Vijay Singh-trained Ascriptive won the Calcutta Monsoon Derby on Sunday in great style, proving beyond doubt that he is a class unto himself. Vijay's training strategy was like taking a leaf out of an oldtimer's book- a race gallop over 1800 metres which the son of the Irish mare Ivyanna picked up in a canter. And fast track work with a pacemaker. Exclusivity fulfilled the latter role for the first of the 2000 metres journey before Pesi Shroff-trained Apollotina took over. From near the home turn, the Colt's Trial winner from Daniel David's yard, Bountiful Talent, shot ahead and Prakash atop the grey went hell for leather.
Till the 800 metres, the two fancied runners, Safari and Ascriptive, bided their time in the last row of the grid like formation. Thereafter, Christopher Alford suddenly switched gears. In a jiffy, he had his mount racing on the outside of Bountiful Talent and engaged him in a duel that brought racegoers to the edge of their seats. With hundred metres left, Alford edged his mount past David's ward to ultimately take home the winner's purse of over Rs. 16.5 lakh quite comfortably.
Harsh decision
The Unknown Warrior Cup saw the Stewards take a harsh decision to demote the winner, Shafiq Khan-trained Mandji (Ashish up) from the winner's berth after an objection by Prakash on Brilliant Victory was upheld. Mandji sat at the tail of the front-running Brilliant Victory till the turning for home and swept past him in a trice. The filly was over three lengths clear when Ashish lost his whip. Thereafter, Prakash lodged an objection on the grounds of interference.
What the knowledgeable guardians should have taken into account was that at no point was Brilliant Victory travelling better than the winner who was 7kg and four lengths better placed than in their last meeting, the Whispering Grass Handicap won by Mandji. They should have also noted that Prakash narrowed the leeway to half-a-length after Ashish lost his whip. It was a clever ploy which worked well for the powerful gold-and-brown silks.
What the guardians should ask themselves is that would they have upheld the objection if the roles of Ashish and Prakash were reversed or even if, instead of a small time Delhi based trainer, it had been the local heavy-weights - red-and-gold silks. If they can answer these two questions honestly and sincerely in the affirmative, then there is no need to linger on this topic any longer.
It was a warm afternoon and the crowd was treated to some real great racing. After Patrick Quinn-trained Italian Affair won the Desert Shot Cup as he liked, Gnaneswar rode a gem of a race on Desire Lad from Rutherford Alford's stable to land the Too Hot To Touch cup from She's Superb. Thereafter, Christopher Alford took over. He faced no difficulty whatsoever in guiding the three on-money choices, Arnatta, Saddler's Star and Colourful Lady to effortless victories in the Unknown Warrior Cup, The Alternator Cup and Sanskara cup respectively.
The best piece of riding was displayed by C. Rajendra who piloted Rockefeller to a brilliant victory in the Stewards Cup after Romantic Getaway looked as if he may pull it off. Top-weight Steal the Glory showed the way till the distance post, where Romantic Getaway took over. It was then that Rajendra brought Rockefeller with a flourish.
