BOUNTIFUL GESTURE IMPRESSES; ALLAIRE FAILS TO SHOW OUT
KUNIGAL BRED HORSES
TO THE FORE; SIX SPEED, ALLOCATED KEEP TRYST WITH DESTINY
(Race
Review of 17th and 18th June Races)
JOE
THE PRO MAKES AMENDS IN EXCITING FINISH
(Reviews of June 10-11 Races)
SURPRISES
GALORE DURING FIRST WEEK-END
(Reviews of May20-21 Races)
SIX
SPEED IS SENSATIONAL ALLOCATED IS ANOTHER STAR
( Review of June 3rd and 4th Races)
QUITE a few classic hopefuls were seen in action during the second week's Bangalore Summer Races but none of them won in the manner expected of them. Only Zareer Darashah trained Bountiful Gesture who has made vast strides showed signs of becoming a top class sprinter by the ease with which the Steinbeck filly won the Karnataka Police Trophy, the highlight of the races held on Sunday. Allaire was fully stretched to win while Starry Scene just about lasted out to win from four-year old Sea Classic. Padmanabhan trained Access All Area was an impressive winner but since she beat a moderate set, nothing much can be made out of her except the fact that she has scope for improvement and could be a force to reckon with in winter.
Bountiful Gesture went into the race as a strong favourite though the odds on her drifted due to change in jockey. Calcutta's C Alford replaced the injured Aslam Kader but he had nothing much to do except the guide the filly to win by a widening margin of over seven lengths. Hyderabad's Cosmic Rays ran on well to finish second while Clyde Barrow who was strongly fancied to win, found foot only when the race was over. The disappointment of the race was the running of Fantastic Belle who ran down the field. In winter, Fantastic Belle had the measure of Strides of Fire who in turn had beaten Bountiful Gesture in his subsequent run. As such, the got-abroad filly was expected to be in the thick of things but Fantastic Belle was never in it from the word `go', with jockey Mallesh Narredu hard at work.
The style of Bountiful Gesture's win suggested that the Steinbeck progeny could be trained on for graded races over sprints. The handicapper promptly put her in the highest category, with a 11 kg slap for this runaway win.
Padmanabhan had a fruitful day despite being on a longish holiday than the other trainers. Blue Ridge who had been ambitiously campaigned in classics in winter over trips not suitable for her, found foot in the 1200 metres Sewania Stud Plate, a race for horses rated 30 to 45. Jockey Aslam Kader had Blue Ridge well up with the leaders and took over the running at the top of the straight. The got-abroad filly held on to win from a fast-finishing Predicament who despite lack of preparation, was a noteworthy second. Predicament can be expected to run as a favourite next time out but then there will be a question mark about the prospects of the five-year old mare's chances if it were to end up at cramped odds. King's Star pipped All Above on the post to take the third spot.
Trainer Dominic had a nice-priced winner through Dragon who smashed the opposition in effortless fashion in the Prince Khartoum Plate, a 1100 metres race for three-year old maidens. Favourite Semoran did the front-running job but short her bolt longway from home. Ispahan shaped liked a winner but was found lacking when the Ajaad progeny Dragon swooped on her.
There was much speculation about Puttanna's ward Goebels. The belief of the punters was that if the Vesuvius progeny was a serious contender in the race, he would win hands down. With punters having no such confirmation as the price on him drifted out in the betting ring, Red Bird ended up as a favourite by default. In the event, Goebbels, despite lacklustre riding by jockey Nagesh which saw the horse drift to the edege of the grass track, won by a whisker over Fountain Head who had slipped ahead along the rails. The Stipes let off Nagesh with a reprimand for his dubious riding.
Trainer Pradeep Annaiabh had erred in running Soul of Gold over sprints all along. Though the four-year old gelding is by Gold Discovery whose progenies have turned out to be good sprinters, the style of running of Soul of Gold suggested that he would be a force to reckon with over extended trips. And as expected, Soul of Gold came up with a strong run in the run in for home to get the better of favourite Alminstar who led on sufferance over the mile long trip.
Jockey Imran Khan is yet to prove his mettle in Bangalore. Once again, he failed to get the best out of favourite Prime Target who found foot late and lesser fancied Laught It Off held on to provide veteran jockey Shafiq one of those rare wins.
Jim Foley Tudor King was strongly fancied to win the 1400 metres Paddiwick Plate, a race for maiden three-year olds on the basis of the Steinbeck progeny's impressive third behind The Music Man in winter. However, Padmanabhan's Access All Areas gave no hope whatsoever for the Foley's ward by stretching away for an effortless win. Kingston Heath occupied the third spot and the Twist And Turn progeny should soon be in the thick of things.
SATURDAY's races saw the eclipse of hitherto unbeaten Silent Force. The only three-year old to have won four races in the country, the Leo D'Silva trained Silent Force was expected to have it easy in the 1400 metres Speaker's Cup but the Twist And Turn progeny was in distress at the 800 metre marker itself. Pesi Shroff on Sea Classic who was following immeidately behind had to slow down his mount a wee-bit which resulted in bottom-weighted favourite Starry Scene to open up a big lead upfront which proved to be the turning point of the race.
Although Shroff rode out Sea Classic with all the resources at his command, Starry Scene who had a break of about five lengths when the former made his move, held on to win by a whisker. It was one of those remarkable pieces of riding by Shroff though he was on a loosing horse. Silent Force finished a distance behind the first two-runners.
Michael Eshwer's Desert Pride had won his debut race in impressive fashion after having the benefit of three to four mock races. Since then, he has let down his supporters thrice as a strongly fancied horse. He was the on-money favourite to win the Sir Charles Todhunter Memorial Cup, a race for horses rated 20 to 35 but in the event, Padmanabhan's Elusive Emperor who had run in good company, made it a start to finish affair and won with something to spare.
Jim Foley's Complimentary who had lost narrowly to Carnival Craze in winter, won as she liked the Esquire Plate, a sprint race for maiden three-year olds. With Melodeon having been withdrawn on veterinary grounds, Complimentary had no challenge. Silvano was a noteworthy second.
Empress of India has been a big let down all through her career. However, the five year old mare put her best foot forward when least fancied, to win the lower division of the Astounding Plate, a race for 10 to 25 category horses. Decision Maker could have been a threat to the front-running winner but apprentice Shukla was found founting at the crucial stage. The upper division of the same race was claimed by Dominic's Dior who won despite the jockey's best efforts not to do so. Neha's Prince who was shaping like a winner had no answer when Dior swooped on him despite jockey Faisal's half-hearted efforts.
Darius Byramji trained Allaire who was one of the fancied runners in the Pooanwalla Million at Mumbai, was hard-pressed to win over Saujas in the R N Mirza Memorial Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 35. Saujas who came out of the maiden's rank only last winter, stretched the favourite to the hilt. Not much can be made out of Allaire's unimpressive win. The filly has scope but is not be an immediate threat to Six Speed in the fillies classic.
Satish Narredu, the ertswhile champion jockey who has been granted a trainer's license this season, had his maiden winner through friendless Resist The Force who won the 10 to 25 category race in effortless fashion, with jockey S Babu in the saddle. Resist The Force had been an expensive failure thus far. Padmanabhan's Wonderful Babe who had the habit of running out, was ridden in check and had it covered by jockey Shareef and this perhaps helped the Steinbeck progeny who kept a straight course and finished a suggestive second.
