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The initial pace in the Dr. S.R.Captain Memorial Cup was slow and Kings Cruise headed the field with the favourite Copertina, well off the pace in second last position. Once on the straight, Kings Cruise started to kick on gamely, with no other strong challenge in sight. Copertina faltered when asked for an effort and many avid race goers were dismayed by her poor performance. Fly by Wire finished second while Arabian Dancer took the passage along the rails to take the third spot ahead of Chesapeake. This win brought Donald Netto at par with Prasad Raju in the trainer’s tally and with both their scores at 25 each, the fight for the honours is now wide open and may go to the wire.
Trainer J.Silvester pulled out two winners on Monday. Pygmalion, piloted by Deep Shanker, won the higher division of the B. Madhukumar Memorial Cup. Pygmalion set out in front over the five furlong trip and Alpine Girl chased through the trip. Dancing Harbour could not get a clear passage after jumping out, due to tightening of the field, and trailed during the initial part and improved towards the closing stages to finish third. Tell me a Tale positioned herself well with the front-bunch till the final bend and surged ahead on the straight to score an upset, giving trainer J. Silvester a double. Three runners - Tristar, Acciacattura and John Galt finished in a cluster to fill the frame in that order. The ‘odds-on’ favourite, Alberton Star did not jump with the field, losing ground and all his chances.
Jockey Ch. K. Chary piloted a back-to- back double on Sparkling Sapphire and India Gate. Sugar Baby had established a run-away lead with apprentice P. Sai Kumar and found herself in front by about six lengths on top of the straight. Sparkling Sapphire started to close the gap and shot clear in the last 100 metres. Cygnet also managed to beat Sugar Baby to finish second.
Chary, on Faisal Hassan’s India Gate, tracked Belle Dancer till the straight surged ahead in the final furlong the connections a successful gamble. Glorious Bay was withdrawn after she refused to get into the gates.
It was catch me if you can tactic employed by Krithiman, who denied the well-backed Play Zone a win, running away with the Adler Plate, the concluding race of the day. Royal Scotsman improved late to finish third.
Trainer Laxman Singh, who had scored a brace on Sunday, repeated the feat with two of his youngsters, both debutants, Napoleon and Kohinoor Wish walking away with the two divisions of The Gangotri Plate. Napoleon stretched out well in the hands of jockey Imran Khan to beat the well-backed Youre an Aeton to second place. Kohinoor Wish was settled in fourth position along the rails till the final bend and as the field straightened up, jockey Stephen Carson pulled him out and made his move to stretch to a five-length victory. Red Connect finished second well in front of Aspire.
