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ARROGANT APPROACH BEATS BOLD COMMAND IN A THRILLER

By Ikram Khan | 25 Mar 2016 | BANGALORE


Mr A V Jayaprakash, Mr T S Suresh & trainer S S Attaollahi leading Arrogant Approach (P Trevor Up), winner of The Dr.M.A.M Ramaswamy Memorial Trophy

The winter season ended on a high note for champion trainer Irfan Ghatala and the top `Knight’  S John and the BTC committee spearheaded by chairman Satish Chandra too deserves appreciation for the smooth conduct of the long winter, though it must be mentioned that the stipes at this centre need to pull up their socks and exercise strict vigil and unless this is done earnestly the offenders of the rules will continue to make merry, aware that the men in charge lack the knowledge and understanding to bring to book the habitual offenders in the game.

The pocket-dynamite Arshad Alam stole the limelight on the second extra-day, recording a fine treble including two youngsters, Golden Bow and Good Fortune  from trainer Prithviraj’s yard.  Arshad back after his double at Mahalaxmi appears to be in fine nick and is easily the best among the many youngsters donning silks at this centre.

Arshad opened his account through the quietly fancied Golden Bow in the lower division of the Kodagu Cup who after impressing most in the morning trials made a winning debut, snuffing out the challenge of Royal Serenity who in her effort to make every post a winning one lacked the gas in the final furlong.

In the upper division of the event, Arshad produced his best packing punch on the on-money favourite Good Fortune to edge out the second in demand at the betting ring Natanza from trainer Sriram Komandur’s yard. While Arshad in his determined bid to land the spoils on the public choice used the whip freely, the more experienced and leading pro Suraj Narredu astride Natanza chose to go only hands and heels in the final furlong and this cost the Sriram ward dear taking into account that it was only a `neck’ which separated the two at the wire. But all said and done the result pleased Prithviraj most. The trainer who is always complaining that the luck is not in his favour this season will now relax, satisfied that he landed a good double on the final day and this will provide him the required confidence going into the summer season.

Earlier, Arshad astride the five to one shot Yellow Zone from the yard of Kishan Thomas found himself gracing the wrong end of the dozen horse field in the Premium Spirit Stakes run over a distance of seven furlongs. But the talented saddle artiste kept his cool and the moment the field negotiated the final curve, Arshad got busy on Yellow Zone and the winner to the delight of Arshad and his supporters produced an astounding gallop to peg back the Suraj Narredu piloted favourite Secret Dimension at the shadow of the winning post. The consistent Hillsboro took the third spot ahead of Rakshitha.

The plum event, the Dr. M A M Ramaswamy Memorial Trophy produced a pulse-pounding finish, the topweighted Arrogant Approach from Sulaiman Attaollahi’s yard and the Ganapathy schooled Bold Command locked in a ding-dong battle all the way in the straight before Arrogant Approach and Trevor gained the day by the shortest of margins. The second choice Toroloco who too had his fair share of supporters on the strength of his impressive performance in Guindy in the Stayers Cup surprisingly packed up even before the four-horse field negotiated the final curve.  Bold Command, it is clear is still not at his best after he struggled to win the 2000 Guineas at Mysore. The Ganapathy ward, who had made the knowledgeable stand up and acknowledge his breathtaking performances  last summer would  easily make a meal of Arrogant Approach on that form but after his last victory in the Mysore season he simply is not bold and not taking the command right.

The upper division of t he Royal Russian Stakes was claimed by the favourite Hapticstar from Narayan Gowda’s yard. The winner who had caught the eye while beating Brabus for the runner-up with a long-stretch run in his last essay again produced a good gallop in the closing stages to peg back the effort of Cannes. All Proof from trainer Manohar’s yard was also fancied in this event but Janardhan Paswan swung him wide at the top of the straight and with that it was curtains down for the Manohar ward.

On the strength of his suggestive effort in his last essay, Massive Dynamics from Darius Byramji’s stable was fancied most in the concluding event, the Beloved Prince Plate but the strongly supported public choice who was not favourably placed early on in the race only could finish second behind the four to one shot Proud Prince who produced a sparkling gallop in the final furlong to romp home a deserving winner.

The  Satish Narredu-trained Miss Ceylon opened the favourite in the Farewell Plate run over a sprint before money came pouring in on the Narayan Gowda schooled Saffron Intense. But it was Mr Big Shot who send the `Jodi’ out of the window to the delight of the bookies producing a winning gallop in the hands of Ahsan Qureshi.  The effort of Mr Big Shot must have come as a big relief to the Irfan Ghatala camp taking into account that a couple of hot favourites from this stable had failed to display their true potential in the final week-end.