Daniel and Chisty in total command 
By Aalibaba (indiathoroughbreds@hotmail.com)

Kolkata
March 29, 2006

The afternoon’s 10-event card was overwhelmingly dominated by Daniel David who saddled six winners to reach an unassailable 61 point mark at the trainers’ championship table. Jockey Imran Chisty, on the other hand, has been making rapid progress up the jockey's table. After his 5 win haul on the day, he trails C.Alford by nine points.

Alford had a chance to strengthen his lead at the top but the champion jockey reported sick after a losing ride clearing the way for Chisty to shine.

Daniel’s juggernaut rolled from the fifth race onwards and his placement of horses also helped him fetch healthy odds on every winner. He started off with a cruising victory of even-money favourite Star Phoenix in the 1,600m B.S.F Trophy. Chisty had the topweighted four-year-old dropped off the pace early while stablemate Imperialism traded lead with Robin Corner’s Aptitude till the top of the final turn. Chisty improved at every furlong, past the half-way stage, to overhaul Aptitude nearing the distance-post.

Daniel’s Dynamic Quest had to face a strong challenge form Vijay’s Bright Blossom, ridden by Malcolm Kharadi in the absence of Alford. Although, Kharadi gave the favourite a perfect ride Chisty was in his elements on the 5-2 second favourite. Joining the battle for supremacy 200m from home, Chisty managed to score by half-a-length.

Favourable Returns did not disappoint the Daniel-Chisty combo. The Warrshan-Amazing Returns filly displayed a good turn of foot after she was held back till the final turn. She accelerated in the last 250m to dash the hopes of Vijay’s Aerona who looked strong upfront until the favourite changed gears. However, it was the 5-1/2 kg pull at the weights, from Aerona, that worked heavily in favour of the winner.

Chisty faltered in the following event, the 1,600m Cooch Behar Memorial Cup, when Errol Bhungard’s 7-4 favourite, Decameron, failed him at the start. Chisty’s plight was Daniel’s delight when his quietly-fancied Proud Native, delivered the good in the hands of apprentice Melvyn Maseyk who has bid good bye to his allowance days having celebrated his twenty fifth birthday.

The apprentice displayed a matured handling on the winner. Working his way up from the rear of the field at the top of the turn, which he negotiated six-wide, Melvyn spoiled The Polynesian’s party. The latter was the subject of huge wagering and had everything going in his favour until Melvyn brought Proud Native into contention with a good finishing effort. Decameron, too, jumped into the fray in the dying stages of the race but the winning-post came a wee too early for the favourite.

Daniel’s Diffidence tested Chisty’s riding skills in the Mysore Race Club Cup over 1,200 metres. With solidly wagered Supreme Chancellor and Hero Worship going hammer and tongs from the half-way stage, and Way To The Stars also breathing down their necks, Chisty had to wait for an opening on the rails, which came in the final 150m, to power his way through to the winning post.

Bold Display completed the formality of going to the start and returning victorious in the High Born Handicap. Chisty had the Daniel-trainee settled behind the leader, Moira, till about the distance-post before cruising away to a five-length victory over Body And Soul, a recent migrant from Mumbai.

Earlier in the afternoon, Mischevious Notes made it to a start-to-finish affair in the 1,200m Deep Water Blues Handicap.

Star Magic had been showing glimpses of his last winter’s form in his recent workouts. Therefore, it never came as a surprise when the eight-year-old raised a winning gallop in the 1,400m Midnight Cowboy Cup.

A’Ma Jaju managed to upset the applecart of the half-money favourite, Tomahawk, in the 1,100m Happy Scot Handicap. Looking for his third straight win, the favourite was never comfortable upfront in the hands of apprentice Amandeep Singh.