Allocated
resumed his winning ways, with an easy win in the Karnataka
Sub-Area Cup which featured Saturday's races. Racing itself
was lackluster, with competitive interest being at a premium.
The unhealthy tendency on the part of the professionals to
take things easy and sit in the bandwagon of a horse that
everybody considers as having the best credentials is ruining
competitive interest. A couple of upsets came about more by
accident than by intention. Inexplicable reversal of form,
which has become the bane of this sport, needs to be tackled
with conviction by the authorities if their intention is to
steer racing in the right direction.
Olympic Queen had performed poorly in her last run but this
time out, the well-bred filly put daylight between herself and
the rest when money was on her. Should one compliment the
jockey for giving a run in her last run, without getting on
the wrong side of the authorities or criticize the officials
for not being vigilant? Such happenings are sure to bring down
the credibility of the sport further as winner-picking will
then become a matter of getting the right information.
Information-oriented racing as against performance-oriented
racing is certainly not a happy trend.
Be that as it
may, the Placerville-Arctic Theme four-year old gelding
Allocated had the best credentials to win the 1400 metres
Karnataka Sub-Area Cup, a race for horses rated 40 and above.
Allocated had won last year's Colts Trial Stakes and then
after having won the same event at Hyderabad in monsoon, there
was a slide in his performance as he was asked to tackle
extended trips which was not his forte. With the benefit of a
race run and running over his pet distance, Allocated looked a
cinch as by virtue of his past record, he had to move up in
the handicap scale. The Placerville progeny also relished the
`give-in' in the ground to win with a start to finish attempt.
Six-year old Acute finished second ahead of Comet Star and One
So Wonderful, which was a surprise because the others with
better credentials were not sighted.
Both the divisions of the High Commission Cup turned out to be
eventful. Abdullah trained Tal who had finished behind Persian
Belle in her last outing, was backed to the exclusion of her
rivals in the upper division, as everyone seemed to have
reconciled to the victory of the favourite. But in the event,
Vijay Singh trained Alicyclic, despite Alford's below par
performance, shocked at fancy odds, with the favourite
finishing a tame second. The majority of the runners in the
fray did not evince interest in the proceedings. Alicyclic who
was raced six horses wide, took over the running inside the
final 350 metres and despite drifting out of a straight
course, held on to win comfortably. Jockey Gallagher has found
himself on the loosing side on quite a few fancied runners
this season.
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ALLOCATED (Ruzzan up), winner
of the Karnataka Sub-Area Cup being led in by trainer Byramji.
Brig L.S.Reddy, Commander,
Karnataka, Kerala & Goa Sub - Area is presenting the
Karnataka Sub- Area cup to trainer Byramji.
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