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SHIVANSH LIFTS QUEEN’S CUP IN STYLE

By Epsom Ace | 09 Feb 2019 | KOLKATA


Mr Subir Dasgupta & trainer Vijay Singh leading Shivansh (Suraj Narredu Up), winner of The Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Gr.3)

Trainer Vijay Singh’s Shivansh (Top Class-Immortal Story) displayed his immense staying prowess in the 2800m race for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at RCTC on Saturday when he gave jockey Suraj Narredu an armchair ride and romped home a clear winner, eight lengths ahead  of runner-up Multiglory. The favourite Kambaku tried runaway tactics but his aspirations were cut short near the 600m marker where Shivansh took over the running. Owner-mate of Shivansh, - Ophion – was also in the betting, but ran a miserable race. 

In the Calcutta Million, Vijay Singh-trained Jaivant (Win Legend-Validate) did not let down his followers as he raised a winning gallop in the straight to keep at bay Topnotch who looked threatening at the distance post. The favourite Eastern Crown finished in the ruck. Jaivant and Shivansh ran in the colours of Mr. Subir Dasgupta, making it a grand double for the connections.

As mentioned in the selections column on race-day, two horses ran over 5kg out of the scale.  They were Point To Prove and Southpaw. One has to doff one’s hat to the connections of both runners as they both came out and won. Their verdicts were almost identical as well (neck and half-a-length).  Arjun Mangalorkar’s Point To Prove (Multidimensional-Burooq) made every post of the 2000m race for the Malaysia Cup a winning one. With two wins under her belt, much improved Raise A Grand almost made it a hat-trick but for Sandesh’s determination and perseverance on the winner. It is quite possible that the connections may use this run as a warm-up race for the last and longest classic of the season at the end of the month.

Shyam Habbu-trained Southpaw (Bushranger-Quiet Appeal) won the Metropolitan despite an outside draw. He came in smoothly and sat in a box seat behind Denny Crane. While Amorous White tried his utmost to match strides with the eventual winner, the top-weight Multitude (Sandesh up) may have left it a little too late considering the short Calcutta straight and the traffic he had to negotiate.

Sandesh had earlier left it a shade too late on The Kiss, other than which she may have reversed the verdict in the Phillipines Cup and pipped Arashi (Rockofgibraltar-Hoboob) at the post. The recent migrant from the west proved once again that the class of horses from that part of the country is a notch higher. Jockey Shezad Khan rode a commendable finish as he took the shortest route home to pull off a narrow verdict in his favour.

Sandesh however rode a calculated finish astride Javed Khan-trained Sanvi (Chevalier-Bow River Gold) to land the spoils in the seven-furlong race for the French Cup. Speedster Bojangles started to shorten his strides from the distance post as he is wont to do and Sanvi swept past him in a trice after weaving her way through most of the field.

Trainer Vikash Jaiswal and his trusted knight PS Chouhan brought the day’s proceedings to a close with a well-planned victory with Buddyholly (Stern Opinion – Spring Beauty). After failing narrowly over an identical trip earlier in the season, he was placed over a seven furlong trip and then reverted back to his pet distance. It was a successful coup.  There was some betting on Artificial and he finished a good third.