Multi-graded
race winner Haunting Memories scraped through in the Sprinters Trial
Stakes, the highlight of Friday’s Bangalore races. Though the talented
filly had raced over a mile and half hardly a month ago, she was brought
back in distance and asked to tackle the sprint which she did admirably.
Not many reckoned that she would be able to cope with steep drop in
distance plus change in training programme but Haunting Memories showed
that she is an extraordinary performer by winning the event at the
expense of Caprese in an excellent timing of one minute 12.5 seconds.
The clerk of the course needs some explaining to do because the
penetrometer reading was well below 3 cms so early in February and this
year, the track has been poorly maintained, with inconsistency in
watering making a lot of difference to the racing surface each day.
Given the fact that the track has to be maintained only by watering
through sprinklers and weather conditions have not altered dramatically,
the fact that the penetrometer reading is vastly different on every
racing day is surprising indeed. Surely, the authorities need to look
into this. However, with most officials disillusioned and their morale
being low and many of them already in the process of looking for jobs
elsewhere, things have certainly not been rosy. This has much do with
the way the officials are beating treated by the present dispensation.
Not a happy situation indeed.
Be that as it may, Haunting Memories has proved to be an outstanding
performer, always rising to the occasion despite being asked to run over
distances that does not suit her stamina. But the race-goers
nevertheless made Haunting Memories firm favourite as they believe in
the power of the stable, with Caprese next in demand. Caprese hit the
front as the starter dispatched the field but fell behind as Le Reve
took charge, with Haunting Memories struggling to keep up with the pace
and settling in the rear of the field. Gallagher on Caprese did not let
Re Reve dictate the pace for long as he moved up on the outside and took
charge again. The speedy daughter of Burden of Proof came in well clear
of the field and shaped to win but the jockey failed to pack punch and
surrendered the initiative in the dying moments of the race.
O’Donoughue, who had to work hard on Haunting Memories to cover up the
leeway, drove out the filly with all the resources at his command and
the brilliant daughter of Placerville responded gamely to snatch the
verdict in a thriller. Hesperus ran to be third while Le Reve finished
in distress.
Karan Singh trained Badge of Gold recorded an encore as the three-year
old son of Razeen won start to finish the Sangam Cup over seven furlongs
in tremendous fashion. Surely, Badge of Gold has the talent to go
places. An Equal Music was unequal to the task of handling the winner
and finished second. My Friend Paul was third.
Lady One who was making a belated debut as a four-year old due to series
of problems, smashed the opposition in the Kollur Plate (Div II),
winning in a smart timing. There was flood of money on Indian Arcelor
but the Duja progeny found the winner too hot to handle. The higher
division however was hotly contested with strongly fancied Great
Chieftan beaten on the post by a late-finishing Amazing Look.
Jockey Silva Storai recorded a win after a long gap when she guided home
Sandokan to a comfortable win over Forza and the rest in the 2000 metres
N Lakshman Rau Memorial Plate. Badge of Honour who found strong support
in the ring, stumbled badly in the first furlong itself and thereafter
was under pressure to stay in contention.
Lava who has been in great form this season, came up with a big run in
the final furlong to have the measure of Cellisima and Whisper City to
land the spoils. Krishnan who steered Lava home, had recently completed
booting home 1000 winners in his career and the jockey deserves praise
for the gutsy manner in which he has gone about doing his job despite
adversities.
Sensitive Prince once again let down his supporters as he was caught up
with lesser fancied Amazing Warrior in the shadow of the post. Sensitive
Prince cruised into the lead and raised hopes of winning after a long
interval but the finishing burst of Amazing Warrior put paid to his
hopes. Lokanath who trains Sensitive Prince, however, had a winner for
the day through the well fancied Darktan who held on gamely to win from
Princess Emily.
