|
Optimus Prime set a solid pace and charged away from Corbett and Leonardo. The three of them were many lengths ahead of the others as they galloped down the backstretch and traversed the first half of this race. While Prakash and Mystic Quest raced in second last position, Sprint Star graced the rear. Suraj had relaxed him completely and the horse was seen racing well within himself. The leader shot his bolt at the bend and allowed Corbett to seize the advantage. Sylvester De Souza pulled out his stick and goaded him to keep going. Leonardo and David Allan were soon challenging on his outside. The two of them began their battle and pulled away from the rest. It was at this stage that Suraj decided to release his brakes on the favourite, and the supporters of Sprint Star were thrilled to see their choice making his move on the wide outside. He displayed amazing acceleration and swept into the lead. It ceased to be a contest thereafter as he was the only horse who was seen to be galloping. The others looked extremely ordinary in comparison. Corbett retained his second spot ahead of Lenardo and a tired Optimus Prime. Mystic Quest and Glory To Dancer were close behind this pack.
The winning margin of over six lengths was a compliment to the beaten brigade. The fact that Sprint Star had entered the straight almost ten lengths behind Corbett, and was so far in front at the wire, shows the quality of the gallop that the winner had raised in the final stretch. There is nothing more that one can say about the riding capabilities of Suraj Narredu. Fresh after his return from a successful trip to Mauritius, the Champion Jockey rode another brilliant race. It was the first time that he was riding this horse for his father in a Classic. The young man had tested him in a mock race a couple of weeks ago, and planned his strategy. Some old hands at this game felt that the boy had taken a big risk by keeping Sprint Star so far behind the pace. Others felt that all’s well that ends well. The fact remains that the horse was ridden for eventual speed and he performed according to his jockey's expectations. Satish has done a wonderful job with him and the tactics employed by Suraj today indicate that Sprint Star is being given his best chance to tackle the longer trip in the Derby on Republic Day.
This Classic victory gave the father-son combination of Satish and Suraj a nice double for the afternoon. They had already scored with Sure Speed in the day's opener. The modestly bred (Sussex-Machiavelli) two-year-old colt is a rangy type. Despite his big built, he is light on his feet. Suraj took him to the front and the grey stormed home to an easy victory. Gift Of Love chased him all the way and ended second ahead of Bala's Glory. Ganapathy-trained Golden Quest was an odds-on favourite in this race. The filly looked tucked-in and ran pathetically. She needs time to furnish before she is in a position to run on the lines of her immaculate pedigree.
The Shantiniketan Trophy, a handicap race for horses in Class I was the supporting event in the day's card. The field was tightly rated and winner picking looked like a hazardous exercise. While most of these runners had been racing against each other in recent months, Sharat Kumar's Atlantus was making his debut in this elite group. He had raced exactly seven days ago in a terms race and had impressed all concerned with a strong gallop against horses rated more than 40 points above him. The shrewd trainer realized the present form and condition of Atlantus, and wasted little time in bringing him back to a racetrack in such a short time. The horse showed great maturity by coming on the wide outside and getting the better of early leaders Silken Thomas, Mighty Heart and Firezone. Sharat Kumar had the distinction of taking a horse called Lionheart from the lowest class to the top of Class I. Atlantus is set to emulate his famous stablemate.
Another performance that caught the eye during the afternoon came from Byramji's three year-old filly Cinnamon Rose. The beautifully bred filly was an expensive purchase and much was expected from her by the stable. Cinnamon Rose was an impressive winner of a maidens event in mid November. The connections were delighted with that run and immediately decided to campaign her in the Bangalore Oaks. The veteran trainer chose to use Saturday's nine-furlong race as a stepping-stone for her. There are many seasoned racegoers who feel that a winner of a single start should never be backed in Class III. The fact that she had been pushed to Class II by the handicapper was reason enough for them to ignore her from a betting perspective today. They regretted their decision when they saw Cinnamon Rose coming from the tail end of the field to register a narrow victory ahead of a seasoned Lock And Load. De Souza rode an overconfident race on the winner and gave her too much to do in the straight. The filly was looking very nice in the paddock, and after today's showing, seems to be a frontline contender in the "Ladies" Derby next month.
Irfan Ghatala was the other professional to score more than once today. Gustavo and Leon Cavallo were the two public choices that scored from his yard. Both these horses were running after fairly long breaks and were seen sporting bandages. Their recent track trials had indicated their fitness and the supporters of this stable were confident of their chances. Gustavo posted an easy victory over a late finishing Sandalwood Star and Red Lad. He came from behind and was eased into a comfortable lead at the top of the straight. Gustavo is capable of repeating on promotion. Leon Cavallo survived a close scare as Harish ridden Your Destiny came alongside and briefly headed the favourite. Apprentice Khurshad deserves praise for not wilting under pressure, as the boy continued to push his mount. Leon Cavallo was lucky to find his nostril in front at the wire.
Jockey B Prakash got into traffic problems while steering Ganapathy's Noble Breeze in a sprint race for horses in the lowest Class. Noble Breeze was a firm favourite in this race. Allowing Smart Cooky, Western Palace and Defiance to show the way till well into the straight, Prakash tried to take a narrow gap between Smart Cooky and Western Palace. Noble Breeze was full of running at this stage. The gap close instantly and the erstwhile champion jockey looked a pale shadow of himself as he had no recourse but to stop riding. The public choice lost a lot of ground due to this incident and the filly ended a close third. A lot of racegoers money went down on a horse that should have won comfortably.
He was quick to learn from the above experience and made no such mistakes while guiding the fortunes of the well-fancied Noble Kingdom. He stayed clear of all trouble and produced his horse on the centre of the track. Noble Kingdom swept past Express It, Redford and A Run To Remember to register a long overdue success.
Prakash lost a golden opportunity to complete the 2000th winner of his career on such an important afternoon. His current tally stands at 1999, and a one-time darling of the crowds is on the verge of creating history, as he will be the first Indian jockey to reach this magical landmark.
