Despite the strongly fancied Czar Alexander flopped in the derby, the
sponsors Nanoli Stud-owner K.N. Dhunjibhoy isn’t complaining.
Four emphatic winners on a historic day is a tremendous achievement
by itself.
It was an auspicious beginning for the sponsor, when his filly the Pesi
Shroff-trained Raquel got the better of hot favorite Personified in
a hard-fought duel in the first race of the day. Personified was a graceful
runner up and the duo put on an exciting fight.
Combustion and Mischievous Trot cornered most of the betting in the
second race. Intimacy tried the start-to-finish tactics and brought
the field into the homestretch, but soon Mr. Majestic came on to scene
and every other contender was left to fight for minor places. Combustion
had to be content with the third spot.
Kempinski was installed the firm favourite and some money came on Landlord.
However it was Magic Words who had the punters 'spellbound' by unleashing
a terrific run to cast a spell on her rivals.
Aquilo had thrilled his connections on an identical day by winning
the Nanoli Pune Derby two years ago. This time, he dished out another
thriller to ward off a stiff challenge form Premier Star. The odds on
favorite shaped up well at the top of the straight but had to contend
with Spinoza veering out all the while. Aquilo was forced to drift out
and taking advantage of the yawning opening, Premier Star surged forward
to make a fight of it. To the relief of the punters, Aquilo emerged
victorious on the wire with very little to spare. Whew! What a cracker
of a race.
The Noshir & Dolly Dhunjibhoy Sprint Championship remained within
the family as Giacosa upset all calculations to land the spoils. Evatina
was the popular choice for the supporting event to the Nanoli Derby.
This was a fast-run race as the sprinters dashed for early advantage.
Torque slipped ahead in the straight but soon was engaged in a tough
battle, the challenge coming strongly from Giacosa, who ended the dispute
close home. That was the winner number three for the day for Dhunjibhoy.
The Nanoli Stud Pune Derby was next on schedule and already the presiding
races had produced a lot of spark. The 10 runners jumped out even and
Nitrous shot ahead all the way to the home turn. Czar Alexander, Golden
Edition, Alvida, Mountain Bear ran close to each other for most of the
distance. Maseeha, who was racing in the front bunch, started to weaken
as they began to negotiate the turn. The tightly packed field caused
Mountain Bear a bad check as Maseeha started to fade. This check was
passed on to Spiritual Flame, who stumbled and nearly hit the railings.
Nitrous brought the bunch into the straight and the gruelling fight
gained momentum. As the fancied horses failed to make any impression,
Alvida briefly took charge but as Gobelin joined the battle it was clear
who would be the winner. Gobelin's power-packed finish left the field
stunned and the Patels and Jains ecstatic.
An elated Vivek Jain couldn’t hold his excitement back: "I
am thrilled to no end. We were not exactly expecting this since the
filly had hurt her hoofs only last week. Gobelin has endorsed that she
is a brave filly and has confirmed her staying prowess."
For trainer Imtiaz A. Sait, this it was a personal landmark. This was
his first Pune Derby success. "It was a perfect ID gift for me.
I wouldn’t have deemed this possible last week as the filly had
hurt herself. We were even speculating whether she would be able to
run the race. But all my stable staff insisted that she will improve
over the week and she should run. It’s not often that one gets
to run the Derby. I am glad that the collective decision prevailed and
what unfolded is an absolute moment of pride."
Dr. C.S. Poonawala, Chairman, RWITC, while acknowledging the success
of Gobelin, informed that Golden Edition’s fore plates had come
off during the race.
Memorable Day asserted himself in an emphatic fashion. Racing in the
rear bunch for the early part, he moved up close at the turn. A cramped
bunch in front was little cause for concern as jockey Prakash immediately
skirted around the horses on the wider outside taking no chances. Mid-way
up the straight, Memorable Day began to accelerate and won without working
up a sweat.
The last race of the day provided the icing for the Dhunjibhoys. After
winning three races for the day and Alvida finishing second in the Derby,
it was left to Timeless Memories to provide the finishing touches. The
well-backed favourite was within striking distance right from the word
go and assumed charge as they straightened for home. Such was her finishing
gallop that there was no threat in sight and the favourite romped home
in style.
