Rasalas storms home with Colts Trial
By Aalibaba

Kolkata
September 7, 2005

Rasalas comfortably won a three runner Colts Trial Stakes thus emulating the Fillies Trial Stakes winner Sanskara, who had triumphed in a four-runner field a week earlier. It's pity that champion trainer Daniel David, despite his enormous resources, failed to bring out an ace to counter Sanskara, while his fellow-schooler, Vijay Singh, could not find a better match in his stock than a moderate galloper in Raging Tide.

Nevertheless, poor fields have always been the story in the short history of the monsoon 'classics'  and RCTC is better advised to put an end to this farce. Instead, the club could re-build lesser events badly needing up-gradation.

For the record, Rasalas did not need to bank upon the pace cut by stablemate, Imperial Dynasty, who did the donkey work for a brief while before a visibly uncomfortable B.Prakash took the matter in his own hands to the relief of Rasalas who was fighting for his head right from the word go.

Unlike the Fillies Trial Stakes, there was no contest for the second slot, in view of, Imperial Dynasty going backwards after a tiresome engagement following a slow start. It left Raging Tide and his jockey, C.Alford, with no other option but to occupy the berth, though a yawning distance behind.

The afternoon, however, turned out to be profitable one for Alford who reeled off four wins. He started off with the victory of Knowledgeable, in the opener, the 1,200m Mandolin Cup. It was a mere formality for the Vijay-filly who had easily accounted for Artistic Blue in he debut run and was asked to repeat the performance, albeit at revised weights.

Alarico presented the victory number '2' to Alford but the win had its own significance for trainer Javed Khan who saddled the first winner for his new owner Deepak Khaitan after a stock of 22 horses had recently joined his stables. In the Osiris Handicap, it was a simple start-to-finish affair for Alford who left the two-time easy winner, Native Son, and his rider, B.Prakash, gasping for breath. Early in the race, Prakash tried to get Native Son to gallop in a close proximity of Alford's ride but he found the going tough soon enough.

Alford's day's tally of winner shot up to three after Serrafina took the Alternator Cup in her stride. Alford had the Razeen-Passed So Fast filly settled behind the hotfooted Common Spirit till the final turn and the superiority of the 6-4 favourite made a marked different as she spaced a five-length-plus verdict between herself and an equally fancied Autocop.

River Rafter brought about a profitable end to the day for Alford in the concluding event. The victory of trainer Harvinder Bath's ward revealed the class that he was able to conceal in his last run. River Rafter shared the betting with Prakash's ride, Arabie, but that was all. In the race, Arabie was simply outclassed after Alford sent the four-year-old into the lead nearing the final turn.

Prakash and Daniel, however, had their 'double' well carved up about an hour before the running of the Colt's Stakes. In the 1,400m Hovercraft Cup, Prakash was seen at advantage on an even-money
favourite Bold Raider, against Alford's Arakawa who was available at slightly better odds. In the race, too, Arakawa, after a slow start, did all the chasing which turned out to be futile one as Prakash always had the race well under his control.

Trainer Tarak Jaiswal was the only outsider in Daniel-Prakash and Alford ruled day and the shrewd schooler brought about a crafty victory out of a well-handicapped Schumacher in the Pentagon Handicap. Ridden by son, Vinay, the eight-year-old came with a pouncing run, a furlong from home, to take the fancied frontrunners runners like Acrostic, Mayavi and Pay Check by a complete surprise.