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NOVERRO GETS THE BETTER OF INVINCIBLE PRINCE

By Epsom Ace | 22 Nov 2017 | KOLKATA


Mr Joydeep Datta Gupta leading Noverro (Dashrath Singh up), winner of The Rwitc Cup

Trainer Bharath Singh’s five-year-old dark bay gelding Noverro pulled off a dramatic win at the RCTC to lift the RWITC Cup. The speedster was given a flawless ride by retained rider Dashrath Singh who had his mount in a box seat from the word ‘go’ while front-running Invincible Prince set a cracking pace from an inside draw. Once into the straight, Noverro (Noverre-Erina/ Sohna Stud)moved it up a gear and finally a couple of cracks from Dashrath’s stick sealed the issue at the wire.

The supporting event, The Haskell David Memorial Cup, saw the piping hot on-money public choice Ayra’s Pet come apart in the final furlong. The blinding pace of her start-to-finish essay told on her and she drifted out towards Glorious Leaps (Lucifer Sam-Perfect Rhythm/ Sans Craintes Stud) who won despite the interference. It was the second of C. Alford’s three winners of the day, the others being Heliconia and Mahasuvi.

The afternoon commenced with Shafiq Khan-trained Ahlan (Rebuttal-Jasoora/ Hazara Stud) producing an encore to bag the upper division of the Young Lady Handicap. Installed as the 9/4 favourite, the filly moved up from the rear to land the spoils close home in the hands of T Jodha. She swept past front-running Mrs Willy Nilly and the fast-finishing I Me N Myself. The lower division of the same event was pocketed by seven-year-old Footloose (European-Sacred Dreams/) from the yard of Deepak Karki. Apprenice Ranidan Singh took the aged chestnut to the front early in the race and stayed there all the way.

James McKeown has been doing rather well with a limited string and it came as no surprise when his Ophion (Abbeydale – Bold Reply) pegged back the runaway Namid close home. Top-weight jockey S John dropped out his mount to be a close last at the turn and then moved with raking strides down the middle of the field to sail away for an impressive triumph. The four-year-old’s gate manners also seem to have improved under McKeown.

After a fairly long-lay-off Rutherford Alford’s three-year-old filly Antiquarian ran like a seasoned thoroughbred to bag the Rising Star Handicap run over a mile. Jockey Ashad Asbar allowed his mount to settle in third slot while My Freedom and Desert Cat set a fast pace. Once into the straight, Antiquarian (Dean’s Kitten-Ridiyza/ Sohna Stud) was galloping freely and registered a comfortable victory. The connections were impressed enough to accept with her in The 1000 Guineas to be run on Saturday.

The Mountain Lily Handicap saw the day’s biggest gamble as money poured in on Artiste Royal from Shafiq Khan’s yard. The favourite closed at 18/10 while the rest of the field were 5/1 and over. Though T Jodha rode her flat out in the straight, he had no answer t6o Christopher Alford’s power-packed finish on Heliconia (New Famous-Rasha/ Yeravada Stud) from Aashay Doctor’s yard. The five-year-old mare won in the final stride.

The curtain came down with Christopher Alford riding James Mc Keown’s Mahasuvi (Western Aristocrat-Bluegrass Phenom/ Nanoli Stud)  to a smashing victory in the Absolution Handicap. Had Tomorrow Forever been better positioned from the outset, she would have undoubtedly been nearer at the finish. But then, that’s part of the game. So at the end of the day, it must be said that the better horse won.