Unlike the preceding three years, this year’s
Indian 1000 Guineas
is looking very competitive according to the performances and pedigrees. There
are 15 well bred fillies has been lined up to notch the crown.
Sweeping Success was the last filly to win
Indian 1000 Guineas
with longer odds. After that we have seen Set Alight at 25/100 and the wonder
filly Jacqueline at 11/10. Last year Siachen won this at 3/1.
This year there are as many as 6 strong
contenders with credentials under their belt, three of them are unbeaten and
the other has outstanding in their days.
1. Alma Mater : This filly has raced only 2
times with S. Zervan up and won very easily
with good timings. Her sire Royal Kingdom has produced only Holding Court as
classic winner in Bangalore field and proud 2nd in Indian Derby, but her dam`s
sire Spectrum was the winner of Irish 2000 Guineas Grade-1 and Dubai Champion
Stakes Grade-1. Yet she has not tested very well but according to her dam line
and jockey’s class difference, Alma Mater may be in the finishing line, if she
settles her well after start which is very important.
2. Black Magic Woman: It is very surprising
how she lost in the Fillies` Trial Stakes in Bangalore. In her six starts she had defeated
only once in Bangalore, but in the long straight
of 600 metres in Mahalaxmi she is the one to be beaten, if she stays in 1600
metre, the only one point against her as she failed in 1600 metres in Fillies
Trial Stakes in Bangalore.
She has clocked 1.25.46 in Bangalore Summer which is very important and also
the only contender to win Class-I race. According to her pedigree, her sire is
great Plecerville but her dam line is not too strong. If you look to wonder
filly Jacqueline’s pedigree you can’t find, apart from her dam who was the
winner of German Derby. So, keep your close watch to Black Magic Woman.
3. Botswana:
This is the costliest horse ever raced in India. Although she has not
experienced, but if you look carefully at her only defeat by St. Catz in the
last race, especially in the last 100 metres, your observation may say that she
has kept her stamina for the coming classics and ran a educational run to habituate
with Mahalaxmi course. Apart from that according to her Pune outings, she has
clocked very very good timings in two unbeaten starts and showed enormous turn
of foot. Above all, her sire Invincible Spirit has eclipsed the record for
juvenile winners by a sire in a year with 42 individual two-year-old winners in
2010 season. Her dam is the daughter of Doyoun who was the winner of English 2000
Guineas
and 3rd in the Epsom Derby. Doyoun is the sire of Breeders` Cup winners Daylami
and Kalanisi. So, in the hands of Stephen Pasquier after Malcom Kharadi, who
runs well off the pace, Botswana
can canter.
4. Hills and Stars: The Pune Derby 2011
winner has shown excellent turn of foot in the last three outings. But, she is
facing a new field in the 1000 Guineas
as she has faced the general contenders in Pune Derby, except Picasso who lost
about 20 lengths at start in the 2000 metre. According to pedigree, she has
bred for staying distance because her dam Altitude produced long distant
winners like Assert The Right, Flashing Star and Forcing Bid. Above all the
adverse facts, she has to be taken into account only for her excellent turn of
foot.
5. Smashing : This is filly has unbeaten in
her last three outings, but in the last outing she has given several reminders
and pushing in the hands of champion jockey B. Prakash although she has own by 1
3/4 lenght in Class-III race in a very poor field. But if you see to her
pedigree, you may see her dam line is very strong. Her dam`s sire is the great
alive sire Galileo and her dam Exquisite is carrying the blood line of champion
sire Relic. Her sire Holy Roman Emperor has yet to taste a classic victory in
the Indian turf. So, she may get the crown, if she stays in a longer trip which
may difficult.
6. Vittoria: This filly is unbeaten in her four starts and only once she has been
challenged by Beyond Stars in a Class-III race, but after that she has won a
Class-II race as she liked, beating multi class winners. Her turn of foot is
excellent. She is the daughter of last year’s champion sire China Visit. Her
dam Prevalence is the daughter of great sire Razeen. The dam of Prevalence is
Forescence who is the daughter of champion sire Grey Gaston, the carrier of
bloodline of Relic.
So, in my view, the race is kind open but
the race should be concluded with Botswana,
Black Magic Women and Vittoria
taking into account Smashing, Hills and Stars and Alma Mater. I think Botswana is the
one to be beaten by all, according to her performance and pedigree.