Proof (Burden of Proof-Florale) from the stables of R.H.Sequeira trounced its thirteen rivals in the A.P.Commemoration Cup, which featured the opening day’s races of the winter season at Hyderabad. Racing action returned to Malakpet with the new winter season starting off. The races were however run on the monsoon track as the rains over the last few days rendered the winter track not conducive for racing.

Plenipotent was backed to the exclusion of the other runners in the race. Deshmukh’s trainee seems to have lost his zest after being used as a pace maker in the monsoon classics. Windsor Manor surged ahead early in the race to lead the field. Rounding the final bend, Windsor Manor shifted left and Proof, who was close behind, grabbed the wide gap along the rails and shot through to establish a clear lead. Windsor Manor drifted further inside the last furlong and managed to hold on to the second position in a cluster with Vendetta, Melody Queen, Plenipotent, Kuchipudi and Vijay’s Conquer. A Steward’s enquiry was ordered into the running of the race and the Stewards decided to disqualify Windsor Manor. Vendetta was declared the runner-up in the revised order while Melody Queen and Plenipotent moving up to take the third and fourth spot respectively.

Ananth Vatsalya’s Nano Belle (Eljohar-Blue Blaze) won the Beginner’s Plate, a five furlongs sprint for the new lot of youngsters. Five of them, all fillies had lined up for the race and Nano Belle emerged the best of the lot. Vatsalya’s filly started off at even money and drifted out to 7-4 during race time. After a level jump from the gates by all the five, Nano Belle surged to lead the field and kept kicking on in the straight to win with ease. Amazon Princess started to drift out in the last 300 metres and the rider was a bit harsh on the ‘baby’, giving her half a dozen hard cracks, to finish second.

P.S.Chouhan kick started his winter campaign with a double through Desert Bloom and Ring of Fire. M.Srinivas Reddy’s Desert Bloom (Hymn-Apache Star) scored a facile win in the opening race, the lower division of the Nagarjuna Sagar Plate. Desert Bloom was quick at start and went to the front but was passed by Laughing Eyes within the first furlong. Into the final straight, Laughing Eyes came in first and started to tire out fast. Chouhan worked his way on Desert Bloom and the 3 year old filly, sporting the colours of Col.S.B.Nair scuttled ahead to pick up her maiden win. Golden Dash and Fortunate finished second and third respectively, in a close finish.

Ring Of Fire (Danehill Star-Arikana) brought more laurels to Deshmukh’s stables, extending her unbeaten streak to four, in the Appeaser Plate. Pavan and Crown Castle battled for the lead early with Bribe Madi, Sea Runner and Ring of Fire racing almost in a line about two lengths behind. Approaching the last 400 metres, Ring of Fire shot through the front runners and drew away from the field under Chouhan, to score a resounding victory. Stylish Chieftan got up to beat Bribe Madi for the runner-up berth.


The 6 year old Queen Of Habashe (Kly Green-Machiavelli), whose last win was exactly two years ago, went on a start to finish bid in the Deccan Star Cup and scraped through to earn a much needed win for the trainer S.S.Faisal Hassan. Winning Strides and Palace Affairs started to bridge the lead that Queen of Habashe had established and got closer with every stride in the last 100 metres but the winning post came to the rescue of the ‘Queen’.

Rajkumari (Rebuttal-Kabubina) from D.Netto’s stables, a hat trick, a year ago, had failed to reproduce that form in since then. Bouncing back, Rajkumari led all the way from the start to the finish, in the higher division of the Welcome Plate. Vijay Kiran, who was tracking the ‘Princess’ all the way, tried to put pressure passing the distance post but Rajkumari accelerated readily and extended the margin. Any Given Time was withdrawn after being troublesome near the gates.

L.D’Silva trained Prince Of Arabia (Epicentre-Ice Castle), who had found one better on three occasions during the monsoon, came up triumphant in the higher division of the Nagarjuna Sagar Plate. The 3 year old gelding went ahead near the 800 metres marker after tracking Sprint Saloni and made every post a winning one from thereon. Hidden Power and Kohinoor Vikrant were ridden all out, in the last 200 metres but they had to settle for the second and third places respectively.

The most exciting finish of the day was in the concluding race, the lower division of the Welcome Plate. Three runners, Kohinoor Pride, Twentyfivepips and the favourite Precisely That, headed for a close finish, all three trying to out beat the other in the last 100 metres. Twentyfivepips, who finished in the money in most of its runs, after its win in December last year, managed to edge out Precisely That and Kohinoor Pride.