It proved to be a summer to remember for top trainer Prasanna Kumar. 20 winners in the short season including a classic, his top colt War Hammer winning the Colts Championship before unfortunately missing out on the blue riband of the season, the Ultra Kingfisher Derby, suffering from shins, is a top draw effort and Prasanna, it is needless to mention will be most pleased with the results, Knotty Ash too confirming that he is a top class sprinter.

Trevor Patel like Prasanna dominated and half-way through the season was well ahead of the rest. He guided the fortunes of War Hammer in the second classic of the season and was most disappointed that the best horse in the campus had missed out on the big one. Trevor and Prasanna rate War Hammer high and the partnership is likely to continue the moment the top gun is back on track. It is learnt that the think-tank of War Hammer  has decided to give the star performer a good rest before they campaign him at home in winter and then travel with him to Kolkata for the two classics and later proceed to Mumbai for the big showdown in February next year.

“Well that’s the proposed plan and we will stick to it. War Hammer has got over his shin issues and hopefully will maintain his winning streak in winter,” said Prasanna, immensely pleased with the results obtained in summer. The champion trainer disclosed that he knew that summer would go well, but leading in 20 winners is like hitting a single ticket Jackpot.
Darius Byramji too enjoyed a fine run under the summer sun. And it was good to see him sign off in style, recording a double including leading in Secretive Force, the winner of the Governor’s Cup, the final plum of the season. Secretive Force piloted by Zervan, who struck a fine partnership with Darius completed a hat-trick and was rightly adjudged the horse of the season, winning his last three starts after finishing second in his first essay this season. Secretive Force lost to Ambrosio in his first start before recording a fine hat-trick, while Ambrosio from Sulaiman

Attaollahi’s yard after starting the season on a high failed to add to his kitty, finishing second thrice in his next three starts. The new Maharaja,  Star Superior, Knotty Ash and Cosmos too were in the reckoning for the horse of the season crown and the first two certainly were in with a big shout, but Secretive Force it was who got the nod and he deserved it.
The Summer Million which was pushed to Friday after the stewards chose to cancel three races following two sharp showers on Thursday was claimed by the overwhelming favourite Northern Alliance from Neil Devaney’s yard. The public choice was confidently piloted by leading pro Suraj Narredu who later booted home Treasure Delight in the Leading Owner Cup to share the professional honours with Zervan on the final day. Zervan after winning a thriller on Secretive Force, edging out the Chennai challenger My Opinion in the Governor’s Cup guided home Aeolus, another hat-tricker from Darius Byramji’s yard in the Leading Stud Cup run over a distance of seven furlongs.

Immensely pleased with the two classic strikes of the Queen filly Well Connected and most of the other winners from his yard, Padmanabhan must be scratching his head and tearing off his hair on how to get Foi Et Amour over the line. The chicken-hearted progeny of Win Legend finished second in all her four starts this season and gives one the impression that like the South African cricket team, she is a big choker, shying away from winning and content only chasing the shadows of the winners. She was the overwhelming favourite to score in the Leading Bookmaker Cup and once again she finished second behind the Irfan Ghatala-trained Bernardini.

Young Shamaz Sheriff who bagged the champion apprentice title with five winners to his credit, signed off in style guiding home the Lokanath-trained Ultimate Speed in the upper division of the Champion Jockey Cup, while the strongly fancied Sun Power from Imtiaz Khan’s stable proved too good in the lower division run over a sprint.

After Hours from Pradeep’ s yard, Prasanna-trained Jersey Legend and Great Celebration from Azhar Ali’s stable, who dropped the biggest bombshell on the concluding day were the three other winners in the 10-event card.