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Star Admiral wins but shows no progress
By Sharan Kumar | 13 Nov 2004 | BANGALORE
Trainer S Ganapathy receiving the Kunigal Trophy from Mr. Ramakrishanan
Ganapathy’s flag-bearer Star Admiral edged out Gaslight to lift the Kunigal Trophy on Saturday but failed to impress. The son of Placerville Star Admiral had run consistently and placed in graded races in summer without picking any race. With the stable having high hopes on him in the Indian classics, Star Admiral was expected to show out in this preparatory run but notwithstanding the fact that he was less than 100 per cent fit, he did not show any improvement over his previous performance. He has remained where he was. In fact, Romantic Fire’s close third was suggestive of greater improvement.
Surely on the evidence of this run, Romantic Fire who was conceding weight to all his adversaries will be in the thick of things in the Guineas. Blurr ran true to her form when finishing fourth but considering the poor quality of fillies that will be in the fray for the 1000 Guineas, she can still make her mark. Her lack of speed is her undoing over shorter trips.
Star Admiral came in for big support in the ring and the optimism was not misplaced. Gaslight who was well placed in scales shaped like a winner as he had the measure of the front-running Romantic Fire in the final furlong but Star Admiral, who took time to get into his stride, came up with a spirited run to snatch the verdict close home. Star Admiral was `hanging out’ but once Prakash got him on an even keel, the favourite thundered home. Blurr who was beaten for
speed was fourth.
Havana Goodtime had the credentials to win the Krishnaraja Trophy but she needed a slice of luck to achieve the same. Ministrel Heights who had done the job of a pace-maker at the Mysore classics was the firm favourite because of his blazing workouts but the Placerville progeny finished a tame third. Havana Goodtime, who was well placed to strike at the top of the straight, got going on the wide outside even as friendless Explosivo came up with a lightning run in the middle. Jockey Jagadeesh failed to anticipate Ministrel Heights shifting out and he had to violently switch Explosivo to the rails despite which the got-abroad gelding came up with a spirited run. Both Havana Goodtime and Explosivo fought out the final 100 metres with the former getting the verdict in a thrilling finish. One Magic Moment failed to get a striking position and her problems were further compounded by apprentice jockey Ashwin Rao not being alert to the pace picking up and dropped out from a favourable position. In the straight, he had to wait for most of the runners to pass him before switching her on the outside to get her into stride. All this ensured that One Magic Moment could not even come to the fighting line.
Appu, who rode Havana Goodtime, had earlier in the day, driven out Cartouche to victory over on-money favourite Gatling. Gatling who had failed to oblige as a favourite at Mysore, was quoted at very cramped odds and the son of Glory of Dancer, after going to the front, slackened close home, enabling Cartouche to catch up with him in the dying moments of the race. Nothing seems to be going right for the Byramjis.
In the day’s opener, Royal Strider cornered all the support but the first timer after raising hopes, was done in by the finishing burst of Turbo Shot. There was support for Star Craft but he packed up without a trace when the race was on the boil. Bumper Prize came up with an impressive stretch run to take the third spot.
Galaxy Star won at the expense of late-finishing favourite Zamindar in the 1600 metres B N Puttalingarajau Memorial Plate. Prakash took Galaxy Star on a start to finish mission and the four-year old filly stretched out well to win quite capably. Zamindar, who was none too well placed vis-à-vis the second favourite, came home with a spirited run but found the winning post coming too soon. Zamindar will be too good to miss next time out. Dramatic Heights was a fair third.
Clarentia got due reward for consistency as the five-year old mare easily had the measure of front-running `Candramala in the final furlong. Pay The Price who was off to a poor start finished third while Classic Destiny who was expected to run well, was withdrawn at the gates as she refused to be stalled. Diamond Tops’ tantrums resulted in jockey Prithviraj getting injured and she too was a non-starter. In the day’s other action, Zabdiel finally obliged at the expense of Royal Prose.
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