The ‘Gold Brown’ belt camp has, I am sure, a large trophy-filled chamber and the collection got a significant addition on Sunday. Bourbon King carried the hopes of a majority of fans but it was Sweeping Success, a filly in the hands of jockey B. Prakash, who after striking the front midway down the Malakpet lane, galloped on resolutely to help Dr. MAM Ramaswamy make a successful defence of India’s most glittering horse race. It was Dr. MAM’s 11th win in the Invitation Cup. To Dr. MAM, rewriting the Guinness Book of World Records comes naturally. He has won the piece de resistance of the Indian racing calendar five times in a row. Talk of a dynasty, Dr. MAM has won the Invitation Cup 25% of the time since its inception in 1963.
Sweeping Success, a filly by Placerville out of Lady Moupa, has had a productive season and emerging victorious in the Invitation Cup was the culmination of a string of high-profile wins. In the Indian Derby, over the never-ending Mahalaxmi homestretch, the S. Ganapathy trained filly had lost a duel of attrition to Hotstepper, ridden by the wily Mick Kinane. On Sunday, Hotstepper, Frankie Dettori up, was content to toil in the rear and at no pint, raised the hopes of his supporters.
Imperial View set out on a steady gallop. Retribution took forward position and tracked the leader. Sweeping Success lay third and Bourbon King was fourth. Noble Prince, travelling in the clear, was in middivision in the ten-horse field. Regal Connection, the Calcutta Derby champion, was allowed to coast and find his rhythm and was several lengths off the lead. Hotstepper raced at the back of the pack.
As the field raced down the backstretch and got ready to negotiate the bend, the race began to acquire a definitive shape. Imperial View was showing signs of weakening. Retribution was unable to keep up the chase. Bourbon King, in obvious distress, was beating a hasty retreat. Richard Hughes called on Noble Prince but the response was not as strong as trainer Padmanabhan would have wanted. Hotstepper was not making forward movement. On a track that showed no mercies to off-the-pace horses, Regal Connection was put in top gear by C Alford and the Khaitan-owned colt was surging and beginning to make an issue of the Invitation Cup. Jockey B. Prakash, having made the most of a ground-saving journey, was out of the pocket to challenge Imperial View. Not many moments had passed and Sweeping Success had sailed into the lead. With Regal Connection closing the gap in a hurry and Prakash, hard at work to keep the advantage, the fans were being treated to a finish quite unlike last year when Southern Empire won by the length of the Hastings stretch. Ruby Queen, late on the scene, was moving menacingly. The judges had to call for a photo. Sweeping Success had held on by a neck over Regal Connection. A length and three quarters away in third was Ruby Queen. Noble Prince, three parts of a length off, took fourth. As a matter of fact, the first six finishers were separated by four and three quarter lengths. The time for the 2400-metres trip was 2 minutes 29.57 seconds. Sweeping Success was 6-1 in the wagering.
I caught up with trainer Ganapathy. The ever-courteous S.Ganapathy spoke in glowing terms of Sweeping Success. “She has a great record. Been in fine form this season. In the Derby, she was asked to move too soon. Prakash executed our plan to perfection today. He left well, took position and had a very good trip. I knew we had a great chance with the track favouring front-end horses.”
Trainer Ganapathy continued. “She’s a tough filly who can handle the boys.”
My next question was about Bourbon King.” The track has been playing hard. He could not handle it. We will take a look at him. At this point, all I can say is that there is no negative news.”
I asked Ganapathy about decision-making in the Dr MAM camp. “It is a team effort. We are all involved. I make the recommendation and Dr MAM is consulted.”
I had a quick exchange with Colm O’Donoghue as he returned to the paddock. “Did he break down?”
Colm O’Donoghue uttered one word. “Bingo.”
I believe Colm’s one-word reply will be confirmed soon. Something went seriously wrong with the colt who has set Indian turf on fire the past 12 months.
I sent word to speak to jockey Prakash. I waited and waited and gave up.
I had a word with Richard Hughes who was aboard Noble Prince. “He raced well. After all, we finished fourth. There was no lameness problem. Never did I get a good feel, however.”
Another Invitation Cup in the books and a well-run and well-planned carnival. The Hyderabad team, headed by Mr Surender Reddy, the Chairman, did a magnificent job. Malakpet is the cleanest and the best-kept racecourse I have seen in recent days in India.
The Invitation Cup is always high drama. This year was no exception. A deserving filly won it. The favourite fell by the wayside. The Indian Derby winner was nowhere to be seen. The ceremonial aspect of any race meeting is what makes it special. Malakpet respects tradition and it was a deliberate and well-executed plan that made the weekend so very special to racing fans.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
alekona bangalore
Five year old Alekona has finally lived up to the promise he had shown at the beginning of his career as a three year old. He was bought by Deepak Khaitan as a youngster and entrusted to Arjun Mangalorkar for racing him in
Bangalore. Alekona had shown great promise and won the very first start of his career in splendid fashion, before he developed some niggling problems and was kept on the shelf for over a year. He was then put up for sale and
was bought by his present owners. Trainer M B Mangalorkar bought a share in Alekona and took up the challenge of trying to bring this horse back into racing. The trainer's hard work and efforts bore fruit when after a couple of lethargic starts, he showed some spark and won a race in December. After a fighting second to Rio Bravo in his next start, the connections raced him within a couple of weeks and he trounced a class II opposition. On that occasion, Alekona came from way off the pace and stretched away to indicate that he will be more suitable over a staying trip.
The handicapper gave him a stiff penalty and rated him at the top of class I. He accepted along with five others to run in the days feature, which happened to be the Delhi Race club Trophy over 1800 metres. In an open betting event, there was almost equal support for Stafire, Lionheart, Alekona and Dare Don. The first named finally reached the starting gates as a marginal favourite. The low weighted Symbol Of Speed tore away to the front and was chased by Copenhagen, Stafire, Alekona, Lionheart and Dare Don. The order remained the same till well into the straight ,before the group started to bunch up. It was pretty obvious at this stage that Alekona was moving the best of the lot, and this fact was confirmed the moment Srinath decided to release the brakes on him.The response was immediate and Alekona bounded away from a late finishing Dare Don ,who was able to edge out Lionheart for the second spot. The favourite Stafire was seen plodding at the rear end of the field. Alekona shall be a strong contender in the many graded races during the Bangalore summer season in which he shall be treated favourably by the terms.
The Varada Trophy was the supporting event of the day. Padmanabhan trained Perfect Rhythm was fancied on the basis of her last victory and she obliged her supporters. Lucky to get an inside draw in a field of twelve, Appu took her to the front she and was seen racing well within herself before they straightened and charged for home. She won with a measure of comfort from a late finishing Mucho who is better suited over a slightly longer trip. Asiaticus and Panchakshari who were always in touch with the front runners had to be content to fill the rest of the frame. Perfect Rhythm seems to have handled her knee chip operation fairly well, and in her present form and condition can be expected to make further progress in her career.
It is common to see the distance being increased from sprinting to 1400 Metres for maiden three year olds, as we reach the last month of racing in the winter season. Today's event had two frontline contenders in All My Colours and Mighty Heart, both of whom had finished second in their previous starts. There was spirited betting on Mighty Heart at race time, while the odds against All My Colours began to drift as the horses reached the starting gates . Mighty Heart bounded out of the gates and was settled into second spot by Gnaneshwar as Chilli Chocolate set a fast pace in the early stages of the race. You Beauty was right behind them while All My Colours was being niggled to stay in fourth place. Mighty Heart skipped away from the rest as they approached the distance post, and it was evident that All My Colours would not be able to catch him today. Fly Free came from a hopeless position to occupy the third spot. The rest of the field was outclassed.
Dickey legged Attain finally won his first race of the season. This talented horse was taken to the front by Ryan Marshall and despite carrying a back breaking weight of 62 kg, he cantered away for an easy victory over Rebellious and Tina's Triumph. Another one to carry the public purse to victory was the Irfan Ghatala trained Bee The Star. This was her second successive victory in as many career starts, and her style of running indicated that she has many more races in store for her. Apprentice Vinod Shinde sat an unperturbed fourth, as Smart and Special led from the second in demand Remarkable Stride and Royal Hero. He was quick to seize the opening on the rails at the 300 Metres marker, and pushed Bee The Star to a popular victory over Smart and Special, Remarkable Stride and Royal Hero.
Vinod Shinde also partnered Ciboney to a long overdue victory. This Dhariwal ward had taken down a lot of money in her last start when she had run as a 5/4 favourite and finished a tame fourth. Today she seemed to be in her elements as she overcame the disadvantage of the outer draw and found herself in box seat. She collared the front running Paint Me Red and Give Me The Money before emerging as an easy winner. Her cause was helped by the fact that the favourite Lightnin Blues missed the kick and was at the tail end of the field for most of the way. Lighnin Blues came with a long stretch run, but was unable to deprive Paint Me Red of the runner-up berth.
The other two races in the card were the two divisions of a race for horses in the lowest class. These two insipid events were won by the Mangalorkar ward Badda Rupaiyya and the Warren Singh trained Tactical Gain.
Bangalore. Alekona had shown great promise and won the very first start of his career in splendid fashion, before he developed some niggling problems and was kept on the shelf for over a year. He was then put up for sale and
was bought by his present owners. Trainer M B Mangalorkar bought a share in Alekona and took up the challenge of trying to bring this horse back into racing. The trainer's hard work and efforts bore fruit when after a couple of lethargic starts, he showed some spark and won a race in December. After a fighting second to Rio Bravo in his next start, the connections raced him within a couple of weeks and he trounced a class II opposition. On that occasion, Alekona came from way off the pace and stretched away to indicate that he will be more suitable over a staying trip.
The handicapper gave him a stiff penalty and rated him at the top of class I. He accepted along with five others to run in the days feature, which happened to be the Delhi Race club Trophy over 1800 metres. In an open betting event, there was almost equal support for Stafire, Lionheart, Alekona and Dare Don. The first named finally reached the starting gates as a marginal favourite. The low weighted Symbol Of Speed tore away to the front and was chased by Copenhagen, Stafire, Alekona, Lionheart and Dare Don. The order remained the same till well into the straight ,before the group started to bunch up. It was pretty obvious at this stage that Alekona was moving the best of the lot, and this fact was confirmed the moment Srinath decided to release the brakes on him.The response was immediate and Alekona bounded away from a late finishing Dare Don ,who was able to edge out Lionheart for the second spot. The favourite Stafire was seen plodding at the rear end of the field. Alekona shall be a strong contender in the many graded races during the Bangalore summer season in which he shall be treated favourably by the terms.
The Varada Trophy was the supporting event of the day. Padmanabhan trained Perfect Rhythm was fancied on the basis of her last victory and she obliged her supporters. Lucky to get an inside draw in a field of twelve, Appu took her to the front she and was seen racing well within herself before they straightened and charged for home. She won with a measure of comfort from a late finishing Mucho who is better suited over a slightly longer trip. Asiaticus and Panchakshari who were always in touch with the front runners had to be content to fill the rest of the frame. Perfect Rhythm seems to have handled her knee chip operation fairly well, and in her present form and condition can be expected to make further progress in her career.
It is common to see the distance being increased from sprinting to 1400 Metres for maiden three year olds, as we reach the last month of racing in the winter season. Today's event had two frontline contenders in All My Colours and Mighty Heart, both of whom had finished second in their previous starts. There was spirited betting on Mighty Heart at race time, while the odds against All My Colours began to drift as the horses reached the starting gates . Mighty Heart bounded out of the gates and was settled into second spot by Gnaneshwar as Chilli Chocolate set a fast pace in the early stages of the race. You Beauty was right behind them while All My Colours was being niggled to stay in fourth place. Mighty Heart skipped away from the rest as they approached the distance post, and it was evident that All My Colours would not be able to catch him today. Fly Free came from a hopeless position to occupy the third spot. The rest of the field was outclassed.
Dickey legged Attain finally won his first race of the season. This talented horse was taken to the front by Ryan Marshall and despite carrying a back breaking weight of 62 kg, he cantered away for an easy victory over Rebellious and Tina's Triumph. Another one to carry the public purse to victory was the Irfan Ghatala trained Bee The Star. This was her second successive victory in as many career starts, and her style of running indicated that she has many more races in store for her. Apprentice Vinod Shinde sat an unperturbed fourth, as Smart and Special led from the second in demand Remarkable Stride and Royal Hero. He was quick to seize the opening on the rails at the 300 Metres marker, and pushed Bee The Star to a popular victory over Smart and Special, Remarkable Stride and Royal Hero.
Vinod Shinde also partnered Ciboney to a long overdue victory. This Dhariwal ward had taken down a lot of money in her last start when she had run as a 5/4 favourite and finished a tame fourth. Today she seemed to be in her elements as she overcame the disadvantage of the outer draw and found herself in box seat. She collared the front running Paint Me Red and Give Me The Money before emerging as an easy winner. Her cause was helped by the fact that the favourite Lightnin Blues missed the kick and was at the tail end of the field for most of the way. Lighnin Blues came with a long stretch run, but was unable to deprive Paint Me Red of the runner-up berth.
The other two races in the card were the two divisions of a race for horses in the lowest class. These two insipid events were won by the Mangalorkar ward Badda Rupaiyya and the Warren Singh trained Tactical Gain.
rio bravo bangalore
Sriram Komandur's charge Rio Bravo put up a brlliant performance while annexing the Hyderabad Silver Vase, the feature event in Saturday's race card at Bangalore. This was his fifth win in a row since he first won during the summer season eight months ago. The handicapper has been pretty tough on Rio Bravo, but this stout galloper has been defying the penalties and winning his races in very workmanlike fashion. It is believed that he is a very tough horse to train and can not be pushed in the morning track work. Rio Bravo was hard pressed to get up in the final fifty metres to down Alekona in his previous start. Most seasoned race goers had opined at that time that the handicapper had finally got the measure of this horse. The fact that Alekona came out and easily won his next two starts made Rio Bravo the obvious first favorite in today's feature.
Rio Bravo was amongst a total of seven acceptors for this race. His main opponents seemed to be Flaming Lamborgini and Carabinieri, both of whom had been handicapped at the bottom of the scales and were set to receive a fair amount of weight from him. All three of them had their own group of supporters and Rio Bravo reached the start as the 2/1 favorite. Suraj Narredu was riding him for the first time, replacing his regular partner Vivek who had won with him on four earlier occasions. Lava set a fast pace for this race followed by Flaming Lamborgini, Stone Of Destiny and Carabinieri while Rio Bravo was seen being niggled to keep in touch with the front runners. The first horse beat in this race was Carabinieri, who started to drop out of the race at the bend. It was Flaming Lamborgini who took over the proceedings and skipped away from the tiring Lava and Stone Of Destiny, while Suraj Narredu brought Rio Bravo on the wide outside and was seen making free use of the whip. In his customary style, Rio Bravo started gaining on the front runner and got the measure of Flaming Lamborgini in the final hundred metres.It ceased to be a contest thereafter .It was a popular victory for the sporting owners of Rio Bravo, and his trainer announced that the horse shall be given a well deserved rest till the summer season.
Suraj was earlier seen to advantage on the Darius trained Rimpuche who lifted the Glass House Trophy. This was a terms race over a sprint for three year olds, where the winners of a race were set to concede weight to the maidens who were participating along with them. The betting was confined to Scenic Melody (Alnasr Alwasheek-Forest Fantasy) and Rimpuche (Penine Ridge-Smarlee). The first one was fashionably bred and had the services of Prakash in the saddle, but was making his reappearance on the race track after a gap of more than three months. The second one had recent form. There was great anticipation before the start of the race but the final result was an anticlimax. Rimpuche sat in a comfortable second position and quickened nicely to get the measure of the front running Little Splendour. Imperial Dream finished the fastest to be a respectable third. The well bred Scenic Melody was seen plodding in the end and finished a tame fourth thus gulping down a lot of money.
The maidens race was split into two divisions. Trainer Babu Rao had accepted with two well performed yougsters Flair Queen and On A Roll, and they found themselves as hot favorites to win their respective divisions. Appu was declared to ride both these horses. In the opening event, Flair Queen was backed down to half money but had no answers when Samar Singh's Nearco Master went to the front and refused to allow any of his opponents to come near him. Hall Mark came from fourth position and occupied the second slot ahead of Flair Queen. Simple ran an unextended fourth. The other division saw Appu taking On A Roll to the front and easily accounting for first timers Spicy Star and Spark Of Class. Spicy Star can be earmarked for an early success.
Prakash ridden Southern Chieftain was another horse which was backed to the exclusion of his rivals. Prakash took a good jump on this horse and sat in box seat behind My Friend Paul with the rest of the field led by lord Of Illusion following at a respectable distance. The moment Southern Chieftain was popped the question by his jockey, he started to send distress signals and faded away from the scene. Alchesaye in the hands of Mallesh Narredu came with a menacing run and challenged the front running My Friend Paul in the last fifty metres. The two of them were locked together as they passed the winning post. The judge declared My Friend Paul as the winner. The verdict was just a nose. Ever So Clever came from behind to occupy the third slot. Lord Of illusion was reported to have burst his blood vessels during the race .
The last race saw the appearance of the got abroad Leagues Apart from Padmanabhan's yard. He was backed as though there is no tomorrow. The fact that a very mediocre apprentice called Sunil Kumar was riding this horse made no difference to his supporters. They also chose to ignore the fact that the fashionably bred horse was unsound and was seen sporting bandages in the parade ring. All those who wagered on him paid a heavy price as he was seen struggling at the rear of the field. Mystic Star and Luckynumberslevin fought out the finish before the latter put his neck in front at the all important end. Anoosheek ended third ahead of Gift A Diamond. This win with Luckynumberslevin gave his trainer Amit Caddy a double for the day since he had won earlier in the afternoon with Reborn. Amit Caddy shared the day's professional honors with Suraj Narredu.
Rio Bravo was amongst a total of seven acceptors for this race. His main opponents seemed to be Flaming Lamborgini and Carabinieri, both of whom had been handicapped at the bottom of the scales and were set to receive a fair amount of weight from him. All three of them had their own group of supporters and Rio Bravo reached the start as the 2/1 favorite. Suraj Narredu was riding him for the first time, replacing his regular partner Vivek who had won with him on four earlier occasions. Lava set a fast pace for this race followed by Flaming Lamborgini, Stone Of Destiny and Carabinieri while Rio Bravo was seen being niggled to keep in touch with the front runners. The first horse beat in this race was Carabinieri, who started to drop out of the race at the bend. It was Flaming Lamborgini who took over the proceedings and skipped away from the tiring Lava and Stone Of Destiny, while Suraj Narredu brought Rio Bravo on the wide outside and was seen making free use of the whip. In his customary style, Rio Bravo started gaining on the front runner and got the measure of Flaming Lamborgini in the final hundred metres.It ceased to be a contest thereafter .It was a popular victory for the sporting owners of Rio Bravo, and his trainer announced that the horse shall be given a well deserved rest till the summer season.
Suraj was earlier seen to advantage on the Darius trained Rimpuche who lifted the Glass House Trophy. This was a terms race over a sprint for three year olds, where the winners of a race were set to concede weight to the maidens who were participating along with them. The betting was confined to Scenic Melody (Alnasr Alwasheek-Forest Fantasy) and Rimpuche (Penine Ridge-Smarlee). The first one was fashionably bred and had the services of Prakash in the saddle, but was making his reappearance on the race track after a gap of more than three months. The second one had recent form. There was great anticipation before the start of the race but the final result was an anticlimax. Rimpuche sat in a comfortable second position and quickened nicely to get the measure of the front running Little Splendour. Imperial Dream finished the fastest to be a respectable third. The well bred Scenic Melody was seen plodding in the end and finished a tame fourth thus gulping down a lot of money.
The maidens race was split into two divisions. Trainer Babu Rao had accepted with two well performed yougsters Flair Queen and On A Roll, and they found themselves as hot favorites to win their respective divisions. Appu was declared to ride both these horses. In the opening event, Flair Queen was backed down to half money but had no answers when Samar Singh's Nearco Master went to the front and refused to allow any of his opponents to come near him. Hall Mark came from fourth position and occupied the second slot ahead of Flair Queen. Simple ran an unextended fourth. The other division saw Appu taking On A Roll to the front and easily accounting for first timers Spicy Star and Spark Of Class. Spicy Star can be earmarked for an early success.
Prakash ridden Southern Chieftain was another horse which was backed to the exclusion of his rivals. Prakash took a good jump on this horse and sat in box seat behind My Friend Paul with the rest of the field led by lord Of Illusion following at a respectable distance. The moment Southern Chieftain was popped the question by his jockey, he started to send distress signals and faded away from the scene. Alchesaye in the hands of Mallesh Narredu came with a menacing run and challenged the front running My Friend Paul in the last fifty metres. The two of them were locked together as they passed the winning post. The judge declared My Friend Paul as the winner. The verdict was just a nose. Ever So Clever came from behind to occupy the third slot. Lord Of illusion was reported to have burst his blood vessels during the race .
The last race saw the appearance of the got abroad Leagues Apart from Padmanabhan's yard. He was backed as though there is no tomorrow. The fact that a very mediocre apprentice called Sunil Kumar was riding this horse made no difference to his supporters. They also chose to ignore the fact that the fashionably bred horse was unsound and was seen sporting bandages in the parade ring. All those who wagered on him paid a heavy price as he was seen struggling at the rear of the field. Mystic Star and Luckynumberslevin fought out the finish before the latter put his neck in front at the all important end. Anoosheek ended third ahead of Gift A Diamond. This win with Luckynumberslevin gave his trainer Amit Caddy a double for the day since he had won earlier in the afternoon with Reborn. Amit Caddy shared the day's professional honors with Suraj Narredu.
c alford kolkata
On a warm sunny afternoon, the Calcutta races got off to an eventful start on Saturday with the Stipendiary Stewards coming down heavily on champion jockey Christopher Alford for his indifferent handling of the piping hot favourite Arcology which went down to the friendless ownermate Arisaka. The rider has been suspended from March 18 till April 11, both days inclusive.
Alford however made amends for his dismal show by riding a gem of a race astride the Vijay Singh-trained second favourite Aristotle available at 5/2. He brought the top-weight with a flourish in the final furlong to get the better of the Ramaswamy-owned pair of Right Again and Royal Falcon and lift the Nationalistic Cup.
Trainer Harvinder Singh Bath enjoyed great success during the afternoon as he led in a well-deserved treble comprising Bright Blossom, Acrostic and Master Coup. The Stewards were however quick to pounce on the win of the first named as he had finished in the ruck in his earlier outings. The trainer was warned and told to ensure that his charges run more consistently in the future.
Acrostic made the Navy Cup a start to finish affair. The on-money favourite Triple Edge found nothing extra in the tank when asked for an effort by jockey Imran Chisty.
In the hands of Neeraj Rawal, Master Coup completed a superb hattrick for his owners Mr and Mrs Sol Noah. The five-year-old gelding pegged back the other two fancied runners Smarty Pant and Brilliant Victory, without too much trouble and went on to lift the H.H. Maharaja Jagaddipendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur of Cooch Behar Memorial Cup. The presentations were made by Bengali actress Moon Moon Sen whose presence added to the afternoon’s glamour factor on Women’s Day.
A close finish was witnessed in the INS Hooghly Cup which saw the bottom-weight Matrix make every post a winning one. Agnation may have turned the tables had he not lost several lengths at the start. It was yet another black mark against Alford for the day.
The day’s most facile winner was Italian Beauty who won the lower division of the Arendal Handicap without raising a sweat. The chestnut filly was handled with fine understanding by Chouhan who obviously was keen not to exert her any more than was necessary.
Trainer Vikash Jaiswal and his rider (brother Vinay) pulled off a fine coup with El Cid in the day’s final event. The aged gelding showed without a doubt that he still has a zest for racing. Well done boys!
Alford however made amends for his dismal show by riding a gem of a race astride the Vijay Singh-trained second favourite Aristotle available at 5/2. He brought the top-weight with a flourish in the final furlong to get the better of the Ramaswamy-owned pair of Right Again and Royal Falcon and lift the Nationalistic Cup.
Trainer Harvinder Singh Bath enjoyed great success during the afternoon as he led in a well-deserved treble comprising Bright Blossom, Acrostic and Master Coup. The Stewards were however quick to pounce on the win of the first named as he had finished in the ruck in his earlier outings. The trainer was warned and told to ensure that his charges run more consistently in the future.
Acrostic made the Navy Cup a start to finish affair. The on-money favourite Triple Edge found nothing extra in the tank when asked for an effort by jockey Imran Chisty.
In the hands of Neeraj Rawal, Master Coup completed a superb hattrick for his owners Mr and Mrs Sol Noah. The five-year-old gelding pegged back the other two fancied runners Smarty Pant and Brilliant Victory, without too much trouble and went on to lift the H.H. Maharaja Jagaddipendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur of Cooch Behar Memorial Cup. The presentations were made by Bengali actress Moon Moon Sen whose presence added to the afternoon’s glamour factor on Women’s Day.
A close finish was witnessed in the INS Hooghly Cup which saw the bottom-weight Matrix make every post a winning one. Agnation may have turned the tables had he not lost several lengths at the start. It was yet another black mark against Alford for the day.
The day’s most facile winner was Italian Beauty who won the lower division of the Arendal Handicap without raising a sweat. The chestnut filly was handled with fine understanding by Chouhan who obviously was keen not to exert her any more than was necessary.
Trainer Vikash Jaiswal and his rider (brother Vinay) pulled off a fine coup with El Cid in the day’s final event. The aged gelding showed without a doubt that he still has a zest for racing. Well done boys!
c n wadia million
The CN Wadia Gold Million (Gr 2) went to the wire and jockey Prakash must surely have heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of the winning post, as he barely managed to counter a strong challenge from the heavily fancied Gruezi (Neeraj). Neeraj will rue the fact that he lost a certain race and should take a cue from the way Prakash, his senior, improved his position and got the best out his mount. Poor Gruezi seems to be jinxed right after her first start victory. With the Wadia Million, she has had to run 2nd best thrice in as many starts and on very occasion she missed out narrowly. She has had her reasons for not pulling it off and justifiably so. Neeraj kept her off the pace despite a slow run race until they turned for home. He did not make a quick enough move and improve her position as did Prakash. By the time Gruezi was switched to the outside, Personified had seen daylight and Prakash gleefully accelerated ahead while Gruezi was pressing the panic button. When Neeraj finally got her wide for clear passage, Personified had established a handy distance between the two. Gruezi began to cover ground briskly and was the fastest moving horse in the final 150 m but the winning post came much too soon for the favorite. Gruezi thus lost yet another race, which she could have well won with wiser assistance from the saddle.
The CN Wadia Gold Million Day had it’s own flavor and there was a lot of entertainment for all at the race course. The Gladrags Mega Models cat-walked their way in the paddock. Little Children danced with zest and energy to some crispy Bollywood numbers. Cine Stars Salman Khan and Preity Zinta had the Camera crew working overtime but neither Star attempted to address the crowd with any interesting bytes. Salman was somber and was not even dressed for the occasion. He gave away the Bravery Awards to some gutsy children facing extreme adversity amidst encouraging cheers from the crowd. A certain Mr. Kabir Khan won the Zen Estilo car for correctly nominating the first three placing of the Wadia Million. The whole show was admirably organized and Maureen Wadia once exhibited her professional approach in making her event thoroughly successful and enjoyable.
The Punters received a drubbing as only two favorites obliged in the nine-event card. The Boss (Riyaz), who garnered much support in the first race failed to nail the second-in-demand Quaoar (Belose) in the first race. Emerging Power who led the field ‘in’ fought until the distance post where from Quaoar took over. A busy Belose rode out forcefully to successfully negate the challenge from The Boss and the the late finishers Lovely Feelings and Binee. The last named covered good ground and it would pay to note her over an extended trip.
Blue Daffodils was the favorite from trainer Narendra Lagad’s yard and scoffing at the grouse that the trainer’s favorites seldom oblige, the on money favorite made every post a winning one and won the Nadia Mary Homi Wadia Trophy with ease. Aegina who chased the winner all through ended doing so while Victory Star (Srinath) who was last from early on, covered good ground to run into place money. A good educative outing like this one will result in many positives and Victory Star should be taken more seriously in her next outing.
Rejuvenite made most of the opportunity of running with horses with lesser-known reputation than the ones he has been pitted against so far. His stable mate Royal Flash garnered all the attention in the ring and Rejuvenite headed the field all through the race. The 7/1 shot confounded the general impression that the 1400 m distance would be a furlong too much for him. The Mansoor Shah trainee kicked on impressively and easily warded off the late challenge from Nanjing and Englehart. Royal Flash was prominent only till the 300 meters and while attempting to make his bid from the inside he just could not find his speed and caved in without causing any threat whatsoever. Nanjing came from a long way back to upset the ‘runner up’ hopes of Englehart.
Giannatassio (Siphon – Peurto Plan) made a fashionable debut to score an easy victory in the Division 1 of the Homi Wadia Trophy. Sitting as far back as seventh until the final 2 furlongs, Ruzaan blazed past the front runners which included the hot favorite Rohans Glory (Suraj Narredu). Mypethoney was refusing to surrender her lead to Rohans Glory when Giannatassio burst on the scene and spurted ahead within a blink of the eye. The Shroff ward flashed past them all to post a facile victory implying that she is bound to win more races in her career. It was a remarkable debut and she will only improve further. Rohans Glory just found her too good and had to settle for the next best placing. Mypethoney rigidly held on to the third while Touch Of Land also made considerable headway in the homestretch to get into the frame.
Fantasy Lake (M.Narredu) stopped many a heart before unleashing a dazzling run in the final say to snatch victory in the final few strides in the fiercely fought race. Although the margin of victory was a good 2 ¾ lengths, it was only the experience of Malesh and his perfect reading of the pace that got the optimum out of the popular choice. Nearing the home turn Fantasy Lake was being pushed and was passed by the horses in the rear and it looked an uphill task for him to come out and win as Rage Of Angels, Sangoma and Urban Warrior were engaged in a pitched battle. Uruj too came in to join the fight, however, past the distance post, Malesh propelled Fantasy Lake who put in a devastating run to clobber the opposition to submission and throwing the crowds in an ecstasy. Rage Of Angels ran a good race as well.
A lot of hopes were pinned on IL Divo after his good second in his last outing. Tromos too attracted strong support and some smart money did come on Pretty Commission. As they jumped out, Pretty Commission soon led the field with both Tromos and IL Divo in close attendance. In the straight, Pretty Commission kept going further early on, Tromos just could not gain momentum while IL Divo started to bridge the gap. However, all he could manage was to get only a little bit closer as Pretty Commission showed no signs of relenting and returned a clear winner. Tromos disappointed, IL Divo will fight another day and Liberty Speaks will need more time. Absolute Reality retained the third spot but failed to make an impression on the first two.
Precision! That’s how jockey Ashish timed his run. This race was the shocker of the day! War Of Attrition who hitherto had been consistent and impressive suddenly had a bad day when he was most fancied. In the straight, he veered out alarmingly and kept drifting even further. Jockey Kishore Kadam did little to control the favorite and what was appalling was the fact that he continued to use his whip with the right hand, which would make him an accomplice. Whatever chances War Of Attrition had, were squandered away by this mindless use of whip. Consequently, the Mansoor Shah horse failed to hit the board. Well, that’s nothing to take away from Precision though, who found his feet at the right time to clinch the verdict precisely on the post. Precision came from nowhere, breezed past the likes of Almarina, Terre Blanche, Axiology readily and managed to surprise even the free galloping Appreciate literally on the last stride. This was the proverbial ‘bolt from the blue’ and a true bookie’s delight!
Schnell was the last nail in the coffin for the followers of favorites. The heavily backed gelding was right there as they turned for home but just fizzled out of contention confounding all calculations. Schnell was just beginning to mount his challenge when he got to The Brave Heart but found nothing in the tank when Carlos pressed him on the outside. Carlos simply cruised past the front running duo and past the distance post encountered a double challenge on either side from Generalissiomo and Call To Arms. Dasharath Singh was equal to the task and the Nina Lalvani schooled Vijay Mallya owned gelding warded off the duo to scrape through in a nail biting finish. Wafadar ended to be in the frame.
Owner Harish Mehta had a lucrative day leading in three winners two of them saddled by Mansoor Shah in combination with jockey Suraj Narredu in Rejuvenite and Pretty Commission and Fantasy Lake from trainer Katrak’s yard partnered by M. Narredu.
The CN Wadia Gold Million Day had it’s own flavor and there was a lot of entertainment for all at the race course. The Gladrags Mega Models cat-walked their way in the paddock. Little Children danced with zest and energy to some crispy Bollywood numbers. Cine Stars Salman Khan and Preity Zinta had the Camera crew working overtime but neither Star attempted to address the crowd with any interesting bytes. Salman was somber and was not even dressed for the occasion. He gave away the Bravery Awards to some gutsy children facing extreme adversity amidst encouraging cheers from the crowd. A certain Mr. Kabir Khan won the Zen Estilo car for correctly nominating the first three placing of the Wadia Million. The whole show was admirably organized and Maureen Wadia once exhibited her professional approach in making her event thoroughly successful and enjoyable.
The Punters received a drubbing as only two favorites obliged in the nine-event card. The Boss (Riyaz), who garnered much support in the first race failed to nail the second-in-demand Quaoar (Belose) in the first race. Emerging Power who led the field ‘in’ fought until the distance post where from Quaoar took over. A busy Belose rode out forcefully to successfully negate the challenge from The Boss and the the late finishers Lovely Feelings and Binee. The last named covered good ground and it would pay to note her over an extended trip.
Blue Daffodils was the favorite from trainer Narendra Lagad’s yard and scoffing at the grouse that the trainer’s favorites seldom oblige, the on money favorite made every post a winning one and won the Nadia Mary Homi Wadia Trophy with ease. Aegina who chased the winner all through ended doing so while Victory Star (Srinath) who was last from early on, covered good ground to run into place money. A good educative outing like this one will result in many positives and Victory Star should be taken more seriously in her next outing.
Rejuvenite made most of the opportunity of running with horses with lesser-known reputation than the ones he has been pitted against so far. His stable mate Royal Flash garnered all the attention in the ring and Rejuvenite headed the field all through the race. The 7/1 shot confounded the general impression that the 1400 m distance would be a furlong too much for him. The Mansoor Shah trainee kicked on impressively and easily warded off the late challenge from Nanjing and Englehart. Royal Flash was prominent only till the 300 meters and while attempting to make his bid from the inside he just could not find his speed and caved in without causing any threat whatsoever. Nanjing came from a long way back to upset the ‘runner up’ hopes of Englehart.
Giannatassio (Siphon – Peurto Plan) made a fashionable debut to score an easy victory in the Division 1 of the Homi Wadia Trophy. Sitting as far back as seventh until the final 2 furlongs, Ruzaan blazed past the front runners which included the hot favorite Rohans Glory (Suraj Narredu). Mypethoney was refusing to surrender her lead to Rohans Glory when Giannatassio burst on the scene and spurted ahead within a blink of the eye. The Shroff ward flashed past them all to post a facile victory implying that she is bound to win more races in her career. It was a remarkable debut and she will only improve further. Rohans Glory just found her too good and had to settle for the next best placing. Mypethoney rigidly held on to the third while Touch Of Land also made considerable headway in the homestretch to get into the frame.
Fantasy Lake (M.Narredu) stopped many a heart before unleashing a dazzling run in the final say to snatch victory in the final few strides in the fiercely fought race. Although the margin of victory was a good 2 ¾ lengths, it was only the experience of Malesh and his perfect reading of the pace that got the optimum out of the popular choice. Nearing the home turn Fantasy Lake was being pushed and was passed by the horses in the rear and it looked an uphill task for him to come out and win as Rage Of Angels, Sangoma and Urban Warrior were engaged in a pitched battle. Uruj too came in to join the fight, however, past the distance post, Malesh propelled Fantasy Lake who put in a devastating run to clobber the opposition to submission and throwing the crowds in an ecstasy. Rage Of Angels ran a good race as well.
A lot of hopes were pinned on IL Divo after his good second in his last outing. Tromos too attracted strong support and some smart money did come on Pretty Commission. As they jumped out, Pretty Commission soon led the field with both Tromos and IL Divo in close attendance. In the straight, Pretty Commission kept going further early on, Tromos just could not gain momentum while IL Divo started to bridge the gap. However, all he could manage was to get only a little bit closer as Pretty Commission showed no signs of relenting and returned a clear winner. Tromos disappointed, IL Divo will fight another day and Liberty Speaks will need more time. Absolute Reality retained the third spot but failed to make an impression on the first two.
Precision! That’s how jockey Ashish timed his run. This race was the shocker of the day! War Of Attrition who hitherto had been consistent and impressive suddenly had a bad day when he was most fancied. In the straight, he veered out alarmingly and kept drifting even further. Jockey Kishore Kadam did little to control the favorite and what was appalling was the fact that he continued to use his whip with the right hand, which would make him an accomplice. Whatever chances War Of Attrition had, were squandered away by this mindless use of whip. Consequently, the Mansoor Shah horse failed to hit the board. Well, that’s nothing to take away from Precision though, who found his feet at the right time to clinch the verdict precisely on the post. Precision came from nowhere, breezed past the likes of Almarina, Terre Blanche, Axiology readily and managed to surprise even the free galloping Appreciate literally on the last stride. This was the proverbial ‘bolt from the blue’ and a true bookie’s delight!
Schnell was the last nail in the coffin for the followers of favorites. The heavily backed gelding was right there as they turned for home but just fizzled out of contention confounding all calculations. Schnell was just beginning to mount his challenge when he got to The Brave Heart but found nothing in the tank when Carlos pressed him on the outside. Carlos simply cruised past the front running duo and past the distance post encountered a double challenge on either side from Generalissiomo and Call To Arms. Dasharath Singh was equal to the task and the Nina Lalvani schooled Vijay Mallya owned gelding warded off the duo to scrape through in a nail biting finish. Wafadar ended to be in the frame.
Owner Harish Mehta had a lucrative day leading in three winners two of them saddled by Mansoor Shah in combination with jockey Suraj Narredu in Rejuvenite and Pretty Commission and Fantasy Lake from trainer Katrak’s yard partnered by M. Narredu.
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