The Hyderabad Winter Season 2013-14 started off on Sunday with a card of eight races. Hyderabad had received good rains during the last month and the monsoon track being good, the authorities decided to run the first four days of the Winter season on this track. With the Invitational Racing weekend to be held at Hyderabad at the end of the season in March 2014, this move will help in preserving the winter track for the big event.

The A.P.Commemoration Cup, a seven furlongs race for horses in the highest category featured the opening day’s card. Laxman Singh trained Naughty Gal (European-Gaslight), who had finished second to Marquise as a favourite, in its last run during the monsoon season, made amends with a pillar to post win in this race. The speedy filly Naughty Gal broke into the lead at start and built on it to be clear by over four lengths as they took the turn. Qinghuangdao, who tracked the leader till then, tired out on coming into the straight. Santa Minica moved to be second and Chal Bhai Chal started to bridge the gap on the wide outside. Naughty Gal played ‘catch me if you can’ under apprentice S.S.Tanwar even as Chal Bhai Chal began to get closer and went past the winning post by a comfortable length. Santa Monica finished third ahead of the favourite Super Duper.   

Trainer K.S.V.Prasad Raju was the only professional to score a double, wrapping up both the divisions of the Srinivasa Sadagopa Sharma Memorial Cup. Golden Missile (Gaswar-Blue Sonata) justified the short price en-route to her maiden win in the division I. Goldie who has been running game races set out in front followed by Spirited, Moko Moko Moko and Golden Missile. Approaching the last 600 metres Golden Missile rallied on the outside to be a close second. Inside the last 400 metres Golden Missile moved alongside Goldie and surged past easily and extended the margin to three lengths.

Go For Gold (Rebuttal-Noorain) scored an encore in the lower division. The 3 year old daughter of Rebuttal was also the popular choice, sent into the race as an ‘odds on’ favourite. True Friend called the shots, tracked closely by Montauk and Go For Gold in third. Into the final straight Go For Gold was alighted to the task on the outside and when the rider P.Sai Kumar gave a couple of taps the filly responded readily to flash past the two in front and emerge clear. Nano Dame beat True Friend for the second place. Montauk finished fourth. 

The opening race was five furlongs dash for two year old freshers which drew five of them. Among those, S.A.Shehzad Abbas schooled Carlton (Diffident-Celestrella), the property of Dr.& Mrs.Vijay Mallya and K.Satheesh trained Bouncer were the only two in the market with the first named going strong at 10-9 ‘on’, as against 2-1 offered on the other. Bouncer hit the front early and brought the field into view on the home stretch. Carlton tracked the leader all the way till entering the straight and improved readily to move alongside. Passing the distance post Carlton headed past Bouncer with jockey A.Ashhad Asbar not having to exert any pressure and stretched out easily to open its account commendably. Bouncer should benefit by this run and will be worth a wager when raced next. Racing Ikon was a faraway third.

Both the two divisions of the Moment of Glory Plate produced close finishes. Rank outsider from K.Satheesh’s stables a win from Macintosh on the last stride in the higher division I. Both the 3 year old fillies were maidens at start and were available at longer odds. Macintosh set the pace from the start and was looking good with a furlong left from home. Trustful galloped strongly run to join the front runner near the distance marker. Macintosh was in no mood to surrender the lead and kept kicking on but with the forceful riding of B.Dileep Trustful just managed to have her nose in front at the wire. Royal Opportunity and Blue Diamond finished third and fourth respectively. The top three fancied runners, Icelandic, Arriviste and Most Impressive were never in the hunt and finished off the judge’s frame. Time For Smile was a non-starter in the race.

Raging favourite Flower Drum (Juniper-Brazilia) put in a sustained effort to get the better of longshot Silver Arnage on the last stride and score an encore. Architect was troublesome near the gates and was withdrawn reducing the field to thirteen. Flower Drum also offered stiff resistance but went in finally. Silver Arnage led the field from the start and came into the straight chased by Paying Guest and Sprint Saloni. Inside the last 200 metres Silver Arnage continued to hold the advantage. Flower Drum improved from around the fifth position and got stronger with Bel Ami also putting in a strong effort on the outside. The two of them bridged the gap that Silver Arnage had established, at a rapid pace and S.S.Faisal Hassan’s Flower Drum under M.Mark managed to pull it off in the shadow of the winning post. Bel Ami finished third another half a length behind. Paying Guest ended up fourth.

M.V.Narayana Rao trained Hidden Power (Mull of Kintyre-Cozumel) ran on strongly inside the last 200 metres to win the lower division of the Welcome Plate. Pacific Star was driven to the front quickly after the start and the filly set out on a start to finish mission. Into the straight Big Boss tried to get closer but found the leader speedy. Hidden Power in about fifth position as they rounded the final turn improved gradually to get to second with 300 metres left and with jockey Dashrath Singh riding out hard, the 4 year old filly galloped well to surge past Pacific Star and draw away to spare two lengths at the finish. Mr Glorious and Big Boss filled the frame in that order. The favourite Secret Angel stayed with the front bunch till the top of the straight and faltered out without giving a fight.

T.Srinagesh trained Twentyfivepips (Young Senor-Okati Okati Okati) which had missed a win narrowly on the last day of the monsoon season came good to score over its dozen rivals in the higher division. Kohinoor Supreme on a start to finish bid shifted left as they entered the final straight. Twentyfivepips readily took the gap along the inside and slipped in to the lead. Street Magic came charging in the last 100 metres but found the winner hard to catch and settled for the runner-up berth. Any Given Time and Prince Prashant filled the frame. Azaiba was a non starter in the race.