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FIRE ANGEL WINS A THRILLER IN POURING RAIN

By Epsom Ace | 15 Jul 2015 | KOLKATA


Mrs Menaka Gupta & trainer Arti Doctor leading Fire Angel (B Nikhil Up), winner of The Sir Aali Cup

The opening day of the monsoon meeting was more or less on expected lines with fancied runners holding sway for most part. The feature event, The Sir Aali Cup, was held in pouring rain while the day’s last race was considerably delayed and subsequently conducted on a slushy turf. This may have cost the piping hot favourite Theokoles dearly. Three-year-olds take a little time to get accustomed to the monsoon turf, more so when it’s heavy

With a cram-jam 12-horse field, early positioning was the key to the sprint for the Sir Aali Cup and none did it better than B. Nikhil atop Aarti Doctor-trained Fire Angel (New Famous-Firefoot/ Yeravada Stud). She found her galloping shoes early over the 1100 metres sprint while both Xipen and Hurricane Star left it a little too late. The last named, a six-year-old, was the fastest moving animal at the wire with Shailesh Shinde going hell for leather, but the traffic problems he faced from the twelfth draw ruined his chances even before the straight. As for Xipen, the apprentice failed to coax a gallop out of her till it was too late. The pouring rain may not have agreed with the filly. But take nothing away from the able sprinter Fire Angel who was a well placed third on the outside while Head Hunter called the early shots. Nikhil shot his mount ahead in the straight and held on to his advantage at the wire.

Arti’s other winner of the day was the half-sister of Fire Angel named Fire Song. This speedy daughter of Firefoot by Alnasr Alwasheek (Poona Stud) made every post a winning one in the race for the lower division of The Bright Law Handicap. Nikhil took no chances with the on-money public choice and had her at the helm of affairs from the word go. Gimme Credit chased her in all the way and both youngsters drifted out in the straight.

Trainer Farley Rodrigues, whose stable has bloated with suspended schooler Patrick Quinn’s wards, did well to lead in a double, both runners being hard ridden by visiting jockey PS Chouhan. Adora (Ivory Touch-Modesty Blaise/ Mare Haven Stud), who was earlier called Iron Lady, was looking well in the paddock after her early morning workouts and closed as the favourite in The Espoir Handicap. She was running over a suitable trip of six furlongs and Chouhan had no trouble in getting the best out of his mount. She collared the front-running Significant in the straight and drew away.

Chouhan then guided home the three-year-old filly Legende Indienne (Win Legend-Somethingabouther/ Dashmesh Stud) in the race for the Sunbird Handicap. The filly was fractious before the start and proved to be a bit of a difficult customer. But the experienced jockey got her to raise a rousing gallop in the straight to put paid to the pretensions of Crixus, who looked threatening in the later stages. Christopher Alford’s sole mount of the day, Super Striker, was a disappointment.

Trainer Bath’s brace consisted of Chhundu (Eljohar-Body And Soul/ Mukteshwar Stud) and Analyst (Sharp Attack- Sweet Pea Jamie/ Gee Stud). Both front runners were ridden on their start-to-finish missions by Shezad Khan. The double must have done a world of good to this once promising rider who suffered a setback after a fall. While Chhundu picked up the season opener, the Mr Darcy Handicap, Analyst pocketed the upper division of the Bright Law Handicap.

The curtain came down to a fairly lucrative opening day for punters with Javed Khan-trained Bucharest (Placerville-Bratz/ Poonawalla Stud) getting the better of Theokoles at the wire. The latter’s odds expanded as a result of the heavy rain to 11/10 while the eventual winner was backed down to 5/1. With this victory, apprentice Jorawar Singh gained some consolation for his earlier debacle atop Xipen.