Ganapathy trained Flashing Star who won the Gr.2 Breeders’ Produce
Stakes and Gr.3 Manjri Stud Million at Mumbai in taking style, towers
over the opposition with the highest rating of 40. The son of Razeen out
of Altitude (Steinbeck), Flashing Star is favoured by the terms of the
race as his stablemate Finest Moment, a winner of three races, carries the
burden of top weight. Flashing Star is to concede three kilos to his main
adversary Democraticus, the smashing debut winner who
returns to action after a setback kept him
off the track since that first run. Caprese, who enjoys a high rating and is the best three-year old filly at
the centre, at the moment, Yes Es Yes Ses and Glorious Breaker are no
mean contenders. The only other top three year which is not the fray is
Holding Court whose connections have chosen to run him in a
competitive handicap
race.
Flashing Star announced his arrival on the classic scene with a smashing
win in the Breeders Produce Stakes after an unimpressive debut run.
After being pulled out of the rails, Flashing Star devoured ground in a
trice and left the field standing to become a star overnight. He
confirmed the good impression with another flashy win over an extended
trip of a mile. Flashing Star has been showing out in morning
trials and goes
into the race in the pink of condition. Flashing Star will be the horse
everyone has to beat and he will go into the race as an overwhelming
favourite.
The Padmanabhan trained Democraticus made a sensational debut, winning
over six furlongs in winter, with the jockey hardly having to move a
muscle to beat the opposition by a distance. After that run, he has been
laid low by a back problem and he has been nursed back into top
condition. The son of Royal Kingdom has been showing out in the workouts
and if he stands up to the rigours of the race, Democraticus would prove a
handful for everyone. If his debut run is anything to go by, he surely
deserves strong support.
The daughter of Burden of Proof Caprese won twice in Winter and both in
tremendous fashion. Caprese is blessed with a good turn of foot and has
an excellent temperament to boot. Though she hasn’t been blazing the
track the way her challengers have been, her shrewd trainer Dhariwal
knows how best to target her for the plum. Though the colts this time
might prove better, Caprese should be still considered the dark un in
the fray.
Finest Moment won the Golconda Juvenile Million with a narrow win over
Glorious Breaker and Integrate. He is carrying the top weight being the
winner of three races and this perhaps diminishes his chances a great
deal. However, Finest Moment is loaded with talent and should be right
at the finish. Trainer Deshmukh has high hopes on Yes Es Yes Ses and
sees only Flashing Star is his threat. It remains to be seen whether his
optimism is right or wrong. Glorious Breaker is a good type of a horse
who may find herself a little out of depth in this elite company.
