ADAMILE MAKES AMENDS IN MYSORE 2000 GUINEAS

Avocation (Pesi Shroff up), winner of  Bookmakers Gold Trophy (Div I) being led in by trainer Rashid Byramji

Trainer Robert Foley leads in Beauchamp King (B Prakash up), winner of Aunty Pip Plate

Open Arms (Md Thameem up), winner of  T Doughall Memorial Plate (Div I) being led in by trainer Sydney Moses

Adamile (Aslam Kader up), winner of Mysore 2000 Guineas, being led in by trainer Darius Byramji

DARIUS BYRAMJI trained Adamile who had failed as an overwhelming favourite in the Mysore 1000 Guineas made amends in the Bettagere Estates 2000 Guineas in convincing fashion on Saturday (September 23) giving room for suspicision that her last run was not true to merits and that her defeat at the hands of Starry Scene had to be taken with a pinch of salt.

However, jockey Aslam Kader felt that Adamile's defeat last time was due to the fact that she was interfered by Symphony of Fire who took the favourite out while trainer Darius believed that Aslam had made his move much earlier that he should have  which prevented him from exploiting the filly's dash to the hilt.

In the 2000 Guineas, perhaps everything went according to plan though the Byramji group was more optimistic of The Music Man's chances. Despite Adamile's defeat at the hands of Starry Scene, the former opened as an on money favourite while the latter was available at fives and over and the bookmakers expectation was right as Admile pipped The Music Man at the post and Starry Scene was comprehensively beaten.

In conditions that were not exactly ideal due to persistent rains which had resulted in cuts in the ground, Pesi Shroff who replaced the indisposed Srinath on The Music Man, took the Distinctly North progeny on a start to finish mission, with Starry Scene close in attendence while Adamile was settled behind. Inside the final 350 metres, Starry Scene essayed a strong challenge and it looked as though the latter would gain the upperhand. But Starry Scene failed to quicken even as The Music Man resolutely fought to maintain his lead. In the meanwhile, Aslam brought Adamile on the wide outside and the Razeen progeny quickened well to go past the front-runner on the post, to spare half a length at the finish. Starry Scene was further two lengths behind the runner-up while Appeaser was an improved fourth. Royal Satin ran below expectations when finishing sixth while Refresher who was not expected to stay the trip well, took the fifth spot. Jockey Shroff coughed up a fine of Rs 2,000 for excessive use of whip which unfortunately of late has become quite the norm.

The races which was originally scheduled to be held on Friday were shifted to Saturday morning due to Mysore bandh and the races did not run kindly for the punters who were at the receiving end right through. The trend was set by Money Spinner, trained by Sriram Komandur, who won at fancy odds, the opener, from another ank outsider Atlantic Star. One does not remember when trainer Sriram saddled his last winner and it was not a surprise that  the gelding's chances were not considered to be good by all and sundry including the horse's own connections.

Appleby was one of those strongly fancied horses to win in convincing fashion from Chantenay and Franco Leone apart from Golden Goal who resumed his winning ways with an emphatic win in the Margrove Estate Gold Cup, a race for horses rated 30 to 45. Hong Kong Boy played second fiddle, with Mayfair finishing third. Now that Golden Goal has come to winning form, the Twist And Turn progeny can be expected to repeat.

The lesser fancied High Clarity who had run some forward races during the Summer season won at the expense of fancied Telegram who has been a let down thus far. Fancied Acceptor proved to be pretty run-of-the-mill and it won't be a surprise if this Razeen progeny is sent away to Calcutta during the winter season.

Rashid Byramji trained Haynes Park who was well placed in scales, made her first run at this centre a winning one, with a tremendous stretch run which put paid to the hopes of the front-running Blue Ridge. Top-weighted Imperial Scholar who came in for spirited betting was in the reckoning but veered out under pressure. The weight and the going told on this six-year old. Holy Heights who has been pretty consistent, ran third.

It was difficult to spot the winner in the Ashok Kumar Memorial Gold Cup, with odds on the fancied ones going up in a trice and that of Surge of Power coming down by default. In the event, it came as no surprise when rank outsider Sea Diver won at the expense of another long shot Simon, with Jersey Lightning who is surprisingly being campaigned over a sprint when he would enjoy a step up in distance, finishing  third with a late effort.

The odds on Poise too drifted out suggesting that this Dominic ward was not a serious trier but fortunately for the punters, Beauchamp King, who had some support in the betting  ring, just about managed to win by a whisker from long shot Flying Scot.

THURSDAY's races ran relatively kindly for punters. Well fancied Royal Triumph was guided to a convincing win over Our Pedestal in the Baskhi Arepur Basappaji Urs Memorial Gold Cup, a race for horses rated 30 to 45, which featured the day's races. In doing so, jockey Srinath exhausted all his energies and could not fulfill his day's engagements. Srinath who came back after a successful Macau sojourn, had starved to reduced his weight to be able to ride The Music Man in the 2000 Guineas and as a result dehydrated and fell sick. Under the new rules in operation, if a jockey reports sick, he is not eligible to ride for the next 48 hours.

Jockey Appu who had not done anything of note during the earlier races of the day, came good in the last two races, guiding favourite Harry The Horse to an easy win over Paris Lights in the Coorg Plate and Atomic Fusion to victory over  Red Cordon in the Alberetto Plate over 1600 metres. Apprentice jockey Shoban Babu who was astride favourite Argyle Gold could not handle the going and the blinding rain and the Rashid Byramji progeny finished a poor third.

All of Samar Singh's wins during the season have come on long shots. It is not that they have been fancied but they have been merely winning out of turn. Ghunghat who won the Jaganmohana Palace Plate was one such runner who won at the expense of fanacied Special Quest who continued to disappoint.

Ponnappa trained Kilkemy won at fancy odds at the expense of one-eyed Golden Eye and Royal Philosopher, the Shimsha Plate, a race for horses rated 0 to 15. Royal Philosopher could have been the winner had his jockey Rajendra Singh desired. The jockey's blatant attempt to prevent his mount from running on merits resulted in Rajendra Singh being suspended till the end of the season and further reported to the BTC Stewards for further action. Trainer Robert Foley was slapped a hefty fine of Rss 20,000.

Inayathulla trained Silver Touch who had advertised her preparedness to win a race, duly won, getting the measure of Silk Petals and Nearco Prince. Set Aside who had let down her supporters last time out, won quite capably in the hands of Pesi Shroff who wisely chose to traverse the course on the harder surface about six to seven horses wide off the fence. Ride With Pride and Royal Emperor were the market fancied but they found the conditions going against them. Soviet Bay was a suggestive second.

Sydney Moses trained Open Arms decided to put his best foot forward contrary to the instructions that may have been conveyed to him by his masters and as such, the returns on him were spectacular. Favourite Casino Ace looked like justifying the support but Open Arms dragged himself to victory.

Avocation's victory was taken for granted but the got-abroad, after going clear inside the final 200 metres, perceptibly slowed down even as Queen's Ransom came menacingly close. However, the lead that jockey Shroff had established over Queen's Ransom stood the favourite in good stead.

Harry The Horse (Appu up), winner of  Coorg Plate, being led in by trainer Zareer Darashah

Royal Triumph (Y S Srinath up), winner of Bakshi Arepur Basappaji Urs Memorial Gold Cup, being led in by trainer Puttanna and joint owner owner Mrs Suman Puri


Ghunghat (Md Hesnain up), winner of Jaganmohana Palace Plate, being led by trainer Samar Singh

Kilkemmy (Afsar up), winner of Shimsha Plate, being  led in by trainer Pradeep Annaiah and owner M A Appaiah

High Clarity (B Prakash up), winner of J Tyrrell Memorial Plate (Div I), being led in by trainer Satish Narredu

Set Aside (Pesi Shroff up), winner of Bookmaers Gold Trophy (Div II) being led in by trainer Rashid Byramji

Sea Diver (J Shukla), winner of B Ashok Kumar Memorial Gold Cup, being led in by trainer Samar Singh

Golden Goal (Rakesh up), winner of Margrove Estate Gold Cup, being led in by trainer Madhu Mangalorkar

Trainer Inayathulla (left) leads in Silver Touch (I Chisty up), winner of  T Dougall Memorial Plate (Div II)