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HILLS OF THE MOON SAW CHISTY AT HIS BEST

By Epsom Ace | 19 Mar 2013 | KOLKATA


Trainer Javed Khan receiving The Treasure Land Cup from Mr H P Ramchandani

It was an afternoon of mixed fortunes for railbirds at the Calcutta racecourse on Tuesday. Though only a single favourite in the form of Bengal King (10-to-8-on) obliged, some smart money came on Hills Of The Moon and Voyager in the last two races of the day, to complete a well-deserved double for trainer Patrick Quinn and leave punters in a happy frame of mind at the end of the day.

In the mile race for The Turf Hawk Handicap, Imran Chisty atop Hills Of The Moon rode a great race from the outset. In his previous outing, Hills Of The Moon was knocked out of his stride at the starting gates as Rise Above jumped out askew from two berths adjacent to him. A similar fate would have awaited her today, had Chisty not been alert. The ante-post favourite Glorious Song with raw apprentice JK Prasad astride very nearly repeated what Rise Above did but fortunately for backers of Hills Of The Moon, Chisty reacted quickly and moved his mount away from the ‘troubled zone’.

He then settled the five-year-old mare along the rails in the rear of the field and kept her in touch with the field till heads turned for home. Thereafter, he weaved his way down the centre of the track through a  wall of runners to ultimately win running away from runner-up Scarlatti and a late finishing Glorious Song.

Earlier Chisty had piloted the piping hot favourite Bengal King (Royal Gladiator-Classic Ten) from Shafiq Khan’s yard to a regulation triumph in the upper division of the Gurkirpal Handicap after Lantana Lady had threatened to steal the thunder mid-way up the straight. He once again chose the rails astride the top-weight and squeezed through before the runners ahead of him could close the opening.

Jockey Shailesh Shinde showed great enterprise to notch up a double for himself on a difficult afternoon and maintain his lead at the top of the jockeys’ championship table. In the lower division of the Gurkirpal Handicap, though his mount Jamaican (Lucifer Sam-Spanish Whispers) took the turn seven wide, the Bharath Singh-trained colt quite easily overhauled the half-money public choice Self Directed.

Shinde completed his brace with hat-trick horse Voyager in the day’s final event, The Moon Emperor Handicap. The second favourite by Razeen out of Naseem E Fajr was maintained in third slot by Shinde while the favourite Lady Ship called the shots. It was only after heads turned for home that Shinde put his mount into top gear and he won rather impressively once again.

The sole cup event of the afternoon, The Treasure Land Cup, saw rookie apprentice Jorawar Singh break out of the maiden ranks astride Petaloid. The favourite Alicante (Chisty up) came from an outside draw and tried her best to get on even terms with the front-runner but the Javed Khan ward kicked on under the apprentice’s urgings.

Jorawar’s was the second whip-less apprentice mount to win during the afternoon as in the opening event Md Azharuddin, had rather competently guided Daniel David’s Passport to victory over Eternal Instinct. The on-money public choice Benjamin was never in the race.

Trainer Christopher Gleich and jockey Melvyn Maseyk combined fruitfully to ensure victory for Knight Of The Realm (8/1) in the Sunray Handicap. Under Maseyk’s urgings, the five-year-old by Royal Kingdom out of Our Way got up to get the better of runaway Charlie Cool close home. Fancied trio Burst Of Stardust, Victorian Vice and Pablo Neruda failed to make the frame in a nine-horse field.

Christopher Alford recorded his sole winner of the day astride cousin Rutherford-trained Head Hunter who was surprisingly available at 5/1. The gelding by Emerald Cat out of Flying Rani brought home the bacon for the Alford family as the favourite Legends Order failed to make any impression in the straight. The challenge came from Ice Fantasy along the rails.