Razalin sprints to glory in the highest class

A brief but heavy spell of rain prior to the start of the main event rendered the going soft and might have just undid the chances of the heavyweights campaigning for the top honours in this sprint race. Specialist shot into the lead as the starter's flag came down but could not extend it beyond the 600m marker. Razalin brushed aside the leader and emerged as a winner long way from home. The late charge of Secret Blessings could only reduce the distance between him and the winner. The Usha Stud-bred winner is owned by Capt. Jamshed Appoo and hails from the yards of trainer Cooji Katrak.

Trainer Ivor Fernandes bloomed on Sunday with two winners in Dras and Tonnerre but lost out on a treble as Ric-Rac failed to collar Source of Light in the last race of the week. Making full use of apprentice Daniel Bast's 3.5kg allowance, Dras made those who chose to ignore him in the betting ring pay price as he went on to register an encore. Heavy support came the way of Wisdom To Rule who had finished a close second to Betsy in his previous run but the Altaf Hussain-trained gelding could not reproduce the same run here.

It took two uninterested runs after finishing second to Catchmeifyoucan on the opening day for Tonnerre to find his galloping shoes. And in doing so, the speedy son of Al Mujil out of Ilheus Beti inflicted a humiliating defeat to his rivals as Daniel Bast steered him plain hands and heels for a six-and-a-half length victory.

After lying at the wrong end of the field till the bend, Ric-Rac came with raking and threatening strides at Source of Light in the final furlong but was short by a neck at the wire. Favourite Winning Girl gave a dismal show and could not even make it to the judges' board. Classy Missy, the four-year-old daughter of Placerville out of Alhaan, romped home in the hands of Mallesh Narredu and finally managed to shed her maiden status. Though she beat nothing much in this field, this Imtiaz Sait ward can be placed to win again. Persepolis became another Placerville progeny to come good albeit in a mediocre company. Ridden by Mark Gallagher Persepolis proved far too superior for his seven rivals after his new master Altaf Hussain chose to run him without the tongue-strap on this occasion.

Starsinhereyes obliged in the hands of C. Rajendra to add another winner to the tally of Shapoor Mistry's private trainer Sarosh Mody. Infamous stretched out well when Mallesh Narredu urged her to contain the challenge of Fiercely Loyal. The Nosher Cama trainee made every post of the lower division of Storm Plate a winning one. Favourite Cotopaxi lost all chances at the start itself as he was cramped for room when the gates opened. The best Cotopaxi could do in these circumstances was to finish third. Sancti Spiritus also went start to finish in the hands of Pramod Belose and won troubled from Sergeant Slipper and Courtesan. The last two were clearly beaten for pace especially the latter.

The colours of Dr M. A. M. Ramaswamy were in prominence on Saturday, which incidentally was the racing baron's birthday too. The racing tycoon had three winners - Amber Brown, Knighted and Simply Noble, and three seconds - Capitulate, Ocean Breeze and Desert Fighter.
Amber Brown found a mediocre company to graduate from the maiden ranks. Knighted gave a pleasing performance as he took toll of on-money favourite Rapallo who was advantageously placed on the scales vis-à-vis their last meeting in Race No. 127. The got-abroad son of Chief Crown out of Sea Basque set his own sweet pace over the nine-furlong trip of the Cremona Plate and spared a little over four lengths to his main adversary. Knoxville struggled to end third while Ride The Lightning looked a misfit in this company. Simply Noble also won convincingly in a Class III company that was far too poor to test the ability of the Placerville offspring.

What do you make of it if you find one of Dr Ramaswamy's horses being entrusted to an apprentice and two of his regular jockeys accept rides other stables in the same race? It happened so in the Her Majesty Trophy which was being contested by four horses. Capitulate, the new acquisition of Dr Ramaswamy had Daniel Bast in saddle, Magansingh Jodha availed the services of Mallesh Narredu for Thundering Bay while Cooji Katrak selected B. Prakash to guide Double Impact.

The reasons, if any, which prompted these arrangements were hard to find. But it made a funny sight to watch Narredu and Prakash throw a cordon around Capitulate who was settled in the rear. This allowed Jonty Rhodes to run merrily in front. Nirad Karanjawalla-trained and C. Ruzaan-ridden Jonty Rhodes thus succeeded in bringing home the bacon for his connections. Apprentice Daniel Bast tried hard to extricate Capitulate out of the mess but was frustrated repeatedly by B. Prakash astride Double Impact. He was able to break the shackles only after the Jonty Rhodes was beyond reach of any of his rivals.
Mr & Mrs K. N. Sunderji were a delighted couple as they led in Gay Minstrel who won the Sunny Downs Trophy on Saturday. This was on the eve of their 50th wedding anniversary. Trained by their son Shiraz, Gay Minstrel surprised Altiama and Immaculate who received all round support in the betting arena. Lesser-known jockey T. Mahesh fully justified the faith imposed in his riding abilities by the trainer and piloted the son of Sir Bruce to an emphatic victory.

Starafar tasted her maiden success in the hands of C. Rajendra in the Pa Bear Plate where flirting with Anjolie in the betting ring proved costly for punters. Zee Green and Reprobate won towards the end of the day in wide-open races.