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GUTSY RENEE WINS SQUANDERER TROPHY

By Ikram Khan | 02 Jul 2016 | BANGALORE


Trainer Neil Darashah leading The Renee (Suraj Narredu Up), winner of The Squanderer Trophy Div-1

On the eve of the Maharaja's Cup only one 'Lieutenant' passed the favourites test while the rest seven failed and that effectively meant that most big bettors lost big and the bookmakers took home the many red and gold sacks.  

The day started with a whipless event and here Imran Khan astride the six to one shot Tuscano from trainer Faraz Arshad's yard  proved his mettle, guiding and pushing the Faraz ward to snuff out the challenge of another lesser fancied contestant Just Fabulous close home. The favourite First Step from Prithviraj's yard despite being favourably placed at the top of the straight failed to quicken at the all-important end and eventually finished in the ruck.  

Despite his failure to justify favouritism in his last essay, the Darius Byramji-trained Ninja was backed to the exclusion of his nine rivals in the Young Rajput Plate on the strength of her impressive performances on the trial track but the on-money top fancy flopped again, never in contention to make a race of it. The topweighted Major Attraction, another from Faraz's yard gained the day in the hands of apprentice Prashanth Dhebe and Eid Mubarak it proved to be for young Faraz. The eight to one shot who narrowly lost out to Tea Wid Me and Feet On Fire in his last essay in his effort to make every post a winning one, employed the same runaway tactics and this time out he gained the result In his favour pegging back Bacaardi and Exemplar.

The second in demand at the betting ring, Renee powerfully piloted by Suraj Narredu won the upper division of the Squanderer Trophy edging out even-money favourite Sea Fairey from Sulaiman Attaollahi’s yard. Neil who led in the winner earlier combined successfully with Suraj to come up tops in the lower division of the event, The Lieutenant, the only favourite to score in the eight-event card. Incidentally Sulaiman’s other runner Sans Peur in this race like Sea Fairey only managed to gain the runner-up berth. Kingston Town warmed up late to finish ahead of Taqdeer Ka Badshah from Nithyanand’s yard who appears ready to strike when his connections choose to exploit him over a sprint.

On the strength of his facile victory in his last essay, the Prasanna Kumar schooled Back Of Beyond garnered the maximum support in the Bold Gesture Plate run over a mile but the public choice failed to match strides with rankoutsider Southern Fantasy from trainer Ganapathy’s yard who produced a winning gallop in the hands of French saddle artiste David Breux to floor the followers of form. Storm Ahead finished a suggestive third and it will not be long before this Arjun Manglorkar ward will record his second victory this season.

Diamond Green from trainer Sirajuddin’s yard was fancied most in the Royal Tern Plate run over a sprint. The Sharath Kumar camp too were `sweet’ on Top Smiles piloted by John. And at end Sharath Kumar was all smiles, the second favourite comfortably getting the better of Diamond Green in the final furlong. Asgar, the rider of the fourth placed Breaking Away in this event lodged a protest against Jagadeesh astride the third placed Celestial Storm for coming in sharply and taking his ground and Jagadeesh in the stewards room stated that it was John astride the winner who came in and pushed him onto Breaking Away. Well then why did Jagadeesh not lodge an objection against John. The stipes and stewards missed this point though they rightly overruled Asgar’s protest.

The Neil Darashah schooled Spirit And Truth who sent a shiver down the spine of Quaker Ridge in his last essay was the firm favourite in the H B Gundappa Gowda Memorial Cup run over a distance of seven furlongs. Tronada who had caught the eye while finishing a close sixth behind the winner Gabino and Flamboyance who won last week had his fair share of supporters. The Sandhu ward stole the limelight stretching every sinew in the final furlong to peg back the belated effort of Born Fire. The favourite Spirit And Truth surprised most failing to make the frame but it will pay to persevere with this Neil ward in the weeks ahead.

The Nithyanand schooled Red Galileo was touted a `moral certainty’ in the concluding event, the Snow Dew Plate. And most big bettors slammed the on-money favourite down to half-money. Side Winder who had failed to justify favouritism in his last essay was offered at the nourishing odds of (6/1) but there were no takers  for the Prasanna ward simply because the majority went with the swing on the top fancy and the few who thought that Side Winder did merit a chance also chickened out.  It was the `snake’ who struck and left all people crying for water in the desert.  Sterling Role impressed most while finishing an eye catching second in his debut and this bred in the purple Ganapathy ward is certain to make good progress in the month ahead.