Adam Marcus, Ashley Fortune and Tarry.

The latter said last year that Princess Calla was one of the four best horses he had trained in a highly successful and celebrated career.