Daniel one winner away from the top
By AalibabaKolkata
April 07, 2005
Daniel David’s four winners on Thursday, brought him closer to his season’s goal – The Trainers Championship. He is just one winner away from drawing level with Vijay Singh at the top of the table. With the season set to end next Wednesday, it may not be an arduous task for Daniel to bag another Champion Trainer title. Interestingly, five meetings ago, no body gave Daniel a chance to achieve such a feat.
More importantly, Vijay’s stable has almost pulled down its shutters and this is the precise reason why a few Vijay’s runners, who were trusted to push his tally up, produced disappointing results. And rightly so because horses are no machines who can be switched on and off at will.
Nevertheless, Daniel stared the day with five-point deficit and his juggernaut started rolling from the start of the day’s programme. Pacific Jewel’s contribution, towards his elevation to the top, has been significant since Daniel began his championship hunt three weeks ago. She won three races for the stable, including the 1,600-metre Relevance Cup on Thursday. It was a routine effort and the Inner City-Emerald Eyes daughter returned as facile a winner as she had scored in the past to indicate there she wasn’t a spent force yet.
Imran Chisty, who partnered Pacific Jewel to victory, was also associated with Daniel’s two other winners – all hot-favourites –though the jockey’s total tally on the day was four. However, all his winners gave him armchair rides.
Wild Flower, for instance, made light of her top-weight in the 1,200-metre Comedian Handicap. Chisty remained unperturbed when Royal Contender and Positive Thinker threatened to turn the pace very hot. As it tuned out they only managed to tire themselves out nearing the final turn. It set the stage for the favourite to take charge of the running and draw away from the field. Astra Fields was full of running while placing third.
The story of Daniel and Chisty’s combined effort on Hunter’s Paradise, in the Real Danger Handicap, was slightly different after the four-year-old was slow into his stride from the gates. But with Chisty being quick to take remedial measures before the field could settle down, the parity was restored. He was soon up with the leader Castle Moon and shook him off at the turn. The rest was a mere formality for the Meritocrat-Most Discerning four-year-old.
Ocean Spirit, the fourth winner saddled to victory by Daniel, had to be fully ridden out by apprentice Melvyn Maseyk in the 1,400-metrte Black Buck Handicap. The Twist And Turn-Coral Mist five-year-old faced a strong challenge from Vijay’s Alcalde, who without a doubt a better class horse, but lacked fitness. Alcalde called the shots after assuming lead from Regal Successor, at the top of the turn, but failed to contain the 8-10 favourite after a brief resistance inside the last 100 metres of the race.
Sea Legend has been showing some improvement after switching stables – from Bhungard’s to Dipak Karki. In the 1,600-metre Mysore Race Club Cup, the six-year-old was better off at the weights against Steinlen, who was at the receiving end in their earlier encounter. He had a comfortable measure of the Daniel-ward again in the day’s feature event. However, it was Vijay’s Santarelle who was expected to do something worthwhile but his expanding odds – from half-money to 6-4 – indicated that all was not well with the favourite. A mad rush of betting on The Polynesian, a virtual joint favourite, also sent punters’ money down the drain. The Bharath-trainee chased Sea Legend from the start till the final turn before crying off.However, Chisty and Bhungard’s partnership on Gallant Romeo paid off handsomely. The horse was a 4-1 chance and also won untroubled in the 1,200-metre Rontgen Handicap. Surprisingly, trainer T.N. Jaiswal’s favourite Majestic Hills took a tardy start.
Champion Crusader returned an equally facile winner of the 1,400-metre Ming Dynasty Cup. The three-year-old by Duja out of Daddy’s A Champion had impressed in his debut run and it hardly came as a surprise when he carried his top-weight to a start-to-finish easy victory. He may be heard off regularly during the monsoon season.
