Riyasat (Senure – Machrihanish), owned by Mr and Mrs Shapoor Mistry and Dr. Ram Shroff, produced a brilliant turn of foot when it mattered most to win the Indian Oaks in a thrilling finish. Riyasat, trained by C D Katrak, was at the rear end of the field with only Barbara behind her for most of the mile and half trip and jockey Srinath never seemed to mind that. Even as they turned the final bend, Srinath never looked a man in a hurry. Congrats was the one to hit the front as the gates flung open and set a decent pace. Icebreaker sat well up in third while Phenomenale galloped alongside Originality and Attractress in the mid-bunch. Nora was following close behind and Riyasat settled a couple of lengths behind Nora. Congrats escorted them homewards and no sooner than they turned for home, Icebreaker readily took charge and seemed to be going well. David Allan looked well in control and the crowd had just begun cheering the favourite on. Meanwhile, the other popular public fancy Phenomenale was found wanting. She took the turn wide and was not quickening for the final bid. For a fact, Phenomenale never looked comfortable right from the outset. She laboured all through and seemed under duress in the straight. Nora ran a brilliant race and her performance was praiseworthy. She is known to be a temperamental filly and showed what she is capable of when she behaves. She too was off the pace and had a lot left for the final run. On the day, however, Riyasat had just that little bit extra and Nora went down fighting, as did Icebreaker. As they straightened for home, Icebreaker burst on the scene and even marched ahead by a couple of lengths. However, the long Mahalaxmi straight is a testing turf and the one who reserves the best for the last, more often than not, returns triumphant. Read Riyasat. Riyasat could not have asked for a better script. She does not exactly love huddling in a crowd, and the fast initial pace that caused her to settle well off, just behind the bunch, apparently suited her the most. Riyasat was ninth into the straight but powered her way, lighting up approaching the distance post. Nora had just headed Icebreaker who was still battling fiercely. However, in the final furlong, Riyasat came steaming in and easily got past the leader Nora, a good 50 metres from the winning post. She clocked a nippy 2:30 seconds against Velvet Rope’s course record of 2:29.74. Veera Wang, needs a mention as well. She ran well up with the front-runners and sustained until the very end to force her way into the judge’s frame. This was a good show considering that this was her first attempt in a classic! To have edged out reputed campaigners like Attractress, Originality and even Phenomenale speaks loads about her commendable performance. In my live analysis on the Public Address System just before the race, I had mentioned that Riyasat had a Herculean task on hand. Mr. Shapoor Mistry, later spotted me and pointed out to me that had I watched the 1000 Guineas run of Riyasat closely, I could have possibly not assessed Riyasat’s chances (or lack of it) as I eventually did. He pointed out that Riyasat had ended just over four lengths behind Icebreaker on that occasion and reversing that distance over an extended 4 furlongs was never going to be a ‘Herculean’ task. I saw his point and eat humble pie for dinner. The BJETS grand prize offer of a chartered flight on the ultra modern Cessna Citation CJ2 jet for six passengers back and forth to Goa all found, did not find a winner with no contestant foreseeing the correct result. Only eight out of the over thousand entries had predicted Riyasat to win, but not one of them had the runner-up right. BJETS magnanimously have agreed to keep the contest alive and extended a second chance to the race goers to take a crack at this mega offer on Sunday (5th April 2009) for the Shapoorji Breeders’ Produce stakes day.