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On the basis of this performance, Awarding storms onto the Classic Scene. She will be a prominent performer during the Summer Season. Horses can certainly have an "off day", and perhaps Saturday was one such occasion for Tsavorite. Her sparkling acceleration was missing today. She was looking wonderful today, and the forced rest during the next six weeks should do her a world of good. The other notable performance in this event was that of Arjun Mangalorkar's Sky Train. Despite losing a distance at the start, the colt battled on to finish a fair third. A level start may have seen him going very close to the two fillies.
The Garden City Trophy was the added attraction in the day's card. This mile race for horses in the highest class attracted only six runners. Most of them had won a race in the lower class earlier in the season and were running with penalties. Prithviraj's Timeless Treasure was the best at the weights, and was supported accordingly. He had disappointed on numerous occasions by getting beaten near the winning post. There were no such problems today, as Timeless Treasure scored an emphatic victory. Jockey Christopher settled him nicely at the tail end of the small group and allowed Edmondo, Desert Rule and Soberano to make the initial running. Timeless Treasure was popped the question near the bend, and the five year-old skirted the leading group to run away for an easy success. He won by a widening margin from a tired bunch led by Desert Rule, Lock and Load and Soberano.
Timeless Treasure's victory gave Christopher his double for the day. He had already scrambled home to a narrow victory astride Haggler in a nine furlong race for horses in Class IV. Christopher took Haggler to the front and dictated pace to his rivals. Favourite Redshift was running within seven days of his victory and that turned out to be a hindrance. He was unable to quicken at any stage of the race and finished in the ruck. It was left to Act Of Duty to put up a strong challenge in the straight, but that effort fell shy by a neck at the wire.
The very next race saw Prithviraj too completing his double for the afternoon. The trainer needs to be duly complimented for his services to the dickey-legged Sparklingadventure. For a horse, who till very recently was struggling in the lowest Class, this has been a dream season. Sparklingadventure utilized his early speed to score for the fourth time this winter. Apprentice Khurshad has struck a fine partnership with this horse. He allowed Flaming Lamborgini to lead till well into the straight, before arriving on the scene. The late challenge that emanated from the favourite Caspian Sea wasn't good enough to trouble the winner. Flaming Lamborgini ended a close third. After today's performance, Sparklingadventure has the distinction of graduating to top-class company.
The day started with the lower division of a maiden's event over 1,200 metres. Attaolahi's Cavalry Charge was a hot favourite in this race. The connections had taken him to Mumbai for a tilt at the "big" races at that centre. His performances against good opposition in his two starts in Western India justified the cramped odds quoted on him today. However, a strange quirk of events saw his odds doubling in quick time. A rumour pertaining to a physical impediment was responsible for this transformation. Those who had backed him at a short price were extremely worried before the start. However, it turned out to be totally baseless. Cavalry Charge led from the start and won as he liked. The winning margin of almost a distance was on expected lines. Indian Bolt and Lad's Diva filled the rest of the frame.
The upper division saw another strong performance from Dominic's Tempus Fugit. This horse had run a couple of good races, the last one being a fair third to today's Million Winner Awarding. The trainer had decided to geld him after that run, and given him a couple of months to recover. He received strong support to start as a half-money favourite in this race. Jockey Chouhan allowed him to settle down in the initial stages and tracked Foswell till well into the straight. With the front runner refusing to slow down, Chouhan had to ride vigorously in the final furlong. It took only a couple of seconds for Tempus Fugit to get into top gear. He sauntered past Foswell and was allowed to relax thereafter. The winner showed that he would be better suited over a longer trip, as it took him a while to get into his fluent strides.
Dhariwal's fashionably bred Joriki made her racing debut at the age of four. The trainer chose to run her in a sprint event for horses in Class V. She started as the shortest priced runner of the afternoon. De Souza was a mere passenger on her, as the filly did everything that was required of her. She took a level jump and settled nicely in fourth place. Jariki kept improving all the way and soon found herself at the helm of affairs. She galloped away from a hard ridden Allegro. The others were totally outclassed. The well-built Joriki has the ability to win again for the asking.
Trainer Nityanand's Sweet Surrender showed a clean pair of heels to a packed field, and scored his maiden victory in a sprint race for horses in class IV. Ryan Marshall made full use of his innermost draw and led from the word "go". On-money favourite Wynn raced alongside for most of the way, before feeling the pressure. Wynn veered out in the straight, and this allowed Sweet Surrender to open up a huge lead in the final furlong. He was ridden hands and heels thereafter to score handsomely from Precept and a tired Wynn. Grand Topaz and Saratoga came purposefully from the rear, but failed narrowly to save place money for their respective connections.
