Just eleven days after she emerged from the maiden ranks in a race specially framed for her, trainer Vinayak was so convinced by the runaway victory registered by Hunan that he did not have any second thoughts in taking on an experienced lot in the M.H. Ahmedbhoy Trophy on Thursday. There were no heavyweights in the fray and the field of six appeared to be evenly matched on paper at least. The five rivals of Hunan could not boast of having any credentials to claim superiority in any way over the daughter of Alnasr Alwasheek out of Great Request. That being the case, the betting concentrated on just Smart Supreme and Hunan.
Smart Supreme was slightly more in demand. It was obvious that the market forces were taking a cue from his preparatory gallops here. His exposure in company of better class opponents at Bangalore was also one of the factors taken into account. The end result was an anticipation of a big performance from Smart Supreme who is by Razeen out of Galiceno and entrusted to S. Ganapathy by Dr MAM Ramaswamy. The support for Hunan remained firm throughout and the slight drift in her odds was no cause for concern for her admirers.
Malesh Narredu rode Hunan off the pace and allowed Queen Ernest to hit the front. As the pace slowed down a trifle, halfway through the journey, both Queen Ernest and Enduring Image found themselves all alone in the front. Contrary to all expectations, Queen Ernest didn’t tire out and Bajrang Singh kept her hopes alive till the last 50m where she finally gave way to Enduring Image. Finding himself saddled with the job of bridging the leeway, Malesh began working furiously astride Hunan. The chestnut filly showed signs of immaturity at first and didn’t gather momentum precisely the way her rider would’ve preferred. However, Hunan inched slowly but surely towards the leaders with Malesh using his whip effectively and trying to limit it to the prescribed limits. He might’ve lost the count of his whips but it hardly mattered as Hunan snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and ended Enduring Image’s victory bid just a few strides from the wire. Sounding very optimistic when speaking to this correspondent before the race, trainer Vinayak revealed, “If Hunan wins this race then I have a good one for the Indian Oaks.”
Magansingh Jodha trained Battery, who was the medium of a heavy gamble, landed the spoils in the D.W. Reid Plate. The three-year-old filly not quoted in the ante-post odds became first favourite before race time. At the bend, Battery found herself dropping back to the rear as Edelweiss continued her march towards the winning post. But the money influence was such that jockey Pramod Belose started belting the daughter of Bee’s Prospector and may’ve set a new record of excessive whipping while surging past Edelweiss in virtually the last stride. The rest of the runners also ran.
Success continued to elude Starboard in her third career start. The well-bred filly nurtured by Nina Lalwani was an expensive failure in the hands of Pesi Shroff. Starboard had gained a slender lead in the last furlong but Hosidar Daji’s candidate Aag, despite veering out under pressure, breathed fire into his performance and wore down the favourite nearer home. Abhishek Habbu was confidence personified in the saddle astride the winner. Abhishek had earlier accomplished a start to finish aboard Hormuz Antia-nursed Seattle Swan.
A grand treble was in the pipeline for the apprentice but his spirit had waned atop the on-money favourite Strategic Moves, who was upstaged by Warrior of Light in the last race. Nonetheless, full marks to Sarosh Mody and jockey Bajrang Singh for persevering with the got-abroad gelding, who is plagued by a back problem.
Like Warrior of Light, Rivendell too gained her maiden victory. The Imtiaz Sait-saddled daughter of Razeen out of Trois Etoiles, ridden by C. Rajendra, displayed her true potential in proving too good for her rivals. Everlasting Joy made no impression and even lost the runner-up berth to Parmeshwari, who is improving with each outing. Storm Ahead ran a suggestive fourth and will be too good to be missed in his future ventures.
There was a blanket finish for the A. Hoyt Plate, a rare sight in Western India these days, where the first seven horses in the field of eight finished very close. Speedster earned valuable stakes for his master as apprentice Nirmal Jodha got the verdict in his favour by the shortest of margins from Rodeo Romeo and Amaron, who was quietly fancied by his connections. The run to remember was that of Eminent, who ended a close fifth and should earn a bracket soon.
