WINTER 2000-2001  :  CALCUTTA RACE REVIEWS

Championship war may go to the wire

The close verdicts in the April 6 race-card suggests the state of competition as the season heads for closure. As many as four of the six events on the cards were decided with the help of the camera.  More...

Trainers' championship hotting up

Jockey Cristopher Alford's 40 winners virtually assures him of championship honours as his nearest rival, A. Imran Khan (26 winners) has no earthly chance of catching up with the leader even if he makes a cleansweep in the last two race-meetings.  More...

Bookmakers cheered Software all the way

The end-season surprises are beginning to pop-up. Horses carefully brought down at the weights were seen at advantage atleast in four events on Wednesday (March 21).  More...

The exciting fare deserved to be applauded

The March 14 race fare was absolutely clean. If lesser fancied horses walked into the winners' enclosure it was because of their improvement and superior handling of their jockeys. It is another matter that Tsaynen Blue was the only prime favourite to land the prize in a card of six events.  More...

Satisfying day for punters

Two clear favourites, and as many well-backed winners, on Wednesday, brought some relief to the battered turfites after what had been weeks of mind-boggling racing in Calcutta. In fact, a sort of unpredictability had been ruling since the 15-Day suspension of the champion trainer Vijay Singh, because of a drug-related offence.  More...

Daniel David crucifies the paying public

The big Kalyani Black Label Million Stakes day crowd, on Saturday, was sporting in a way. It cheered the winner Ansbach, the hottest order of the day, but without complaining that the Alnasr Alwasheek-Pass the Secret colt paid very little by way of returns, while Deepak Khaitan, the owner of of the horse, pocketed a hefty purse of over Rs 9 lakh, thanks to the sponsors of the event, the UB Group. More...

Colonial shamed his young rivals on day of upsets

It is wished one had a clue as to where the Calcutta racing is heading for. Favourites appear to be making more cash by losing than running into risks of making it uncertain certainties. Favourites do strike sometimes, but on sufferance -- when their quietly fancied stable-owner-mates fail to deliver. The crime rate is on the up and to make the matter worse, it normally elude the probing eyes, hiding behind the thickened dark glasses.  More...

Gold Buck returns a surprise winner

If anyone who deserves credit for Gold Buck's brilliant victory in the Eastern Command Cup, it is trainer Harvinder Singh Bath. The gutsy schooler possesses two qualities which have helped him survive in the local circuit, with a very moderate string of horses. One, he believes in cashing in on the first opportunity coming his way, whatever odds offered on his horses.  More...

Favourites find the going tough

Aloritz's victory, in the 1,600-metre H. H. Maharaja 
Jagaddipendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur of Cooch Behar Memorial Cup, on February 10, was just about a matter of formality which the Vijay Singh-trained ward completed without much ado. In his previous start, the Calcutta 2,000 Guineas, the four-year-old colt had beaten a good filly like Altimara who after her easy 1,000 Guineas victory was eyeing for a classic double.  More...

Fame Star maintains winning spree

When Fame Star notched up her seventh straight victory, on Saturday, she also proved a point that a horse in form is always able to raise its level of performance by a notch or two if competently handled by its jockey. A part of credit thus also goes to jockey C. Rajendra who partnered the Vijay Singh-trained filly to a shade over length victory in the 2,000-metre Everyday Indian Champion Cup.  More...

Sparkling show by Starry Flag

Starry Flag could not have revealed his past sparkling form at a better time. Starry Flag won the HSBC Cup, which is used as a yardstick to measure the potential of those aspiring to get nominated for the all-important Sprinters' Cup, an Invitational races held during the first week-end of March. The race was sponsored by Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.  More...

Annatto proves formidable

Annatto was hard to stop in the Police Commissioner's Cup last Saturday. The expanding odds and the faint hints dropped by those close to connections of the Steinbeck-Camineto son that Alyssum is very much in the race just proved to be red herring. Annatto, in the hands of Cristopher Alford, returned a comfortable winner, though his victory-margin of a shade over a length may not  speak highly about his triumph.  More...

 Altimara proves too good

Rashid Byramji trained Altimara walked away with the Kingfisher Calcutta Derby Stakes with effortless ease.
The easy winner of the Command Calcutta 1,000 Guineas was presented the 2,000 Guineas as Aloritz, the winner, came positive for a banned substance and was disqualified  due to breach of medication rules.  More...

 Lady luck smiles on New Year's Day races

The festive atmosphere at the Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC) grounds on the New Years' Day race has always been a part of the city's tradition. The crowd comes in flocks and the 22,000-odd holiday revellers who normally fill-in the stands do get their share of thrills. Lady luck, too, goes kindly with the vast magnitude as favourites, by and large, strike to their delight. More...

Christmas gift for Stately Don

Stately Don's victory, in Saturday's Army Cup, was made to look like a Christmas gift handed to the Daniel David- trained ward. Apparently,  this victory was made possible thanks to stablemate and his main opponent, Highland Flame who opened as 6-4 favourite. More...

Alvarada lives up to expectations

The presence of Mr. B. M. Khaitan, Patron RCTC, may have inspired his son, Deepak's, favourites perform to expectations on Saturday. The patron sat through the entire proceedings and also applauded the bloodless victory of Alvarada in the Usha Stud Calcutta Oaks, the star attraction in the day's seven-event card. Incidentally, it was also punters' day. More...

Altimara's defeat hard to digest

Jockey Aslam Kader seems to be going through a lean patch. In the last three weeks he had been receiving more of brickbats than bouquets for his riding efforts. The story was no different here on Sunday (December 10) when he was engaged to ride Angeles, in the 1,100-metre Nanoli Stud Juvenile Stakes, and Altimara in the Calcutta 2,000 Guineas. More...

SATISFYING WEEK FOR ALL

Every one was happy -- the punters, the bookies and the turf club officials as well. Punters had no cause to complain as three clear favourites, in the card of six events, romped home. More...

Kader was victim of circumstances

Sitting hundreds of miles away from the spot of action, it may be unfair to pass judgement against anyone. But when things happen in your own back-yard and fingers are pointed at some individuals, who have been making major contributions to a sport, it is for all concerned to put things in proper perspective. Because, it is the sport, more than the individuals, that takes the beating. More...

Altimara could sweep Calcutta classics

The brilliance of Altlmara was on display on Sunday (Nov 26). Although poorly rated(52) by the RCTC handicapper, despite finishing a close fourth behind Allalre, Six Speed and Hello Brother, in the Bangalore (Summer) Derby, the Deepak Khaitan-owned filly  walked away with the Command Calcutta 1,000 Guineas. More...

A DAY OF SMART GAMBLES

Fields are improving and competition is hotting up with every passing week. One must compliment the Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC) stewards and also the CEO and Secretary Vineet Varma for their untiring efforts to attend the alarmingly sliding horse-strength in the Hastings stable. More...