Allies Serenade lands the spoils
By Sharan Kumar

Darius Byramji trained Allies Serenade exploited the pull in weights to put it across top-weighted Own Vision in the Gr 3 Dashmesh & Hargobind Stud Bangalore Summer Million, the star event of Sunday's races. Own Vision clearly demonstrated by her superb performance that she is surely a classic contender and belongs to the elite group of three year olds. Allies Serenade had her initiation under Padmanabhan and the trainer had always rated the filly high, placing her at the top of the heap in his stable but the got-abroad filly has had a chequered career, some unaccountably poor runs followed by a brilliant show marking her progress. She has some way to go before she actualizes her potential of which there is no doubt.

Own Vision had shown in every one of her wins that she was on the upgrade and that she was a classic prospect. Though she was conceding weight to the opposition, the daughter of Razeen commanded healthy respect and was expected to over come all the disadvantages. Integral and Allies Serenade were expected to pose her problems as they enjoyed a distinct pull in weights. But there seemed to be something amiss with Integral and her poor performance could be explained away. Allies Serenade who had run a close fifth in the Fillies Trial Stakes definitely enjoyed an edge over Integral vis-à-vis the three kg pull in weighs. Kissinger, Bajo Grande, Destined Path and Cesandri were also expected to be in contention. Unfortunately, owing to a mishap during the race, Bajo Grande's jockey Kamlesh got dislodged. Luckily, both the jockey and the horse came back with no apparent damage. 

Allies Serenade (C Alford up) winning The DASHMESH AND HARGOBIND STUD BANGALORE SUMMER MILLION (GRADEIII)





Cesandri (Suraj Narredu up) leading at 500m turn

The race was run at a good clip and as such, Own Vision who was drawn on the wide outside, could not move closer to the rails and take a vantage position. She had to travel wide right through and this perhaps affected her chances considerably. Midway through the race, jockey Appu who was fighting to keep Destined Path under check moved over to the rails and Alannah who was racing immediately behind clipped the front-runner and jockey Imran Chisty took a tumble. Srinath on Crown Royal took evasive action but Kamlesh who was on Bajo Grande was unsighted by the rapid action. As a result, he had no time to react and ran into Alannah and took a toss. Kamlesh escaped with a shake up though he will stay the night in the hospital under observation. Chisty was not so lucky as he has broken his elbow and got a bad knock on the spine. He is expected to be missing from action for well over two months.

Cesandri had the first run on her opponents even as Kissinger was within striking range. Own Vision was spotted on the wide outside but it was evident as the runners straightened for the run in for home that Allies Serenade was the one was traveling the best of the lot. The daughter of Allied Forces burst through the middle and stretched away for a comfortable win by over three lengths over Own Vision. Cesandri managed to stave off the challenge of Kissinger for the third spot. Destined Path ran below par.

Something seems to be bothering Specialize. The small made daughter of Eagle Eyed has failed to live up to the promise of her two smashing wins early in her career. After doing the front running till turning for home, she packed up like a pricked balloon and faded out of contention. Silken Magic who was backed to the exclusion of her rivals, sported wings as it were, as she left the field for dead to win as she pleased from Tal. Silken Magic had run down the field last time out and there was a dramatic improvement in her performance. Such form fluctuations puts a student of form in a quandary and winner picking becomes a hazardous guess. Such results will surely drive the punters away from racecourse as has been happening at a centre like Mumbai. Not every one will have recourse to privileged information.

Mr. Ardeshir B. K. Dubash's receiving the cup from Mr. C. N. Nataraj

Milan had run a brilliant race in his previous essay but inexplicably he lapsed into his old self, giving a poor account of himself. Milan has never been a model of consistency and his form fluctuation has been the dismay of race goers who have to take beating week after week in the hope that someday things will change for the better. Beat It Dude cantered home, with Star Chivalry taking the runner up berth.

Brush With Fame who had failed to tackle the heavy underfoot conditions on the Derby day, made amends, with a hard-fought win over Conqueress in the Lt Col Gaunt Memorial Cup (Div II). The well bred daughter of Placerville, Conqueress was expected to maintain her winning sequence at least till reaching the highest class but considering the fact that the handicapper did not rate her highly, her progress was not expected to be uninterrupted. Conqueress led from the start but despite fighting hard, she buckled close home. Aretino picked up momentum rather too late to make an impact on the outcome. Prakash who drove out Brush With Fame to victory had another winner through It's Amazing who won over a trip reckoned to be too sharp for her. However, Prakash did not show the same vigor when riding favourite Border Arrow earlier in the day. He did everything that he was not expected to do when finishing fourth with a lackadaisical effort. God's Gift was the surprise winner at the expense of Springtide whose last two runs were mystifying to say the least. 

Nordic Star looked a cut above the rest in the paddock parade and duly won the day's opener in splendid fashion. This Hyderabad challenger should move up swiftly in the handicap scales at his home centre. Celestial Star was backed spiritedly but she was slowly off and was never in the hunt. Like Prakash, jockey Alford too has often been guilty of being lackluster at the gates on favourites. May be the Stipes could explore ordering these jockeys to satisfy them in mock races like they do for horses when they take off slowly. The horses are not always the offenders!

Brush With Fame (B Prakash up) winning The LT.COL.GAUNT MEMORIAL CUP-DIV.II from Conqueress (Suraj Narredu up)

Nordic Star (Appu up) winning The Cape Dance Plate