The Goldie Brown silks of Dr.M.A.M.Ramaswamy was back with a bang over the weekend, pulling off an outstanding Oaks double. Snow Bird had lifted the Ladies’ derby at Bangalore on Saturday and it was S.Ganapathy trained Simply Stylish’s turn to keep the flag flying high, on Sunday at Hyderabad. Eight 4 year old fillies had lined up for the Golconda Oaks-Grade II, to run over the customary distance of 2400 metres. Capital Attraction, a winner over 2000 metres in its last run at Mumbai, about three weeks ago, garnered maximum support and was sent into the race as the favourite. Simply Stylish (Steinbeck-Silken Star)having come down from Bangalore had just one win to its credit from a dozen runs.

Into the race, Set Ablaze set a decent pace followed by Supreme, Winjoy, Chiron, Songlark, Capital Attraction, Simply Stylish and Racing Queen. The same order prevailed as they went past the half way mark and Symply Stylish continued to run off the pace, till the top of the straight. Set Ablaze tired out 300 metres from home and Songlark was quick to go to the front. Capital Attraction improved quickly from behind to make her bid. Jockey Imran Chisty had started to get busy on Symply Stylish and the daughter of Steinbeck responded brilliantly to bridge the gap at a rapid pace and sped past Songlark to win by half a length. Capital Attraction finished third two lengths adrift while Chiron filled the frame.

S.S.Attaollahi trained Striking (Multidimensional-Dazzling Skill) lifted the supporting event of the day, the Smt.Teegala Sulochana Reddy memorial Byerly Turk Million-Grade III. Six youngsters faced the starter for the Terms race for 3 year olds to be run over six furlongs sprint distance. Striking had come down from Bangalore after an impressive debut victory and was fancied strongly to win the million. Striking took a good jump from draw one and went ahead to the front within the first 200 metres. Palm Springs tracked the leader all the way into the final run and when asked to quicken, did not have enough in her to get to Striking.

S.S.Faisal Hassan schooled Fairy Emperor (Hymn-Sasken), who had found one better in its two runs, came good under S.John, to win the Hyderabad Juvenile Million. Fairy Emperor was held back to run a close last till the final bend and on moving into the last 400 metres, jockey S.John steered his mount through the field and slipped in along the inner fence to race past Vijays Triumph in the last 50 metres. Coral Springs, Galiat and Ice Barrier rushed in late to finish in that order in a close finish behind Vijays Triumph.

Visiting jockey Imran Chisty rode a double including the big one of the day, while the leading saddle artist P.S.Chouhan completed a treble. Jockey S.John was the only other professional to score a double.

The hero of the day, Imran Chisty, had started off the day with a win on L.D’Silva trained Ocean Side (Noverre-Maratha Princess) in thehigher division of the Roman Beauty Plate. Racing on the haunches of Ashok Chakra till entering the home stretch, Ocean Side moved alongside and the two fought out the last furlong before Leo’s ward surged forward in the last 50 metres. Sweety Girl covered ground towards the finish to be the runner-up.

L.V.R.Deshmukh trained Vijayshaurya (Trade Fair-Troppa Freska)justified the cramped odds in the Raja Bahadur Venkatram Reddy Memorial Cup. P.S.Chouhan had Vijayshaurya in second behind El Paso till the last 800 metres and moved ahead to get to the front. On the home stretch Vijayshaurya showed plenty of stamina and kicked on to win comfortably. Stable mate Mystical Knight finished on to be the runner-up, while the rest were many lengths behind.

The other two winners of P.S.Chouhan were Over Shadow and Azaiba. Donald Netto trained Over Shadow (Royal Gladiator-Shadow Dancing), going over seven furlongs for the first time, was ridden out by Chouhan to stay ahead of the late onslaught of Any Given Time and Symbol of Beauty towards the closing stages, to score an encore in the Salarjung Cup. Our Mascot failed to keep pace after raising hopes in the last 200 metres and faded out to finish fourth.

The 4 year old Azaiba (Rebuttal-Queen Consort) from the stables of Srinivas Reddy was given a hard ride by Chouhan to nail Prince of Arabia on the last stride of the Roman Beauty Plate, the concluding race of the day. Prince of Arabia was on a start to finish bid with a lead of over two lengths near the distance marker. Azaiba was beginning to get closer with every stride and jockey Imran Chisty on the ‘Prince’ was also in full flow to keep the advantage. The two went past the winning post locked together and the result went in favour of Azaiba. Reddy’s ward had managed to get her second succesive win by a short head.

S.John piloted K.S.V.Prasad Raju’s Commanche Gold (Black Cash-Little Cindrella) to complete an encore in the lower division of the Banarsilal Gupta Memorial Cup. Racing in about fourth position on entering the last 400 metres, Commanche Gold rushed to take the inner path when Betty Prior went ahead near the distance post and stretched out impressively. Chemeli was third another 4 ½ lengths adrift.

M.Sathyanarayana’s Speed Striker (Hymn-Slam Strike) won the higher division with a long stretched run inside the last 300 metres. Ashleen State was on a start to finish bid, with Speed Striker loitering in second last position even as the field of ten entered the straight for the final run. Jockey M.F.Ali Khan brought out Speed Striker to make a move on the extreme outside and the 5 year old gelding galloped resolutely to speed past every horse in front and spare a length at the finish. Ice Rain rushed along the rails to take the second place ahead of Kathakali and Ashleen State in a close finish among them.