NATIVE TACTICS JUST ABOUT LASTS OUT

Ferneze (Appu up), winner of Far Wood Plate, being led in by trainer Zareer Darashah

Trainer Satish Narredu leads in Opalete (Prakash up), winner of S Hajee Memorial Plate

Trainer Rashid Byramji leads in Andestine (Surjit Singh up), winner of Madras Race Club Cup (Div I)

Trainer Inayahtulla and joint owner Rahmatulla lead in Alylady (I Chisty up), winner of A C Somanna Memorial Trophy

Trainer Rashid Byramji, deputising for son Darius Byramji, leads in La Unique (Aslam Kader up), winner of New Indian Express Gold Cup

Mrs Kamalakshi Devi presenting the Maharaja's Cup to trainer Byramji whose ward Native Tactics won the event

Trainer Michael Eshwer leads in Days of Glory (Arun Rao up), winner of  the Udupi Plate

NOTHING can stop the Darius Byramji juggernaut. The young trainer who is soon to be engaged to a Coorgie girl, is going great guns, with his wards winning big races all over the country. In keeping with the trend, Native Tactics completed her fourth straight win when just about getting the measure of Mohan Valavi's Sun Reality, in the 1600 metres Maharaja's Cup, a race for horses rated 40 and above, which highlighted the races held on Friday (September 15).

The Bluebird-Miss Oriental  filly who struck purple patch only as a four-year old has lost just once, i.e. during the Winter Season when she went down rather tamely to Tressorie over a mile. Since all her wins were over seven furlongs, it was presumed that the filly did not stay. Contrary to all expectations, Native Tactics tackled the mile long trip very effectively in the highest class though she was hard-pressed to contain the challenge of seven-year old Sun Reality who seems to be enjoying his stint in Mysore. Aslam's all out efforts which saw him cut an erratic course, saw the got-abroad filly sail clear and spare 1 1/2 lengths at the finish.  Top-weighted Carnival Flair ran a game race to finish third. Lyrical Fantasy who was strongly fancied on the basis of his Summer form where he had run a close second behind eventual Derby winner Allaire, lapsed back to his old self and ran like a dud.

Elegant Rainbow was surprisingly quoted at generous odds in the Madras Race Club (Div II) as all the money came pouring in on Semoran. Semoran no doubt had run close second to Tudor King in record timing but the Exclusive Virtue progeny has not run two races alike and her keenness to bolt to the front and the difficulty of the riders to keep her on a straight course has seen her run out in the straight. Though jockey Appu managed to keep Semoran from drifting out, the effort perhaps told as she was left way behind by Elegant Rainbow who won as she liked. Elegant Rainbow who had stretched the good-type of youngster in Activator, should have actually enjoyed more support in the betting ring. Paranjyothy who was expected to be the medium of a coup was a lethargic third. The upper division of the race was claimed by Chevailer who won as he liked despite this being his first run after being gelded. The style of winning of Chevailer was suggestive of better things to come.

Dynamic Gamble justified the quiet support he enjoyed in the betting ring by landing a successful coup against on-money favourite Brave Edge. Despite hard-riding by jockey Prakash, the Farazullah progeny was not upto getting the better of Dynamic Gamble who emerged stronger at the finish.

Puttanna trained Chitty Bang is a transformed horse after being gelded. The McDuck progeny who used to grind to a halt close to the winning post after doing all the front-running, has been faring exceedingly well of late. Chitty Bang won at nourishing odds, the Chettinand Stud Gold Cup, from the late-finishing Tajik and Alisa. Cavala was surprisingly off colour.

Alylady who had to her credit the beating of Starry Scene came good when containing the challenge of Pretty Boy Floyd in the A C Somanna Memorial Trophy. The odds on her surprisingly drifted out as there was a rumour that she had not travelled well to Mysore spread like wild-fire. Alylady was neither bothered by the opposition nor by any physical discomfort as she held on to win from Pretty Boy Floyd who is yet to regain the form of old.

After Days of Glory's loss by a narrow margin to the well-bred Avocation, her win in the Secunderabad Plate was taken for granted. The Placerville filly put daylight between herself and the rest as she left the field for dead at the top of the straight. Puttanna's Time of War who received inspired support by the people in the know, finished a clear second ahead of Alministar.

JOCKEY Aslam Kader was in the limelight as he displayed his strong riding powers to enable La Unique to prevail by a whisker over Winning Glory in the 1600 metres New Indian Express Gold Cup, a race for horses rated 30 to 45, the feature event of Friday's races.

Ponnappa trained Cup of Gold was more fancied than The Royals and La Unique to win. While Cup of Gold ran below expectations, The Royals who had the benefit of two mock races, was nevertheless found  wanting. In fact, it was the less heralded Winning Glory, in the hands of Shobhan Babu, who assumed command inside the final 200 metres and shaped like bringing off a stunning upset. Aslam's power-packed riding on La Unique put paid to the pretensions of the front-runner. The winner was trained by Darius Byramji but was led in by father Rashid Byramji as is the practice in Mysore.

Apprentice jockey Harish who has been riding with a great deal of success, came a cropper on Boss Tweed and suffered a fracture of the wrist which will rule him out of action for the rest of the season. Puttanna trained   Gracious Rohit won as a well-backed favourite from Skipping Away and Dad's Joy, the Eclipse Plate, a race for horses rated 10 to 25.

Zareer Darashah trained Fereneze looked a cut above the rest in the Fair Wood Plate, a race for horses rated 10 to 25, and the Adler progeny, despite justifying the support, had to survive a scare as the lesser fancied Donna Mia moved with raking strides towards the finish to lose only by  half a length. Along All who has all along been an expensive failure, once again let down her supporters, going down without a fight.

Ooty challenger Silent Honour had it easy in the Panchgani Plate, winning as she liked from Amalgamate, Silent Honour should repeat notwithstanding the stiff penalty she may incur for this runaway win.

Jockey Prakash had to drive out Opalette to contain the challenge of his rivals in the S Hajee Memorial Plate as River Dale came up with a manacing run. Cape Fear was never in the hunt.

Darius Byramji's Andestine who had been an expensive failure, came good in the hands of apprentice Surjeet Singh to record an easy win over the opposition in the Madras Race Club Cup (Div I). Jockey Narasimha did nothing on Prismatic who finished fourth and the Stipes let him off lightly. Jai Bharath who was quietly fancied, was a poor third. Surf Rider once again confirmed that he is very backward and it will take quite sometime before he can strike.

Ahmedulla trained Hot Property who has struck a purple patch, won the Udupi Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 35, with a second straight upset win. Letham Grange and Almaz fought out for minor placings, with the former necking out the latter for the runner-up berth.

Elegant Rainbow (B Prakash), winner of  the Madras RAce Club Cup (Div II), being paraded by trainer Robert Foley

Dynamic Gamble (Warren Singh up), winner of Dilage Plate, being led in by trainer Santosh Rao

Trainer Puttanna (left) and owner H S Srikanth lead in Chity Bang (Md Hasnian up), winner of Chettinand Stud Gold Cup

Trainer Puttanna and owners Mr and Mrs Harpreet Singh Rana lead in Gracious Rohit (Rakesh up), winner of Eclipse Plate.

Trainer Rashid Byramji leads in Chevailer (Pesi Shroff astride), winner of Sidapur Plate

Hot Property (P Ramesh up), winner of Udupi Plate, being led in by trainer Ahmedulla