CHEVALIER COMES INTO MYSORE DERBY RECKONING

Donna Mia (Mrs Silva Storai), winner of Periyapattana Plate, being led in by trainer Irfan Ghatala

Soviet Song (Pesi Shroff up), winner of  Gayatri Devi Memorial Cup, being led in by trainer Darius Byramji

My Goodness (C Krishnan up), winner of Chamarajanagar Plate, being led in by trainer Loknath Gowda

Trainer Karan Singh leads in Brave Edge (B Prakash up), winner of P Shanker Memorial Plate

 

DARIUS BYRAMJI trained Athabasca's shock victory at the expense of favourite and stablemate Activator in the 1800 metres The Hindu Gold Trophy, a rich terms race for three-year olds which highlighted the races held on Friday (October 6) did not go too well with the race-goers if only because this has increasingly becoming a trend with the horses from this reputed stable.

Though it may be unfair to attribute any motives, it would be better if such a happening could be avoided. Athabasca had the merit but with Activator preferred by stable jockey Aslam Kader and ending up as a favourite, the punters were left without any clue and their faith in the favourite was unrewarded.

In the small field of four runners, IL Diablo went out of the reckoning even before the field had crossed the half-way mark, with Athabasca taking over the front-running. Athabasca kicked clear at the top of the straight even as Aslam Kader found himself pocketed. Even though Aslam used the whalebone mercilessly, the Razeen   progeny could only end up finishing a neck behind runner-up Aerobee. Athabasca is scheduled to run in the Measure Derby to be held on October 22.

However, the talking point of the week was the remarkable improvement shown by another Darius Byramji ward Chevalier who won the lead up race to the Mysore Derby in impressive fashion on Thursday.Though Chevalier was only taking on horses rated 20 to 35 in the 2000 metres Huntsey Gold Trophy, the style of victory of this Placerville-Nauvka gelding was suggestive of a bright future for this Darius ward. Jockey Pesi Shroff settled Chevalier in the rear and the Placerville progeny moved up smoothly to take over the running at the top of the straight to win by a widening margin of over 10 lengths, with Mayfair nosing out Royal Garter for the second spot.

Jockey Shroff  believes that Chevalier has in him to win the Mysore Derby when the gelding will take on the well-built filly Perceived Value who won the Deacon Derby earlier this month.

Coming back to Friday's races, trainer M P Mahesh brought off a nice coup on Risk Me Now in the 1200 metros Bharachaukki Plate, a race for horses rated 15 and below. With the form of the horse being well disguised, Risk Me Now opened at nourishing odds but closed down as a strongly backed second favourite. Five kg allowance claimer Rajesh Singh did a competent job on the Broto progeny who proved too good for the opposition, with a facile win over a late-finishing Gallant Chief. Favourite Arabian King was a dismal sixth.

Burgess Choksey trained Lali who had been a let down thus far, suddenly sprouted wings as it were to slam the opposition in the 1400 metres Gaganchukki Plate, with Venture Adventure a tame second. Free World who was finishing on took the third spot.

Sydney Moses trained Estocade who had come down in scales as much as the trainer desired, came good in the 1600 metres Kemparaj Trophy, a race for horses rated 30 to 45, with an easy win over Almaz and Solo Act. With Something Fishy being withdrawn from the fray, it was Our Pedestal who was the favourite but the seven-year old finished a tame seventh.

Mangalorkar trained Own Evita was strongly fancied to repeat but the Pearl of Life progeny met with interference early on in the race which cost the filly the race in the ultimate analysis. Though jockey Shakti Singh did well to improve his position quickly and assume command inside the final 100 metres, the finishing burst of favourite Silent Honour put paid to the pretensions of the second favourite.

With favourites Frontier Hero and Red Angel playing truant, the outcome in the Meerut Plate, a race for horses rated 10 to 25, was confined to rank outsiders. Pillay trained Always Aloof smoothly took over the running at the top of the straight and went clear but Silver Falcon's finishing burst threw a scare to the supporters of this long shot. However, Always Aloof held on to win by half a length.

C A Kuts trained Psychedelic who had run behind Soviet Song, came good in the Western Outdoor Gold Cup (Div I) with an easy win over Royal Crichton. Brave Edge who had twice lost in close finishes over extended trips, won over a sprint, with a sustained burst of speed in the run in for home to go past the front-running Sassy.

ROYAL COURT's victory in the 1200 metres F K Irani Memorial Gold Cup, a rich terms race for four-year olds and over, was not entirely unexpected. For the Excaclibur's Lake progeny was the highest rated horse in the fray at 70, five points more than this year's Horse of the Year Smart Chieftan. And it was not without reason. At his home centre, Royal Court had beaten the likes of Imperial Scholar by giving chunks of weight. The only thing that seemed to be against him was the sprint trip which many thought would be sharp for him as all his wins at Ooty had come over extended trips. However, jockey Warren Singh who timed his final challenge to a nicety was able to get his horse past the front-running Blue Ridge quite easily in the end.   Much to everyone's surprise, Royal Court was dropped by one point after this win, something which has not happened in the history of Indian racing. However, those who went by the handicapper's rating stood to benefit in this terms race which favourited the Ooty challenger.

However, handicapper Shiva Prasad said that he re-assessed Royal Court after its victory and thought it had to drop by a point or two. When he rated the horse for the first time, based on the performance of the five-year old mare at Ooty, he thought Royal Court deserved a higher rating than that given by him.

Jockey C Krishnan who was going through a lean patch, had a most rewarding day, booting home winners through My Goodness, Jersey Lighting and King's Common, all of them well fancied. Irfan Ghatala's Donna Mia who had served notice of   her potential last time out, lived upto that promise with a comfortable win over Walk In The Clouds though in doing so, Mrs Silva Storai did interfere with the runner-up.

Darius Byramji's Soviet Song recorded an impressive win in the Gayatri Devi Memorial Gold Cup, a race for horses rated 30 to 45 but unaccountably the Bold Russian progeny shied away approaching the winning post which thankfully did not affect the fortunes of the public fancy. Bountiful Gesture, once rated as a top class sprinter, seems to have lost her sharpness after being campaigned over extended trips.

 

Trainer M P Mahesh leads in Risk Me Now (Rajesh Singh), winner of Bharachukki Plate.

Chevailer (Pesi Shroff up), winner of Huntsey Gold Trophy, being led in by trainer Darius Byramji

Trainer Robert Foley leads in Royal Court (Warren Singh up), winner of F K Irani Memorial Gold Trophy

Trainer Puttanna leads in King's Common (C Krishnan up), winner of Pattu Brothers Gold Cup (Div I)

Trainer Burgess Choksey leads in Lali (P Ramesh up), winner of Gaganachukki Plate