Morena off on a wing and a prayer

Morena will today get the chance to familiarise herself with the stage of the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade when her first rehearsal kicks off at the Beogradska Arena.

Malta's ambassador for the eagerly-awaited contest had the chance to spend a marathon two days rehearsing with the four Swedish dancers last weekend and getting in step with the moves.

"I've really clicked with the dancers and there's good chemistry between us," she said yesterday, as the Maltasong delegation prepared to check in her bags to Belgrade, via Frankfurt.

Her outfit for the night - when she will be rocking the stage with her song Vodka, penned by Gerard James Borg and composed by Philip Vella - was safely tucked away in her hand luggage.

The 24-year-old Gozitan singer looked somewhat anxious and emotional but it could have been the fact that she had forgotten her jacket behind before boarding the ferry and was running a bit late, which left her rather flustered.

However, she soon loosened up as she joked around with her sister Georgina Gauci - a soprano who is giving her vocal lessons - and husband Marvin who are both accompanying her on the trip, among numerous other relatives.

Dressed in jeans, comfortable boots and a pink top, she turned heads with her looks, even though she was barely wearing a dab of make-up. A couple of foreigners who were checking-in recognised her and asked for an autograph.

Did she have a message to her supporters in Malta before she left?

"Pray for me," she said with a smile and a wave.

Morena will face her first test on May 22 when she competes in the 16th position in the second semi-final, battling against 19 countries in a bid to secure a place in the final on May 24.

Maltasong chairman Robert Abela is happy with the way things have been moving so far and he felt Morena was being "courted like a dark horse in the contest".

However, he was realistic that anything could happen in the 11 remaining days before the final contest.

So far, the feedback to her song has been lukewarm, with betting companies such as William Hill giving odds of 33:1. These odds tend to change drastically once rehearsals are in full swing and people get a clearer picture of the performances.

The Eurovision Song Contest is taking place at one of the largest European multifunctional indoor arenas. It was constructed for sports and cultural events, and covers an area of 48,000 square metres, with a maximum capacity of up to 23,000 seats.

From Saturday, timesofmalta.com will start providing frequent updates on Morena's progress, rehearsals and news. One TV, through Hamilton Media Productions, will be broadcasting daily live satellite links from Belgrade, Serbia at 8 p.m. following the main news bulletin.