The Poonawalla Breeders’ Multi-Million may have a surprise in store
By Usman Rangila

Feb 27, 2004

There will be five three-year-old fillies in the field of thirteen declared for the Poonawalla Breeders’ Multi-Million but the fair sex has little or no chance in the richest race in the country for juvenile horses. Contenders arriving from Bangalore have had a stranglehold over this event since the year 2000 and except for one occasion when Secret Romeo emerged victorious, the PBMM has been a favourite hunting ground for the visitors. 

The scene is not likely to be different this year as Galloping Bay from trainer S. Ganapathy’s barns is the ante post favourite to win the event. The bookmakers’ choice not withstanding, the race wears an open look and apart from Galloping Bay, the horses that are likely to figure finish are: Puissant, Romantic Getaway, Smart Vision and Velvet Rope. 

RWITC chairman Khushroo Dhunjibhoy and trainer Dallas Todywalla also hold a view that the race is quite open which was expressed by both of them individually during an open house, held at Mahalaxmi on Thursday evening.

The bay gelding Galloping Bay is by Placerville out of Amnesty Bay and has won two races on the trot at Bangalore. He won the Narasimharaja Cup, run over a seven-furlong trip on January 26, quite effortlessly and was immediately dispatched to Mahalaxmi. Jockey B. Prakash has preferred to go with Galloping Bay and like his connections he too is very bullish about the chances of his mount.

Galloping Bay

Velvet Rope

Velvet Rope has had an identical career record as that of Galloping Bay. After an easy run on debut, Velvet Rope is unbeaten in his last two starts. Cooji Katrak-trained Velvet Rope, who is by Turtle Island and brought in-foal to Truffa, won the Dashmesh & Hargobind Stud Futurity on January 9 and was given a well-deserved break to get in shape for the PBMM. Niall McCullagh has partnered Velvet Rope in both his victories and will now be replaced in the saddle by jockey P. Kamlesh.

The bay colt Puissant (Alnasr Alwasheek-Persepolis) was a very impressive winner on debut as he left his rivals in the cold. Puissant, a hot property of the Juvenile Racing Syndicate III and who is nurtured by  Nina Lalwani, has been working extremely well in his preparatory gallops and little wonder if his connections are buoyant about the colt’s chances in the big event. Frenchman Samuel Fargeat is assigned the responsibility of steering Puissant and will be a big threat to the fancied ones provided Samuel is not found wanting in the saddle.

Puissant 

Smart Vision

Smart Vision, also trained S. Ganapathy, is the lesser fancied of the two frontline contenders running in the colours of Dr M. A. M. Ramaswamy. Yet, if there is any horse who can upset the field, it should be Smart Vision. The son of Major Impact out of Lone Star went down by a little over a length to Velvet Rope on debut before graduating from the maiden ranks with his famous battle with Aquilo and Malesh Narredu early last month. The chestnut colt later ran sixth behind Hesperus where owner-mate Evatina spear-headed the challenge of their camp. According to Mark Gallagher, Smart Vision has come up a lot after his last run where the colt found the sprint too sharp. Smart Vision will surely be a force to reckon in this set.

Darius Byramji saddled Romantic Getaway (Razeen-Trois Etoiles), who is running for the first time after being gelded, has run here twice without any success but he is shaping well in the morning trials and runs with an outside chance. C. Alford’s racing temperament will once again be put to test in this race.

The PBMM, a Grade 1 race, will be the star attraction of the racing programme on Sunday offering an amount of Rs.64.62 lakhs in stakes with the winning connections taking home nearly 38.77 lakh rupees.