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Snowscape Uncorks a Champagne Performance

By Epsom Ace | 21 Jan 2012 | KOLKATA


Mr.D. Khaitan, Mr. Subir Dasgupta & trainer Vijay Singh leading Snowscape (C Alford) Winner of The Indian Champagne Stakes

Trainer Vijay Singh’s Snowscape (China Visit-Snow Tiger) proved that he is a champion in the making with a scintillating performance to lift the prestigious Indian Champagne Stakes in great style. After being held back in a handy fifth position by Christopher Alford, the colt was shown daylight in the straight and the grey did the rest as he sailed past Silverina without batting an eyelid. Charlemagne finished from the rear of the field to be a fairly good third. On this performance, Snowscape – a property of Mr Deepak Khaitan, is likely to close as the ante-post favourite for the Calcutta Million later in the season.

After losing a certain race last time out, Pesi Shroff-trained Caribbean Queen (Steinbeck-Dazzling Queen) made no mistake on this occasion as she was given a copybook ride by Stephane Pasquier. He never lost sight of El Tropico who tore away from the field in the straight but was overhauled by the ultimate winner about 100 metres from home. The mare hails from the noted stable of Dr Vijay Mallya. The disappointment was the much hyped Special Fx who failed make any impact as she was badly outclassed. Running a Terms race with seasoned Class I sprinters after winning at the bottom of Class II is indeed a tough ask. Daniel Grant may have been declared to measure the potential of the speedster.

The mile race for the SS Bala Memorial Trophy saw the two fancied runners – Two In One and Secrecy, finish fifth and dead last. The race was claimed by eight-year-old Silver Fox (Elusive Pimpernel-Silver Reflet) at mouth-watering odds of 8/1. The pair of four-year-olds appeared to be out of their league.  Secrecy was surprisingly taken to the front of the field as the gates opened and appeared to be used as a pacemaker for her winning stablemate. As for Two In One, she was heavily under the stick from the top of the straight but to no avail.

Vijay Singh’s first winner of the day was Social Network in The Andreno Handicap. The colt was available at cramped odds of 10-to-6-on. The chestnut colt by Black Cash out of Dancin With Bertie showed fluent acceleration in the straight to collar Arabica and win in a smart time.

Penalised 4kg for her earlier win, Bath-trained Manhattan Rain had the added benefit of the Oaks run. She put that ‘track trial’ and the fly-weight to good use as she made every post of the mile race for the racingpulse.in Trophy a winning one in Shezad Khan’s hands. She was available at 4/1. The favourite Cool Cat was a none too impressive fourth while bottom-weight Credit Ease finished a close runner-up.

The Vijay Sicka Memorial Trophy was bagged by the favourite Hadrian (Pennine Ridge-Safe Harem) after staving off a fairly strong challenge from top-weight Girl Of Flowers. The Darius Byramji-trained winner was piloted by Parmar. Front-running Apyrous had a sad luck story as she burst her blood vessels.

The curtain came down with a fairly large gamble on Hundred Pipers coming unstuck. The colt with jockey Chary astride however finished on strongly to be a good second. Bharath Singh-trained Hurricane Star (Hurricane State-Star Illustrious) was taken on a successful start-to-finish mission by Suraj Narredu.