Naill McCullagh’s superlative performance provides much-needed relief on a boring day

By Usman Rangila

Mumbai
January 28, 2003

“Have license, will race”, is the defiant message that the Royal Western India Turf Club management seems to be sending to its critics who question the quality of the stuff that is being rolled out in the name of horseracing. Paucity of runners continues to plague what is supposed to be the premier racing institution in the country and is seriously undermining the very basis of the competitive element that is entrenched in the sport of horseracing.  

Good governance demanded that the RWITC administration stood up to this challenge by confronting the Western India trainers on this issue. Confrontation does not necessarily mean a showdown of any sort but, sincerely, some serious talk was certainly needed. Any sustained dialogue between the two parties could’ve possibly led to finding a way out of this embarrassing situation that is cropping up week after week.

Easier said than done but the club could’ve given a try at least. It was not to be and the end result: A spurious dose of horseracing. Or so it seems. The framing, or rather the re-framing, of the Glasgow Charger Plate on Wednesday is a glaring example of this point. Three of the five runners declared to start in this race, which had gone void at acceptance stage, hailed from the yards of trainer Magansingh Jodha. Now if this is what horseracing is meant to be, then there is hardly any option left for the racing fraternity but to keep on enduring it.

Before the looming hangover of the mediocrity of the day’s card could get any worse, jockey Naill McCullagh’s superlative performance in the saddle provided the much-needed soothing effect. Coming close on the heels of the remarkable exhibition of emotions by jockey C. Rajendra during his Bangalore Derby triumph on Monday, the scarcity of any fanfare involved in the three conquests accomplished by the Irishman was a truly humbling experience.

Lucky Break, saddled by ex-jockey Hanut Singh, was the first winner steered by Naill. His task made a lot easier by the interference caused by Secret Path to Trace of Magic who then passed on to Scrub, the worst sufferer of this incident. Lucky Break burst on to the scene with a flourishing run and Naill had little difficulty in powering his way through to prevail over Adonesque, who flattered briefly. Scrub came with raking strides but it too late to make any difference to the result. 

The Consul General of Bahrain in India accompanied by twelve other dignitaries, representing the Bahrain Equestrian & Horse Racing Club, turned up at the Mahalaxmi racecourse to witness the running of the Bahrain Trophy contested by only four runners! The odds suggested that it would be a near walkover for S. Ganapathy-nursed Pricelessly. The Bangalore challenger, however, came in for a big surprise from Striking Beauty (Batzushka-Timeless Beauty). The favourite sneaked into the lead from the barriers with a clear intention of making every post a winning one. To her horror, and also to that of the moneybags who backed her as a certainty, the candidate from Narendra Lagad’s barns cut short her plans. The victory of Striking Beauty was indeed a gratifying one for the members of the Our Stable Racing Syndicate and more importantly for her burly master who incidentally had schooled her dam Timeless Beauty, a prolific scorer during her career. 

Naill was seen at his best astride the mare Singita in the Governor’s Trophy. Singita has often proved to be a difficult ride for many riders including Naill. But the manner in which he assisted Singita in this appearance was clearly outstanding. Singita was ridden off the pace and made gradual progress as the heads turned for home and Big Blaze was briefly in charge. Whispering Shadows, who was bidding for a hat-trick, found the shortest way home and had the coveted mark in sight. But Naill had other ideas on his mind as he put his head down and worked feverishly on the daughter of Steinbeck out of Tick Tock. He not only got Singita going but also curtailed her innate urge to veer from a straight course. The sight of Naill driving Singita plain hands and heels was a treat to watch. His power-packed finish provided the Zadmal Singh a distinct tenacity to repeal the assault of both Cacophony and Whispering Shadows, who was reluctant to give in easily.

The wayward Aerosmith set the account of Zadmal ticking but not before going miles wide in the straight and finishing on the outer track. The son of Greensmith out of Miss X O Lence shied off as C. Rajendra tried to essay a challenge down the centre of the track. Rank outsider Absolute Dominance had subdued Titania for a while and came close to recording a stunning upset before Aerosmith found his moorings once again and won quite comfortably in the end. The Imtiaz Sait-nurtured filly Santarelle, who ended fourth, showed tremendous improvement over her previous runs and was by far the best of the beaten brigade.

Love On The Rocks (Don’t Forget Me-Zarakiya) defied the handicapper and carried the 9.5kg penalty incurred for her maiden success to register an encore. The Cooji Katrak saddled filly got up just in time to deny victory to Speed, who nearly pulled off a start to finish win. The lack of exposure brought filly’s march to an abrupt halt but she should benefit a lot from this experience. Satch Boogie warmed up late to nudge King Of The Turf out of the third slot and should be a different proposition over a longer trip preferably in his own age group.

Maratha Princess succeeded in making her last foray on the racetrack a winning one something which her two other rivals, Different Strokes and Tarascon, failed to do. Tarascon threw tantrums inside the gates and was out of the fray as she got herself injured in the process. It appeared to be a cakewalk for Different Strokes but the Mansingh Jadhav trained mare was hell bent on playing spoilsport. Different Strokes, Tarascon and Maratha Princess are all slated to retire as broodmares towards the end of this month. Sphinx (Dark Nile-Affiance) delivered the goods for trainer Suresh Chavan in the concluding race where Real Quick lost favour in the betting ring and ran a poor second. Real Quick was promoted to the runner-up berth after the protest of her rider P. Kamlesh against Senor Tango was upheld.