|
The higher division was won by the second in demand at the betting, Greek Fire. Ace High kept the pace too hot in the initial stages with Party Doll in chase. Greek Fire took the shortest way along the rails as the field got on to the straight and fought out every inch of ground with Party Doll in the last 400 metres. Suraj Narredu astride Party Doll tried his best to get the Doll on even keel as she kept hanging in throughout the straight but failed by a short head at the wire.
Only two well-backed horses won in a card of eight races and both were in the hands of Suraj Narredu. Kohinoor Delight was the first one in the Sardar Patel Plate run over seven furlongs. Pythagoras after a duel with Smrithiman, had surged ahead but Suraj, who had waited on Kohinoor Delight, till passing the distance marker began to get closer with some strong urgings and got the better of Pythagoras in the last fifty metres. The other win of Suraj was on Maximum City, in the higher division of the Mirza Ghalib Plate. Suraj preferred to settle Maximum City behind the early leader John Galt till the top of the straight and surged ahead and with some hard riding shrugged off the challenge of Dash on Regardless. Prasad Raju, who had led the winner had earlier, picked up the lower division on Dash of Class. Travelling from second last position, Dash of Class came around the field as the field straightened and sped past to score an encore. The rider of the favourite, Pleasing Display, who had finished a neck behind the winner, objected that the winner had cut across near the 200 metres, thereby he had to stop riding and change course to make his move again which cost him the first place, was overruled by the stewards.
It was irony of sorts when Ananth Vatsalya’s lesser fancied Millenium Queen flew in the concluding stages to beat stable mate Kohinoor Magic who was the public choice.
