Daniel scores half-a-winner
By Aalibaba

Kolkata
Wednesday, 20th August, 2003

Trainer Daniel Davids favourites continued to be odds-sensitive and thus  performed indifferently again in Wednesdays six-event card. As a result of  this, the leading trainer, ended up the day with just half-a-winner, instead of  two, he deserved to lead-in. Daniels better handicapped and fancied runners  like Pearl Dragon, Dashing Chief and Secret Force all appeared to be out for  airing in their respective fields while the likes of Moon Missions and Queen Of  The Niles were trusted to deliver the goods. Obviously they failed to do justice to the assigned task as Queen Of The Nile who just about managed to dead-heat  with Actualite in the Finalist Handicap, the concluding event on the day, while  Moon Mission was no match for Callisto in the Robin Hood Cup.

A similar style of operation in the past had, however, borne fruits for 
Daniels stable. But then on those days runners of his senior fellow trainers  like Singh brothers “Vijay and Bharath“ and Javed Khan were not fully  ready and thus allowed the champion to dictate terms with older horses and  lesser fancied wards. 

Daniel could have walked away with the feature event, the Robin Hood Cup, had he trusted his five-year-old Dashing Prince. Instead, the crafty young man tried  his luck with Moon Mission who, though younger in age, was not only partnered by weak jockey like Rafiq Ahmed, the Always A Rainbow-Moccasin filly also appeared  to be short of fast work since her last run. As a result of this, Vijays  Callisto virtually had an easy passage to the winners enclosure right from  the start.

C. Alford on Callisto (left) winning the Robin Hood Cup

Shanker on Assailer, winner of the Mr. Mauritius Cup

Only half-an-hour earlier Vijays Assailer had triumphed with authority in the Mr Mauritius Cup. The Conquering Hero-Lady Omega four-year-old displayed a good  turn of foot as the front-running lot ran out of gas. Daniels favourite Activity who, too, was among the leaders “Heavens Blessing and Ruby Star“ but failed to pull on once Shanker brought Assailer alongside the leaders. 

Asprey was a good third behind Heavens Blessing, after toiling in the rear.  Queen Of The Nile meant business right from the start of the race while the  stable-favourite, Secret Force was seen loafing in the rear bunch. Md. Yasin  partnering the Dark Nile-City Queen daughter tailed in-third to a fancied  Javeds ward Actualite who accelerated from the top of the straight and  appeared to be going great guns. However, slow to respond, but once in motion,  the queen covered nearly five lengths in the last 150 metres to share the spoils at the post. The favourite just about plodded on to occupy the third slot but at a respectable distance. 

Trainer Errol Bhungards April Ace had no business to be earning his third  victory in the same class. The young RCTC handicapper Amit Chaturvedy seems to  have gone kindly for the five-year-old mare. The Broto-Safe Haven daughter came  with her customary late run to put pay Castle Moons winning aspirations, a  neat 100 metres from the wire. Simply Monarch, the stable-mate of the winner  placed a decent third to warrant support in his next start.

Errol, too, came close to earning a brace of winners “with his half-money  favourite Grecian Prince -- but the former Daniels deputy failed while trying to favour the later whos Big Show nearly pulled off an upset. Bigshow tore  away into a long lead from the start but failed to contain the late finishing  Venus and also Grecian Prince who is better suited to front running. Instead,  apprentice Amarpreet Singh kept the favourite in-fourth, just ahead of the  Majestic Crown, and made effort when Bigshow started shortening her strides and  appeared to be in danger of losing the race, thereby finishing second with  necks separating the three runners at the all-important post. 

Kargil Soldier was another one who amazingly covered nearly 50 metre in the last furlong of the raced. Slow to come out of the gate thus losing a 6 lengths, the  John Stephen-trainee further lost ground as he failed to keep up pace with front runners. It was only in the home stretch that the seven-year-old unleashed his  characteristic-run that buried hopes of Gallant Romeo and Alsheim. 

Surjeet Singh on April Ace, winner of the Mercury Handicap