Fantabulous King to race at Mysore

By Sharan Kumar

August 04, 2004

Bangalore Derby winner Fantabulous King will race during the ensuing Mysore season. He will be campaigned in the Mysore 2000 Guineas and the Gr 1 Poonawalla Mysore Derby. Originally there were doubts about his participation as he was considered to be a choker and the connections had decided to subject him to a treadmill test and decide on the suitability of having an operation to rid him of this problem.

Last week, Fantabulous King was taken to Chennai for a treadmill test, with two Indian vets namely Kartikeyan, Hasneyn Mirza along with a visiting doctor from Switzerland being on hand to assess Fantabulous King’s problems. However, Fantabulous King passed the test without any apparent hitch and he is reported to be not a ``roarer’’. 

The doctors have advised against giving Fantabulous King a long break and they have recommended that he be raced in the monsoon season as well. Though there appeared to be an inflammation of the trachea, Fantabulous King is expected to be free of his problem. However, there is a nagging doubt that the problem could aggravate some day and as such, the connections have reportedly decided to exploit him to the fullest. Fantabulous King will always run with this nagging doubt in the minds of race goers and the connections that he could well ``choke’’ during a race. Barring this uncertainty, there is no doubt about his undoubted potential. He is easily the best three-year old in the country and it was amply proved by the ease with which he hammered the opposition in the Bangalore Derby last month.

Fantabulous King (P Shroff up) winner of  the Kingfisher Derby Bangalore (Grade I) being led by trainer Mr. S Sing, Owners Mr. Sunil Jhangiani, Mrs. Rekha Mallya & Dr. Vijay Mallya

Bred at the Kunigal Stud Farm, Fantabulous King has greatly boosted the profile of its new stallion Burden of Proof who has produced a high percentage of winners from his first crop. Apart from Fantabulous King, Full Speed has been a consistently good performer while there is great deal of expectation from Camarioca and Class N Style who both have displayed a blinding turn of foot and advertised their class in tremendous fashion in the limited chance that they have had.