Star Perfection wins her lead up race to Classics
By Aalibaba (indiathoroughbreds@hotmail.com)

Kolkata
Nov 03, 2006

Form went for a toss in most of the Friday’s six events. Barring the piping hot-favourite, Star Perfection in the afternoon’s feature event, the 1,400m Hilliard Cup, the fancied horses ran much below their known form to the discomfiture of a sizeable race-crowd.

Star Perfection, in any case, had to perform in her lead up race to the 1000 Guineas, to gauge her potential against the local Class I opposition. Star Perfection, a Steinbeck-Santorini Star daughter, justified her prohibitive odds with a six-length-plus victory, though jockey Imran Chisty had to push the Daniel David-trainee hard enough to overtake the stretch-run leader, Serrafina, nearing the distance-post. But in the light of her more than four-month lay off from the track, her victory was impressive. She is bound to be fine-tuned before the big event.

Daniel’s Imperial Stride, on the other hand, was a disgrace in the 1,400m Robin Hood Cup. The fluent winner of the Colts Stakes looked to be a in a handy third position until the distance post. But shifted out badly from the rails to allow stablemate, Wizard Of Oz, and Javed Khan’s Ardella to take charge of the field. The Rebounding Thrill-Sibyl son went backwards from thereafter for no apparent reason.

Wizard Of Oz won the race in a sizzling finish from Ardella while the Imperial Stride was a far away third having to fend the minor slot from another of his stablemate, Mr Darcy. The last named horse, could have easily relegated the 3-10 favourite from the third slot had his jockey, B.Gurang, desired to maintain a straight course. Gurang’s heroics merely cost him a paltry fine, combined with a warning.

With Vijay Singh’s Silver Grey looking a shade jaded during the paddock rolls and Star Special becoming a late withdrawal, the stage was set for Javed Khan’s Local Thriller to win the Easter Parade Cup over a metric mile. But the local Talent-Serine son, a fluent winner in the lower Class, on the last day of the monsoon season, was neglected in the betting. Money still followed Silver Grey, thanks to her equally facile victory during the wet season. But the 8-10 favourite was not even a shade of her recent past and surrendered meekly after a brief challenge from Local Thriller. The defeat of the favourite came despite her two length lead build up in the final stretch. Sven placed third about a distance behind the fighting duo. Atlantic Waves, Nose Nothing and Charulata shared the betting in the 1,100m Lombard Handicap. However, the first named horse walked out of contention much before the race took a serious turn leaving Nose Nothing and Charulata to wage a close duel. The former played a catch-me-if-you-can game from the top of the straight to the frustration of Charulata’s jockey Mark Reuben. A length separated the two at the wire.

Earlier in the day, Reuben’s handling of the 6-4 favourite, Charleston, left much to desire in the 1,200m Sunray Handicap. The jockey had the speedy six-year-old, a 6-4 favourite, settled in the fifth position, on the wide out, almost throughout the trip. Gypsy King won the race after galloping in a close proximity of Arabian Boy who led till the final turn. Chisty’s Cameo Role, too, attracted a good support but the five-year—old mare pulled up lame in the first half pf the race. Grand Pere, the ownermate of Charleston, was a fair second.

Salinger, who had let down on a couple of occasions during the monsoons, scored the maiden victory of his career in the opener, the 1,100m Dark Legend Handicap. The 5-1 chance took over the running from the tiring leader Vancouver, inside the last furlong and won comfortably from a hard-ridden Star Cluster and Modee Roch.