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Fly By Wire Lands Safely

By Mirror Image | 21 Dec 2009 | HYDERABAD


Trainer L V R Deshmukh leading Fly By Wire (Stephen Carson Up) Winner of The Baile Lalith Pershad Memorial Cup

Fly By Wire put up his best performance, while winning the Baile Lalith Pershad Memorial Cup, the main event on Monday at Hyderabad. Jockey Stephen Carson took the Vittal Deshmukh trainee to the front on entering the straight and opened a useful gap of over three lengths. The favourite Copertina travelled towards the rear for most part of the mile trip and made her move along the rails. The filly was a bit sluggish on the straight taking some time to raise a gallop and by the time she responded the winning post was there to the rescue of Fly By Wire. Nano War finished third after racing towards the rear, till midway up the straight. The change in her racing patterns was observed by the stipes and they have opened an enquiry into the running and riding of Nano War.

After Fly By Wire scored an upset in the opening race, the trend continued till the penultimate race, with fancied runners taking a backseat. Only two first favourites obliged in a card of nine races. Trainer Leo D’Silva, who has come back to his winning ways, scored a treble with Irishman, Duran Fentiman, astride two of them. The 15 to one shot, Crown Prince, was the first winner for Leo. Ridden by Deep Shanker, who is back to his roots after a stint as a work jockey in the United Kingdom, Crown Prince produced a powerful run to pass the field and win the higher division of the Malvado Plate. The 10-4 ‘on-money’ favourite, Commanding Heights packed off after a prominent run till the distance post. Rio Grande was hampered for a clear run, first by Caladium, who was veering in and later by the stable mate, Crown Prince.

Acciaccatura and Accordion were the other two wins of D’Silva. Both the winners were ridden with great aplomb by Jockey Duran Fentiman. The higher division was a handicapper’s delight, with the first seven places covered within two and a half lengths. Acciaccatura kept improving throughout the straight and thwarted the late challenge of Classic One towards the finish. Superfluous, Palace Affairs, Ruby Rouge, Irish Intellect and Habituated finished in that order, behind the first two, within one length.

Accordion who looked to be beaten, 50 metres from home, after being hampered for room, came up with a rerun to beat A Fire Work. Fentiman did not lose his cool after he almost got chopped off by A Fire Work, checked and pulled his mount on the outside and made a rerun to come and win the lower division of the Twin Cities Cup. Al Malawi and Anguna took the minor placing.

Young Trainer Faisal Hassan successfully pulled out a quite gamble in the lower division of the Meghalaya Plate. Positioned well early in the race, Splendid Act shot ahead on entering the straight and won convincingly. The public choice, Lone Ranger, who was found to be hanging on the straight, finished second ahead of Secret Command and Allukhas.

Satheesh and Imran combined to complete a double. While the win of Part Time Lover in the lower division of the Malvado Plate was an upset, Play Zone scored a popular win in the concluding race. Part Time Lover opened a three-length lead on jumping out and led throughout. The two lengths advantage over Ashleen State in the final furlong helped her hold on by a half, at the finish. The top two market fancies, Merry Maid and Far Beyond, let down a horde of supporters, finishing off the board. Play Zone extended the margin and won with plenty in hand.

Heyden scored an emphatic victory in the higher division of the Twin Cities Cup. Ridden confidently by Shobhan Babu, Heydan moved through the field and accelerated well on the straight.

The persistence of jockey R. Umesh on Secret Asset paid dividends in the Track Lightening Plate. Anemometer had passed the leaders, Grand Party and Krithiman, on the straight and was looking to wrap it up when Umesh brought Secret Asset with a sustained run to claim the race.