Delhites are queuing up to purchase western-based horses as they are turning out be money-spinners. Dedication is the latest addition, who bagged the Stewards Cup (1,600 m), earmarked for Class II runners, on Tuesday. Real Diamond and Sam Aldo were the others to follow.
Ishwar Singh Parmar-trained Dedication, who was sent out in a top-hole condition, looked to be in a hurry while improving the position from fifth to third before the bend. Seeing the leaders - Soul Satisfaction and Time Gentlemen - cutting each others throat, the horse was forced to bid his time from the out-wide to leave them in the lurch under the guidance of jockey Ram Parvesh. The timing was one minute and 38 seconds—the record bettered by a second from the last outing.
Prior to the race, Dedication had only one challenger - a local filly, Soul Satisfaction. The way the latter received the support from the connections was never witnessed on the turf. Earlier, the horse had an impressive run to his credit finishing late third in the Class I Jawahar Lal Nehru Cup within a short period of arrival from the Western club. "Victory was on the card but if handicapping is something, the filly had an upper hand," Ishwar Singh remarked after the race.
Soul Satisfaction was made the scapegoat. After scoring in a Class IV event, she was expected to tackle the senior class horses with advantageous handicap of 13 kilos. She showed out quickly but soon found Time Gentlemen joining her at the helm of affairs until the race came to a head. Apprentice jockey Harkesh Kumar was unable to get out her best, but held on to the runner up berth ahead of Time Gentlemen. Soul Satisfaction should be in a different shape in the next venture.
Winning Chick opened the card successfully by justifying the top billing. The Aleem khan's yard had her blood vessel burst during the course of running. Her stablemate Good Idea made a remarkable move from the stand side from the fourth position to get the second prize. Good Idea, a daughter of Stadler and Last Thought, should shed a maiden status.
Jockey Gajender Singh Shekhawat helped Sam Aldo to complete an encore in the Upper division of the crowning Glory Plate. The grey gelding was alerted to the task in time by improving from fourth to third before halfway mark and from second to first at the pole of "4" indicating the winning post is still away by 400 metres. Eight-year-old Balle Balle and Garden of Hope shared the minor places. The latter should come up with this run.
A bay filly by Duja and Gold N Honey, Real Diamond, finally tasted victory in the lower division of the Crowning Glory Plate over 1,200 metres. After being consistent in the last two outings, she was all set to strip the fitter this time out, but the manner in which she romped home was never expected. She broke out first and the rest did the job of onlookers. After finishing off the board in the same fashion in her first run, a different strategy was adopted in the following outings. Fast Dose (who finished close third) bears watching.
The Hit Of The week Plate (1,400 m) saw a nail-biting finish as the camera failed to segregate Veer and Misterioa. Running behind Misteriosa in fifth place, Veer got the opportunity first to work towards the leaders - Rose Velt, Water Wave and Sinead before snatching the lead from the third named only inside the distance post. Misteriosa, whose fate was hanging in balance in fourth place, was forced to make a run from the widest of them. She responded promptly to Pawan Sharma's call and forced Veer to lock horns. The duo became the second dead-heat winners after Striko and Image To Remember, earlier this season.
Later, in the concluding event (Well Groomed Plate), apprentice Rajinder Saini showed his prowess by guiding the fortune of Celestial Fairy over 1,100 m. The daughter of Ansbach and Celestial Bird was ridden with patience by sitting on the haunches of owner-mate Possible till the duo crossed the 400-m marker. Saini then pressed the button of the mount to fly away holding of late finishing Black hawk. Celestial Bird provided Saini a third victory on the day after Real Diamond and Veer.
