The superior fitness of Obligado was what made the difference to the outcome in the Abbey Falls Cup that featured the inaugural day’s racing of the Bangalore Winter Season on Saturday. Glorious Colours who surprised in the Bangalore Derby in summer had all the chances and came close to collaring the front-running Obligado but she ran out of reserves when it mattered the most. The fact that Obligado had run recently at Mysore and hence went into the race fitter than Glorious Colours who was running after more than three months tilted the scales in favour of the son of Indictment. Though Glorious Colours had sufficient groundwork, the lack of a race run was too much of a handicap for the three-year old filly.

Glorious Colours should show a great deal of improvement after this run and should be a front liner for the Bangalore 1000 Guineas should the connections decide to pitch her in place of Fond Fantasy. Glorious Colours has every chance to win the first classic of the season though her style of running suggested that she will be more at home over a staying trip. The influence of Razeen appears to be more pervasive than that of her dam Time And Place who was basically a sprinter and excelled in the Sprinters Classic.

Though Obligado was conceding weight to his adversaries, the son of Indictment was fancied strongly to win as Glorious Colours was thrown at the deep end after a longish break. Royal Force set a reasonable pace, with Obligado in close proximity of the front-runner in about fourth or fifth position along with Glorious Colours. Rounding the final bend, Royal Force packed up and Obligado surged ahead even as Glorious Colours came up with a big run. The manner in which Glorious Colours quickened, it looked as though the daughter of Razeen will sweep past the opposition. However, with Obligado not inclined to give up, there was a battle royale, with Obligado managing to spare a shade less than a length at the finish. Glorious Colours was done in by lack of fitness though her class was clearly evident by this heart-warming performance, which should serve as a good lead race for the fillies’ classic. Augill Castle, who has been fairly consistent, finished third ahead of Double Eagle while Bernstein ran below par. Taipan who racing at the wrong end of the field, dislodged his jockey Khalander after traveling about a furlong from the start.

La Bella Vita who had showed up in her only appearance during the Summer Season, had the best credentials to win the 1200 metres Rajyotsava Cup, the supporting event of the day. The filly was blazing the track and she had plenty of scope to move up in the handicap scale. However, there were more supporters for the other runners like Viking Victor, All Rainbows and Hero Worship. Jockey Silva did well to move up from the outside draw to be in striking second position behind the front-running Dare You Say. La Bella Vita got stronger inside the final 100 metres and managed to wear down the challenge of the front-runner and reached the safety of the winning post even as there was a cavalry charge behind. Ankole finished with a flourish to take the runner up spot ahead of All Rainbows while Dare You Say weakened to finish fourth.

Whenever two horses from the same connections run and two quality jockeys are declared to ride them, the punters are put in a dilemma because it is always the wrong horse which gets more support and conviction under such circumstances becomes difficult. Silken Magic was strongly fancied ahead of Devil’s Own along with Explosivo. It was Devil’s Own who triumphed in the end, with a sustained run on the wide outside to win at the expense of Explosivo who had shaped like a winner after shooting ahead in the final furlong. Silken Magic showed up briefly but was way off the target. Aarthi snatched the third spot with a good stretch run. The lower division of the M M Galstaun Memorial Plate went the way of Padmanabhan trained Centralito who won in tremendous fashion in the hands of Suraj Narredu. The tail-swishing Centralito was not strongly fancied to win as the sprint distance was expected to go against the daughter of Razeen. Titanium cornered all the support but he did not put his best foot forward. Centralito lacked the early speed and was in the rear when the field took the final bend. Magic Music took charge of the proceedings but Narredu who had wisely brought Centralito through the shortest way, managed to squeeze an opening between Magic Music and Samyuktaa. The filly, after being shown the day light, quickened brilliantly and won with a great deal of ease. Surely, Centralito has a great deal of class about her notwithstanding her temperamental behaviour. Her next run will be in the Golconda 1000 Guineas at Hyderabad.

Exuberant who is bred as full sister to the celebrated Classical Act was the overwhelming favourite to win the Cordon Bleu Pleate (Div II). The filly had no difficulty in accounting for Eros Royal Bell in pretty impressive fashion but it is too early to say anything about her classic prospects as she beat a modest lot. Exuberant will next race in the Super Mile at Mumbai and that will give a clue to her potential. The upper division of the race was run in blinding rain and Mohan Valavi kept his record intact of saddling a winner on the opening day of the season when his ward Demanding won in testing conditions. Demanding hit the front from the word `go’ and easily held on to win from favourite No Opposition and fancied Merango.

Amber Prince was backed to the exclusion of his rivals in the concluding race of the day but the son of Dark Nile slackened close home. Amazing Ability, perhaps relishing the conditions and the free use of the whip by Guruprasad, came up with a flourishing run to down the front-runner close home. Michael Eshwer’s Shakalaka Baby who got up just in time to nose out Sensitivity won the season’s opener. Maggie Thatcher flashed on the scene rather late but nevertheless the finishing burst should help her strike early.