Winning a Classic is not just about having a horse of caliber. It takes meticulous preparation coupled with a good strategy in place. The jockey, then, has to ensure he implements the pre-race plan and leaves minimum to chance, as in - the luck of the race.

B Sreekanth, who partnered Maple Star (Mull of Kintyre – Sonic Symphony), a Capricorn Stud Farm produce, was ecstatic as he managed to do just that and get every bit out of Maple Star to outlast and outpace her rivals to win the prestigious  Indian Oaks (Gr1) on Sunday.

Maple Star shot out of the gates the quickest of the dozen and headed the bunch briefly before Songlark took over as they swung away from the stands to take the first turn. They galloped at a restrained pace and in a close bunch. Vijays Pride raced in the mid-bunch and Showin’Off chose to stay off the pace in the rear.

Jockey B Sreekanth made a bold move when he deliberately took Maple Star ahead of Songlark with 1000 meters still to go. This could have been the turning point. 

Sreekanth cleverly increased the pace and entered the straight with a handy lead. He had already alerted Maple Star and now set about sustaining her momentum all the way up the long Mumbai straight. Maple Star obliged and how! She simply galloped with giant strides keeping her opponents at bay, maintaining just under two lengths coming into the final furlong. A few rhythmically timed cracks with the whalebone ensured that there was no last moment disappointment as Maple Star kicked on to stay comfortably ahead at the all important post. The one to progress with a bit of dazzle was Song Dynasty. She flew towards the end and did extremely well to peg back Vijays Pride who too was in full flight.

Vijays Pride on her part, was graceful in defeat. She surfaced from the rear end of the mid-bunch to show sparks of brilliance midway in the straight. She covered a lot of ground and definitely raised hopes at one point, however, Maple Star had chosen the occasion to dish out her best. Song Dynasty too gave off her best, but fell short by a little over a length to make it count. Of course, the runner-up title was a just consolation for an over-par performance. Halle did her connections proud as few expected her to figure in the frame. She didn’t really progress much, as she stayed in the fourth position right through. To her credit, she fought on bravely to earn her place in the frame. Showin’Off improved positions going up quite a few notches, but did not really make an impact on the top four.

Maple Star presented her owner Dr MAM Ramaswamy with a personal land mark of three-in-a-row Oaks trophies. He had won the Bangalore Oaks (Gr2) with Snow Bird (Oath – X Factor) on January 5^th, followed up with Simply Stylish (Steinbeck – Silken Star) the very next day at Hyderabad bagging the Golconda Oaks (Gr 2) and completed a fine hat-trick with Maple Star in the Indian Oaks (Gr1).

“The run of success has been a good one and I pleased with the successes, The Indian Oaks, in particular stands out. Both Maple Star and Simply Stylish, I thought were competitive runners. Simply Stylish had the tougher task after having won over the distance and travelled to Mumbai. Maple Star was fresh and at home. I feel she had a bad day in the Indian Guineas, but her latest workout was reasonable good. She proved she had the class and won it comfortably,” Dr MAM Ramaswamy told indiarace over the phone. When asked about the ploy to race up in front, he said, “Yes it was a collective thought that she might do better if she raced from the front. I told Sreekanth to hit the front soon on start, but to stay second if he had to, in case someone else took it up early. He did just that and fortunately it worked out well”.

I caught up with Sreekanth and he was visibly gleeful. “We had given a lot of thought and had had several discussions on the possibilities for this particular race. Maple Star had the class in her, but somehow she was not performing to potential this season. I had a good feel on her in the Indian 1000 Guineas, but when she was crowded in that race, she seemed to shy away and duck out of competition. Boss (Dr MAM Ramaswamy) suggested we race her up in the front. He told me to take the lead or follow the leader closely. We split up, Simply Stylish was at the rear end and I sat up front. When Songlark tired, I took it up and Maple Star at that stage was going fresh and with a lot in the tank. I knew she had more to give even after turning the final bend. I raced away stretching her forward and she rose to the occasion picking up speed and that left a lot of catching up for the others to do. No one did and Maple Star had finally performed to potential. This is a memorable moment for us,” said jockey Sreekanth.

Karthik Ganapathy’s chubby cheeks were even more puffed up as his smile was ever prominent.  “I am too happy to express my feelings in words and relieved as well, ” said Karthik. “I was worried with Maple Star’s ordinary performances coming into this one, but her latest work display and her body language in the stable did raise some hopes. In fact she had suffered a minor setback just days before the Indian 1000 Guineas. That had affected her work regimen and she missed out on a couple of crucial work routines. She was not ideally keyed for the Guineas. However, post that race, Maple Star picked up well and there were no further glitches in her preparation. She was feeling fine and had come on in her fitness. I had my fingers crossed all the way once she took the lead. Both Sreekanth and Maple Star were brilliant in the homestretch. It is not easy to carry on over the long Mumbai straight. This is indeed a special moment,” said Karthik.

Asked what this meant to him, Karthik added, “It is the greatest and most memorable moment of my career, my life. Boss has a long list of Classic winners and I am so glad and proud to have made it to that illustrious list. To lead in an Indian Classic, my first Group 1 race, that too in the presence of my father (S Ganapathy) was something I always used to wish for. It was a moment of great pride & joy. After all, I have learnt so much from him. This surely is the best achievement of my life and I will cherish this as long as I live. It’s also great motivation to work harder and seek such glories more often. ”

For Dr MAM Ramaswamy this was Classic conquest no 561. His last Indian Classic win though, came with Sweeping Success in 2008. Maple Star was the star of the day indeed. If the connections opt to give her a chance to take a crack at the Indian Derby, she would be a late entry. This year’s Derby then, still wears an open look with Maple Star most likely to jump into the fray. Song Dynasty too showed a lot of spark which speaks a lot about her staying ability. The boys – An Acquired Taste and co better beware!