CHEVALIER COULD BE THE HORSE FOR THE INDIAN DERBY
Dr Vijay Mallya plants an affectionate kiss on Chevalier (Pesi Shroff up) who won the Kingfisher Mysore Derby. At left is trainer Darius Byramji
Trainer Inyathulla leads in Scenic Song (I Chisty up), winner of D H Dasappa Memorial Cup (Div II)
Trainer Robert Foley leads in Star Liner (B Prakash up), winner of R M Puttanna Memorial Gold Cup
Trainer Arjun Mangalorkar leads in Royal Satin (I Chisty up), winner of Bangalore Turf Club Trophy
Red Red Wine (Appu up), winner of Ponnappa Coffee Gold Trophy, being led in by trainer Zareer Darashah and joint owner D'Souza
Brave Edge (Warren Singh up), winner of Star of Gwalior Plate, being led in by trainer Karan Singh
Trainer B Puttanna leads in Jersey Lightning (Krishnan up), winner of Sowcar T Thimmappa Memorial Cup
Questionable (Arun Rao up), winner of Triveni Plate, being led in by trainer J S Pillay
Dr VIJAY MALLYA has an ace up his sleeve for the Indian classics in winter. This year, he has a string of top-class horses to take on the best in the classics but the best horse in terms of achievements this year has been Six Speed but unfortunately the talented filly is suspect over trips beyond a mile. However, the dramatic improvement shown by Chevalier who seems to relish every inch of extended trips has given hopes that this year's Indian Derby could well see Mallya horses dominating the show.
Chevalier's win in the Kingfisher Mysore Derby on Sunday (October 22) is the reason for this optimism. No doubt, Arrakis, owned by Deepak Khaitan is the more hyped horse who is being talked about as the one to beat in the Indian Derby but Arrakis' form is anything but impressive as his brilliant win came at the expense of horses like Access All Areas, Astronomer and Bold Chieftan who are not in the same league as Allaire, Six Speed and now Chevalier. Arrakis has to prove all over again when he runs next that he is something special as everyone believe him to be.
Be that as it may, the Placerville-Nauka three-year old gelding Chevalier is a half-brother to the celebrated Delage who went on to win the Indian Turf Invitation Cup in the hands of legendary jockey Lester Piggot at Chennai. Incidentally, this year's Invitation Cup is also being held at Chennai and the half-brother to Delage could well be the horse if the Placerville progeny maintains the progress he has shown thus far after he was gelded. His third win in a row during the season is suggestive of greater glory and jockey Pesi Shroff who piloted him, had always thought highly of this Poonawalla bred. He said: ``I believe that Chevalier had it in him to be the horse for the Indian Derby. I am happy the way he has been shaping and I am pretty optimistic.''
Chevalier went as the strong favourite ahead of Deccan Derby winner Perceived Value and Mysore 2000 Guineas winner Adamile. Aslam Kader, for some strange reasons, opted to ride Appeaser who had one win to his credit while Adamile had proved her credentials in the highest class. Aslam Kader was of the opinion that the Razeen progeny would not say but considering the class, he should have opted for it. In the event, Adamile was a late-finishing third while Appeaser finished in the ruck. Had Aslam piloted Adamile, the filly could have finished closer.
Great Emperor set a fast pace as the starter dispatched the field for the 2000 metre trip, with Chevalier settled in the mid-bunch along with Perceived Value while Adamile and Appeaser graced the rear. Rounding the final bend, Perceived Value moved up to surge past Starry Scene even as Shroff got busy on Chevalier. After a brief tussle, Chevalier emerged clear of Perceived Value, with Adamile finishing third with a late stretch run. Chevalier won in a new course record but then the timing cannot be taken too seriously as the starting gate had been brought forward by about 20 metres after the course had been re-measured with the help of a odometer, two metres from the running rails.
Shroff who made his move earlier than is his wont, said: ``The ground was shifty and I did not want any check during the race as the horses were struggling in the going.'' The going was definitely shifty as the heavy overnight rains had affected the track.
The Derby day was a long-drawn affair, with 10 events programmed for the day. Arjun Mangalorkar trained Royal Satin who had acquitted himself creditably in the Nanoli Juvenile Million over seven furlongs, showed that he enjoyed the trip most when decimating the opposition in the Bangalore Turf Club Trophy, a terms race for three-year olds and over. The three-year old Royal Satin has been in good nick and a repeat success is well within the reach of this Green Forest progeny. Top-weighted Tempt Me Not who has all along been a gutsy performer, was a good second ahead of Golden Fisher who showed some good form when finishing third. Haynes Park who shared favouritism with Royal Satin was never in contention. The young trainer has done well to get the best out of Royal Satin by his clever placing.
M P Mahesh trained Risk Me Now recorded her second successive win in emphatic fashion. Taking on eight others in the D H Dasappa Memorial Cup (Div I) for horses rated 15 and below, Risk Me Now lost a favourable position early on as she dropped back to the rear of the field. It was Cape Fear and Swift who were disputing for honours when Risk Me Now, in the hands of apprentice Rajesh Singh, came up with giant strides to go past the front-runners to win handsomely. Risk Me Now has in her to record a hat-trick. The lower division of the race went the way of Inyathulla trained Scenic Song who relished the soft underfoot conditions to win as she pleased from favourite Comrade In Arms.
Trainer Zareer Darashah had a lucrative double through Red Red Wine and Early Grey who won at lucrative odds. Pradeep Annaiah trained Speedy Idea who had been a pretty consistent winner, finally obliged at the expense of Golden Days.
The trainer-jockey combination of Robert Foley and B Prakash had a good double through Star Liner who edged out Chantenay close home and Astronomer who won from ownermate Spirito. Spirito's run was suggestive and had jockey S Babu been more aggressive, the favourite could well have had a scare. Second favourite Hong Kong Boy failed to live upto expectations.
SATURDAY's races which were held in the morning were marred by the tragic death of riding boy Md Quayum who was kicked to death by temperamental filly Rise Above.The Green Forest progeny Rise Above was the favourite for the K H Srinivasan Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 10 to 25. The filly was unruly and kicked a syce during the paddock parade causing serious injury to him. The horse was led without the rider to the starting gates but as the horse continued to play up, Quayum who was reputed to be good at handling difficult horses, reportedly volunteered to take the horse to the starting gate. The horse which was highly fractious reared up and landed her legs on the chest of Quayum which caused his instant death. The death of Quayum has raised many questions and the most important one being that of providing body protectors and helmets to syces and riders boys when they accompany the horses during the paddock parade and to the starting gate. For the record, Rise Above finished in the rut as the race was won by Sriram Komandur trained Winning Charm at the expense of Al Bashir.
The day's main event, the Smt Maliniraje Prasad Memorial Gold Trophy, for horses rated 30 to 45, went the way of Loknath Gowda trained Ornate Crown who won by a whisker from Sensational News and Cruising Away. Jockey C Krishnan who rode Bank of Promise became the first jockey in recent times to have been suspended for three race days for excessive use of the whip. All these days, the punishments used to be restricted to a mere fine.
Puttanna trained Jersey Lightning continued his good show with yet another comfortable win at the expense of Ronson and One So Wonderful.
THE Mysore season which did not run too kindly for the punters who followed the fortunes of well-backed horses, came to an end with an extra day's racing on Wednesday (October 25), with Michael Eshwer trained Pretty Boy Floyd finally obliging punters after running second for three consecutive times. Moses schooled Estocade who has struck form, was a good second as he found the seven furlong trip sharp to his liking.
Trainer Mohan Valavi had success coming his way in the concluding race of the season through Walk In The Clouds. The Young Senor progeny Walk In The Clouds had run a good second to Donna Mia in his last run and his win was true to expectations.
Darashah trained Gullane who had been performing indifferently won at nourishing odds while Ponnappa's Key Witness who had let down last time as a favourite, was seen in different colours at nourishing odds. Trainer Robert Foley and jockey Prakash who enjoyed good success in the last one month, had a winner through Simply Dashing. Both of them ended as the champion trainer and champion jockey respectively with 26 wins to their credit. Chevalier who recorded a hat-trick of wins, was declared the champion horse of the season while Dr M A M Ramaswamy was the leading horse owner.
The next regular Mysore season will start in August 20001 but there will be two short seasons before that, one beginning in November and ending in February while the other will be held, during the Summer Season, in the months of May, June and July.
Shekar Ramamurthy of UB Marketting, presents the Kingfisher Mysore Derby to Dr Vijay Mallya, UB Chairman and owner of Chevalier which won the Mysore Derby.
Trainer M P Mahesh (right) leads in Risk Me Now (Rajesh Singh up), winner of D H Dasappa Memorial Cup (Div I)
Trainer Sriram Komandur leads in Winning Charm (S Rajesh up), winner of K H Srinivasan Memorial Trophy
Trainer Rashid Byramji leads in Appeaer (Aslam Kader up), winner of Vijayanagara Plate
Earl Grey (Appu astride), winner of Seetharam Mudaliar Cup, being led in by trainer Zareer Darashah
Speedy Idea (P Ramesh up), winner of D Sivappa Memorial Gold Cup (Div II) being led in by trainer Pradeep Annaiah
Trainer Loknath Gowda leads in Orante Crown(I Chisty up), winner of Smt Maliniraje Prasad Memorial Gold Trophy