You got to doff your hat to proud owner Jaydev Mody and trainer Mallesh Narredu.  Many in the racing circles were of the opinion that the two would not accept the challenge Be Safe posed to Quasar, the winner of the Indian Turf Invitation Cup particularly after Be Safe’s spectacular success in his maiden appearance this season. The duo in no mood to shy away from what many old hats in the game billed as the race of the year judiciously prepared the star performer for the big-fight.  They knew that the task at hand was not easy but at the same time they fancied Quasar to do it a second time after his effort in Mumbai. Quasar to the joy of his connections did it again. 

The big-fight failed to produce the fire and that’s solely because Be Safe was beaten the moment he failed to respond when alighted to the task. The winner of the McDowell Indian Derby who walked into Ganapathy’s yard after he was beaten in the Indian Turf Invitation Cup finished a poor fourth.

The performance of the darling of the crowd shocked the railbirds. It was Be Safe’s worst exercise in his career. The champion had lost only twice earlier and both the times it was the injudicious efforts of the jockeys which cost him dear. But on the Maharaja’s Cup day the public rage to the disappointment of his fans packed up even before the race came on a boil. The Ganapathy ward infects finished a couple of lengths behind Agostini who he had thrashed without extending himself in his earlier effort. Well what went wrong with Be Safe is the problem of his care takers. (It is learnt that it was EIPH (Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage) Grade 1 bleeding, the horse is reported to be suffering from Mucopus +++ infection). The fact is that Quasar after his 2-1 score against Be Safe and his three Derby victories at three different centres is now the new Maharaja on the Indian racing circuit.

 The young Yash Narredu who had stunned the railbirds at Mahalaxmi looked calm and composed and so did Quasar when the many fans of Be Safe raised a loud cheer the moment the MAM Ramaswamy owned leading light arrived in the paddock. The star was cheered all the way to the starting gates but on this one occasion he just did not produce the effort needed to avenge his loss. Yash put Quasar in top gear soon after the seven contestants negotiated the final curve and the champion responding gamely to his master’s call produced a winning gallop to assume command before he successfully pegged back the determined essay of Amazing Grace.  All credit to Jaydev, Mallesh and Yash. The fear of losing did not touch them. They entered the ring for the big-fight and it was they who delivered the knock-out blow.

 And if that was enough, the Narredus provided Jaydev another winner, Janiero who had let down large following in his maiden attempt cantering home in the Divine Light Plate run over a sprint. The Sulaiman Attaollahi schooled Cherie Amour and Hurrah from Darius Byramji’s yard, both making their debut were strongly fancied but the two failed to reproduce their brilliant performances on the trial track and this made the task of Janiero simple at end. 

The principal added attraction on the Maharaja’s day, the Marilingaiah Memorial Cup was claimed by another lesser fancied winner Nesto from veteran trainer B Puttanna’s yard.  The winner despite looking the best among the 10 in the fray was offered at the nourishing odds of (6/1). Big money flowed on the Padmanabhan schooled Scarlet Emperor but all he did was to take all the good and the big money down the drain. Amazing Redd finished second ahead of Volcano who lost the second place thanks to Trevor who dropped his hands close home.

Former champion trainer Irfan Ghatala who took some time to open his account this season recorded a good double through the well fancied Jackie Oh and Absolute Red. The former donkey-licked the opposition in the hands of Srinath in the upper division of the V G Saravanam Memorial Cup while Absolute Red piloted by Ahsan Qureshi  came good in time to spare a `neck’ to Spanish Moon  close home in the lower division. Audrick from Arjun Manglorkar’s yard guided by apprentice jockey Antony Raj finished on fastest at end and is one for the notebook.

Earlier, the favourite Castle Key from Arjun’s stable won the opening event pillar to post before Cool Baby from Sharath Kumar’s yard who was a medium of a successful gamble delighted his supporters producing a winning gallop in the hands of apprentice Naveen in the lower division of the Epsom Plate run over a distance of seven furlongs. Rubi Rey who started the overwhelming favourite in this event lacked the enterprise and the desire to score and this was clearly reflected in the betting ring, the price steadily going up and up.

The 20 to one shot Hidden Deal from Narayan Gowda’s yard and the seven to one shot Adriphos from the stables of Sriram Komandur were the two other winners in the nine-event card. Sriram deserves a pat on the back for helping Adriphos complete a hat-trick of wins. The trainer fancied Adriphos to do it with an apprentice and the winner provided Sunil Samson his maiden success.