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Controversy erupts at Sunday’s races
By Chris Hoover | 27 Jun 2004 | BANGALORE
Fly The Fury (Surajnarredu up) winner of the Juvenile Sprinters' Million (Grade III)
Controversy reared its ugly head at the Bangalore Turf Club on Sunday. It was no way to treat a fellow jockey, nothwithstanding the fact that it was a woman in this case. The concluding event of the day witnessed the usual hustling and jostling, which has been an unchecked feature at this centre. The errant jockeys have been getting away with paltry fines. But this time it went a bit too far.
Jockey Silva Storai, astride Samyuktaa was brought down by the Harish-ridden Chapman’s Peak and R.K. Mahesh piloted Lucky Spell. However, she escaped with minor injuries. The seldom used yellow cone, which signals a Stewards enquiry, was raised to enquire into the unwanted episode. In a bold and justified move, the Stewards disqualified the winner Chapman’s Peak and the fourth-placed Lucky Spell. An enquiry has been opened into the riding style of both the jockeys. Harish has been charged with dangerous riding, while Mahesh has with foul riding.
The vigilance needs to be strengthened, so that such elements who thrive on others miseries can be checked and dealt with sternly. The life and limbs of the jockeys and the horses are at stake here. Winning maybe paramount but never at the cost of putting the opposition at a disadvantage. The sport is about giving every single horse an equal chance to win. As this is the Sport of Kings, crass behaviour and underhand tactics should never be tolerated.
Incidentally, Rajesh Babu, the rider of the second placed Black Cat, who was declared the winner was also fined Rs 3000 by the stipendary stewards for repeatedly changing course in the last 200 metres. The stipes however did not find the inward and outward running of Black Cat, to have triggered off the commotion.
The Juvenile Sprinters’ Million (Grade III), the feature event of the day, saw the Padmanabhan-trained Fly The Fury (Diffident-Ensenada) with Suraj Narredu in the saddle, take the plum event in fluent style. In only her second start of her career, the three-year old filly, when asked for an effort at 300 metre, quickened nicely to leave the opposition in contention only for the minor placings. With Star Qualities fading out, the other Byramji ward Gaslight (David Badel astride), which had a hampered passage, took second place ahead of the fast finishing Polar Force. Probably, had jockey Ruzaan not dropped his whip 100 metres from the winning post, the Ganapathy-trainee Polar Force might have run the winner close.
Darius Byramji-schooled Adesina, full sister to the game performer River God, stamped her class with a resounding victory in the opening event of the day in a smart timing of 1:27.14. She should go from strength to strength from here on.
Favourite, Formidable Force was hanging in on the rails and jockey Prakash could not be of any aid to the horse, while Irfan Ghatala’s Faustino, making his debut, took the second place ahead of the favourite. Netstar from Arjun Mangalorkar’s stables recorded her second victory, keeping Limitations at bay in the upper division of the M. Ali Asker Memorial Plate. The enthusiastic approach of the jockey on the third placed Amber Prince might have gone unnoticed. Apprentice Sk Sharookh astride the Samar Singh-trainee was seen whipping his mount even after passing the winning post.
The Mumbai based apprentice R.K. Mahesh seems to be a habitual offender, while he was pulled up by the stipes for his riding on his mount Everblazing in the first division of the Skyline Plate. An enquiry has been opened against the apprentice for interfering with the Christopher Alford piloted Annakita.
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