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.
The damages is,
however, still being done by certain quarter's seeking
monopoly, wanting a firm grip over the corridors of power and also
to make the club officials toe their line of thinking.
Nevertheless last Wednesday's fare was somewhat clean as far as
form of horses and the outcome of each of the six events framed
for the day was concerned.
A couple of smart
gambles did succeed but then it were pulled off without breaking
the racing norms. One cannot help but sympathise with those
becoming victims of betting on false-favourites. The gambles were
understandably, meant only for the close connections of the
stables.
The Mujeeb ur Rehman
trained Work Order, in the curtain raiser, the 1100 metres Ethics
Handicap for horses in the lowest class, was one such horse to
land a quiet gamble. The reduction of five kg from the top-weight
of 60.5 kg, thanks to apprentice Jockey Surrender Singh's
riding allowance, came as a shot in the arm for seven year old.
Work Order, in his last Monsoon start, had stretched a young smart
sprinter, on the bit, in the higher class.
The motive of he
stable came under a scrutiny when tonnes of money came on the
stablemate, Run Ahead. A none too genuine galloper Heaven's
Blessing, a Harvinder Singh Bath trainee was already in the
betting at 7-10 before a rush of wagering followed on Run Ahead
who ultimately went to the start as a 5-4 joint favourite with
Bath's ward. An insider whispered in the ear, albeit after the
race that Work Order was backed in Delhi.
It came as no
surprise when Run Ahead took a tardy start and decided to trail
the five-horse field for the entire journey while Work Order went
about his normal task from start to finish. The Boy Trumpeter son
held on to the advantage leaving Heaven's Blessing and Magic Ring
to sort of the ordeal for the minor placings.
Shutling between
Calcutta and the southern centers, the Bharath Singh trained
Alkido not only landed a smart gamble at 4-1 in the Primrose Morn
Cup, he also scored the maiden victory of his career. However, the
4 year old owned by Deepak Khaitan, was up against his even money
favourite and ownermate Appeaer, and also Dr. M A M Ramaswamy's
Alborada. If Appeaer attracted bulk of support on account of her
brilliant 2000 metres victory recently in Mysore, Alborada's
narrow defeat early in the season at the hands of Soviet Port, and
dispite his weight disadvantage, had caught the fancy of punters.
Alkido scored but just
about over Alborada while Supreme Desire was third to Appeaer's
fourth. The usual loose talk about favourite being kept waiting in
the rear for too long by her jockey C Alford held little ground.
Primarily, the Green
Forest-Silver Reflect daughter is lazy galloper. Secondly in a
field of 14 runners, C Alford had no option but to wait in the
rear. He did make a serious effort on the wide outside in the
straight the weight disadvantage weighed heavily upon the filly
over the short Calcutta home straight. She may do better in a
small field.
Well in command in the
last furlong of the race, B Prakash on Alborada was taken by a
surprise by the fast finishing Alkido. Coming from way behind
Supreme Desire was a good third.
The Vijay Singh
trained Annatto had a comfortable measure of a 4-10 hot favourite,
Astronomer in the feature event the 1400 metres, Darbhanga Cup for
horses in class II. Astronomer had won a race in his last outing
at Mysore but it was Annatto's brilliant effort which put paid to
the pretensions of the favourite.
Jockey B. Prakash did
not have to do anything special to make Bird's Empire win the
Idolator Handicap. It was left to Alygator, the favourite at 2-1,
to plod rather than to step up the acceleration when the heat was
on. Diplomatic Gesture too, attracted good support but the
Bath-trainee clearly needed the a forward run. He may do better
over a slightly extended trip.
The withdrawal of
Alleron in the Scottish Law Handicap, left the field open for the
25-100 piping hot-favourite, Santlllana, to complete the formality
of winning the race. The Foyer-Clear Look daughter was not
unduly pressed when she over took the leader, Storm Trooper,
nearing the distance-post and scored a six-length victory.
Trainer John Stephens
Aznavour, a 2-1 joint-favourite with Gambino, trounced a good
opposition in the 1,100m Fitzgrafton Handicap. Known for his
dislike for the monsoon track, the five-year old horse by Kristal
Rock out of Plat was a transformed performer. He allowed Sovereign
Bullet to dictate the terms till 300 meters from home before
taking the charge of the running. Although promoted to Class II,
he is capable of winning again albeit in a lesser company.
Gambino placed fourth
but hardly impressed as a coming winner over a sharp sprint. He
could do better over trips ranging between 1,400M and a mile. The
one, however, to catch the attention was Winning Hand, who came up
with a purposeful run in the straight to edge out Sovereign Bullet
to the third slot.
-
Aalibaba
