Wizard Of Oz has it easy
By Aalibaba (indiathoroughbreds@hotmail.com)

Kolkata
Feb 1, 2007

Excitement was aplenty in Wednesday’s (January 31) seven-event card, which averaged out a shade over six runners per event. The withdrawal of trainer Harvinder Bath’s half-money favourite, Tactical Advantage – in the feature event, the 1,400m Own Vision Cup - further compounded punters’ problems as the other four runners in the field had not been showing the kind of form to merit any attention. Therefore, the victory of Daniel David’s 5-1 shot, Wizard Of Oz, was virtually gained by a default. Tactical Advantage was very unruly at the start, thus the withdrawal. 

In any case, it wasn’t an easy win for the Wizard who was fully stretched by trainer Richard Alford’s new possession, Get Fresh. Totally ignored in the betting, the Mumbai-migrant came the shortest way home after being held back in rear besides the Wizard. The winner, however, looked far more fitter compared to Get Fresh and this factor alone decided the issue in jockey Imran Chisty’s favour.

Chisty, though went on to guide Daniel’s Time to Dream to a start-to-finish victory in the 1,100m Nero Handicap, but three strongly fancied runners -  Prince Crimson, Cupid’s Glory and Midas Touch - - did not get the quality of rides he is known for. The jockey did not look to be in a punishing mood on the habitual bleeder, Prince Crimson -  an odds-on favourite - and lost the verdict to Bath’s Going Starry in the 1 ,400m Icelandic Handicap. But Midas Touch’s loss, to Arrayal, after the 7-4 favourite had taken a commanding two-length lead, came as a surprise in the 1,400m Arisen Handicap. Chisty’s Cupid’s Glory, however, failed to produce the extra after she was challenged by the C.Rajendra-ridden 5-4 favourite, Aluminous, in the 1,100m Saddle Up Handicap.

Rajendra was, nevertheless, in his elements and there was no worry factor for those who fancied the winning chances of trainer Vijay Singh’s hot-property, Afforce, in the baby race, the 1,200m Announcer Plate. The odds-on favourite was kept in  check behind Anniversary Boy till the top of the final turn before the well-bred colt by Diffident out of Thanksgiving skated away from the field. The 1,400m Republic Cup delivered the biggest blow of the season. Trainer Vikash Jaiswal’s Water Wood went into a breakaway four-length lead and never looked back. However, two of the three fancied runners in the field - - Regal Empress and Local Thriller - badly interfered with each other to ruin whatever chances of their winning. Aag to attracted support but the Javed Khan mare has always been known for inconsistent performance.