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Sprinters Cup, a graveyard of favourites

By Sharan Kumar | 05 Mar 2005 | BANGALORE


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The Gr 1 Sprinters Cup held during the Indian Turf Invitation Week-end has as much charm as the premier event of the week. Originally, the Indian Turf Invitation Cup race was conceived to determine the champion of champions and subsequently, the Sprinters Cup, the Stayers’ Cup and the Super Mile were added to embellish the week’s racing. Sprinters Cup has held its fascination for race goers if only because of the tremendous thrill it provides as much for the surprises that it throws regularly. Upsets are par for this race. Since the horses are closely matched and carry only penalty for age, the draw, the luck of the race and the pace of the race have a definite bearing on the outcome. Horses which look invincible on paper have bitten the dust, with rank outsiders basking in glory. If one were to take a dig into the past results, horses like Bryce Canyon, Shamaal et al have provided shock results. It is not that they did not have the merit to win but there appeared to be stronger candidates based on recent form but then the race, like the one-day cricket matches, has this habit of throwing nasty surprises. Be that as it may, the Sprinters Cup field this year has an open look about it and as such, spotting the possible winner is a tough proposition. Kanthara could have made a big impact on the outcome of the race but the five-year old mare has been since retired to the stud. Kanthara was due to race in Dubai and her preparatory mock race was outstanding to say the least. However, bureaucratic hurdles prevented Kanthara from traveling to Dubai despite the hosts showing great enthusiasm in welcoming Indian horses for the Dubai Racing Carnival. Had she been on the race track, she would have been a live force both in the Sprinters Cup and the Super Mile but unfortunately she has been consigned to the paddock reportedly due to a setback. As such, it leaves some veterans to vie for honors with the emerging stars. Six-year old Rosmini and Blue Horizon carry the hopes of the Mumbai continent along with Great Strides, Hawke Bay and Star Qualities. Rosmini has been an outstanding performer and this game son of Diffident is owned by Capt Jamshed Appoo. Rosmini has been plagued by several problems and has had three knee chip operations done but he is never lacking in spirit. He has always made his mark whatever the situation he is in and as such he is expected to be a frontline contender for the coveted event. After a slow start, Imtiaz Sait trained Blue Horizon has been on a roll, with an unbeaten sequence of wins. The daughter of Placerville is in excellent nick recorded a brilliant win in the Dr S C Jain Sprinters Cup with a gusty performance. Hawke Bay and Great Strides who finished behind Blue Horizon are the other challengers from Mumbai. Hawke Bay had given promise of turning into a top classic horse but a tendon injury prevented him from achieving his potential. He seems to have recovered well from the injury and has been running game races. As the Sprinters Cup tends to favour long shots, he has the class to upset everyone’s calculations. Great Strides has been in good nick and his string of consistent performances mark him out as a worthy challenger. There is great deal of hope on Star Qualities who is gifted with blinding speed. The Bangalore contingent comprises Fly The Fury, Taurian, River God and Slanka. The four-year old filly Fly The Fury has had an outstanding record and despite conceding chunks of weight to seasoned opponents, she lost close home the Sprinters Trial Stakes at Bangalore. The performance was indeed gratifying and as she will be getting weight from the seasoned performers, she should be in the thick of things. The daughter of Diffident is endowed with fleet foot and she has the speed to steer clear of the problems that are often the bane of good horses in a crowded field as the one in the Sprinters Cup. She is the highest rated four-year old filly in the fray. At seven, River God has not lost his zest for racing and he is the highest rated horse in the country at 69. Owned by Sunil Jhangiani, River God was originally not considered a sprinter but a chance entry in a sprint race at Mysore revealed his sprinting prowess. Subsequently, he won a sprint race during the winter season at Bangalore in a course record timing. He was scheduled to go to Dubai but had to miss out due to official bungling. River God is the horse everyone has to watch as he will be the most favored horse as far as the terms of the race go. He is one of the most versatile horses seen on the Indian track and he is due to run the Super Mile as well. Slanka was an eye-catching second in the Sprinters Trial Stakes despite a longish absence from the track. He has the speed and class to make his presence felt. Taurian’s win in his last outing at Bangalore was more due to the fact that he was well placed in the scales but in this race, he may not have a say as the terms go against him. Hyderabad’s outstanding sprinter Onnu Onnu Onnu who was going great guns with an unbeaten sequence of wins at his home centre has reportedly suffered a setback. The son of Young Senor has been a veritable gold mine and his absence will rob the event some of its glamour. Coral Gables is another from Hyderabad who will run both the Sprinters and the Super Mile. He has been a consistent performer and he is expected to make things hot for the favourites. Fantabulous King has the speed but no recent race form to recommend his credentials. The rest of the runners in the fray may not cut much ice though it would be unwise to make such a prediction because the Sprinters Cup has thrown some of the biggest surprises in the recent past.