With the seasoned Aperitivo in the fray and the fact that Star
Luminary had buckled rather too easily for comfort against
Fairytaleending when the two met last time out, the price on the
daughter of Razeen was fairly generous. Aperitivo was the second in
demand in the ring.
Arturo took over the job of a pace-maker in the mile and half trip race
and jockey Appu had the front runner racing all alone in front, about a
distance ahead of Guest Connections, Star Luminary, Aperitivo, Lionheart
and Fairytaleending. Though Arturo maintained his lead into the
straight, it was clear that the front-running job had taken its toll and
he would give way to Star Luminary who covered up the leeway with a
patented burst of speed and drew clear to win by a widening margin of
over six lengths. Aperitivo ran on to finish second while
Fairytaleending just failed to nose out Arturo for the third spot.
Aperitivo appears to be clearly past his best because he had
consistently run within four lengths of Holding Court on the last couple
of occasions.
The Governor’s Cup was the highlight of the concluding day. The 26-day
Bangalore Summer Racing was marked by some positives but many negatives
on the track which were not in the best interests of racing. The
supervision of races left a lot to be desired, with the Stipes and the
Stewards failing in their responsibilities in the way they handled the
professionals. Some were left off scot free if only because they
belonged to the privileged stables while others were dealt with harshly.
The objections were televised and this did not help the cause of the
Stewards as it only highlighted their lack of perception of racing. The
leadership was lacking and the members of the turf club have to do
serious introspection when they elect the new managing committee next
month. There is an urgent need for electing people who have a commitment
to the betterment of the sport. That the sport has been pushed to the
background in the election politics of the club which was reflected in
the many decisions taken by the committee during the season.
Races were affected whenever there was a sharp shower. The track has
been poorly maintained. Though there is progress in all walks of life,
the track which could take 14 inches of rain in a week and still make
way for the Derby to be held in the last decade, was unusable even with
one strong spell of rain. The drainage system is hopelessly antiquated
and though the problem of water logging at around the 700-metre marker
is well known, no attempt has been made to rectify the problem. Leaving
old problems unattended and creating new ones seems to be par for the
present set up at the Bangalore Turf Club!
