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ROMAN FLAME LIGHTS UP HABBU’S DAY

By Epsom Ace | 18 Feb 2016 | KOLKATA


Trainer Shyam S Habbu leading Roman Flame (Munna Alam Up), winner of The Indian Air Force Cup

Trainer Shyam Habbu’s Roman Flame closed as the 3/1 second favourite in the Indian Air Force Cup but faced no problem in showing a clean pair of heels to the large field of 13 runners and keeping at bay her closest rival and public choice Scarlet Emperor. Apprentice Munna Alam came out of draw 11 and went for the rails as early as possible. The speedy filly by Holy Roman Emperor out of Christel Flame did not disappoint her connections as she kept on going in the straight with the apprentice wisely refraining from using the stick. Scarlet Emperor issued his challenge near the distance post with David Allan sparing no effort.

Trainer Javed Khan enjoyed a highly profitable afternoon with three winners in the form of Dark Angel, Ximore and Ascend. The opening race, The Vibrant Handicap, was the most open race of the day and it was reflected in the odds. Auberon closed as the 7/2 favourite. Jockey Shezad Khan rode a power-packed finish on Dark Angel (Sharp Attack-Angel Of Glory/ Gee Stud) to get the better of Combined Operation and Uptown Girl, both of whom appeared threatening in the final furlong.

 Visiting jockey Sandesh rode the other two Javed winners – Ximore and Acsend.  Ximore (Top Class-Violet Sky/ Mukteshwar Stud) won the Silver Print Handicap start-to-finish. The favourite Sam Houston continued to disappoint while earning his corn bill. In the race for the Gudarz Plate, Ascend (Lord Admiral - Go Out Backwards/ Sans Craintes Stud) was simply too good for the other youngsters. The colt closed as the 3/1 joint favourite with Silken Grace. Sandesh kept him behind the pace-setter till the turning for home before sailing away from the field. Vijay Singh’s Ballister finished on a fairly decent third while the poor run of Silken Grace was extremely disheartening, considering that he is a well-bred colt who had earlier in the season won a hard-fought race.

As expected, trainer Rutherford Alford’s Le Havre (Noverre-Zahwah/ Sohna Stud) turned the tables on the favourite Regal at revised weights with 100 metres less to run in The Eastern Air Command Cup. The public choice Regal failed to overcome the 7kg penalty she incurred for her last win and finished off the frame. The surprise package was Daniel David’s Annie Oakley who seems to be ready for the fray after this close contest with the winner. David has been gradually building up his tally after returning from his suspension and it may not be such a bad idea to follow his runners for the rest of the season.

The race for The RCTC Riding And Apprentice Jockey School Cup, run over the metric mile, saw the most popular result of the day as David Allan guided James McKeown’s Heirloom past the winning post. The five-year-old mare by Princely Heir out of Hauhaiwunai was ridden in exemplary manner by the Bangalore-based Britisher and was the sole on-money winner of the afternoon.

The two divisions of the No-Whips-Race, The Advisor Handicap, saw favourites take a tumble. In the upper division, aged Gararo made a bold bid for honours but was thwarted by rank outsider Lexi (Eljohar-Tia/ Mukteshwar Stud) from Robert Gowli’s yard. The mount of Arman Khan paid a massive dividend of Rs 333 for a Rs 10 tote ticket. Top-weight public choice Experience finished in the ruck.

Bharath Singh and Christopher Alford combined fruitfully to land the spoils in the lower division of The Advisor Handicap with seven-year-old Royal Scots (Mull Of Kintyre-New Europe/ Sohna Stud). Alford has been known to win quite a few of his races without resorting to the use of the whip and this expertise (cultured over several years) appeared to aid him as he urged his mount to collar the fancied Words close home. The favourite Jorell may have been comfortable with a little more ground as he was seen to finish on well. Arti Doctor’s Lucky Streak took the bend wide and lost precious ground.