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POSITANO WINS GOVERNOR'S CUP IN STYLE
By Ikram Khan | 01 Aug 2025 | BANGALORE
Trainer S S Attaollahi leading Positano (P Trevor Up), winner of The Governor's Cup (Gr.3)
After winning the Maharaja's Cup, the talented Positano from champion trainer Sulaiman Attaollahi's yard added another plum to his list, taking home the Governor's Cup, the final plum of the season in emphatic fashion on the concluding day's summer races on Friday. The on-money favourite piloted by champion saddle artiste Trevor Patel unleashed a good turn of foot in the final furlong of the gruelling 2400 metres to overhaul the two leaders Rise And Reign and Queen Of Kings, stablemates in Rajesh Narredu's yard, to end his summer campaign in fine style. Second in demand at the betting ring, Victor Hugo, who donkey-licked the opposition in his last essay over a nine furlongs trip had his fair share of supporters who fancied him to upset the applecart of the hot favourite, but the Irfan Ghatala ward, it was clear found the mile-and-half trip beyond his compass and retired even before the race came on a boil.
The Satish Narredu-trained Champions Way opened the favourite in the Leading Stud Cup before money came pouring in on Mandarino from the stables of Irfan Ghatala piloted by Arvind Kumar. The strongly fancied favourite after travelling nice and easy till heads turned for home in the seven furlongs trip, produced an astounding gallop in the final furlong to whizz past the Satish Narredu ward and register his second win this season. Global Influence finished third ahead of Kalamitsi, while the Warren Singh schooled Shubankar, it appears is on a downward slide.
A facile last start winner, Wellington from the stables of Inayathullah was fancied most in the Leading Owner Cup run over a sprint. But the public choice failed to reproduce his splendid last effort and finished third behind the winner Bezawada Sultan piloted in determined fashion by the Mumbai-based pro J.Chinoy and the runner-up Aherne from the stables of Imtiaz Khan. It is clear that Wellington suffered from the steep penalty imposed after his run-away success in the lower class and the fact that he looked a trifle gross in the paddock. A few knowledgeable were of the view that Aherne and Wellington found the six furlongs trip too sharp for their comfort but the fact is that had this contest been run over seven furlongs, Agera would have beaten Aherne and Wellington hands down.
The Vishesh camp pulled off a successful gamble on Small Dreams in the final event of the season, the lower division of the Champion Jockey Cup run over a sprint. The winner hammered down from (11/2) to (5/2) was piloted in determined fashion by the leading pro Akshay Kumar without a whip. Akshay made sure that Small Dreams jumped out well and gained a favourable position early on in the race before the maestro riding hands and heels snuffed out the start to finish attempt of Divo close home. Honest Desire from Arjun Manglorkar's yard did well to save money in place, while the favourite LG's Star from the stables of Lokanath Gowda was never in the hunt.
The upper division of the event was claimed by the consistent Basilica from Sulaiman Attaollahi's yard. Bellavista under the care of Purshotham topped the betting road on the strength of her suggestive last effort, but the filly partnered by Srinath found this company too hot to handle and eventually failed to even save money in place. Carat Love surprised most finishing second ahead of Eclipse Pulse, while the lesser fancied Il Volo was never in the hunt.
Second behind Wellington in his last effort, El Alamein was strongly fancied to score by the Faraz Arshad camp in the Racing Officials Cup and the public choice readily justified his top billing in the hands of Vivek to the delight of his supporters. Able One again found one better and had to settle for the runner-up berth ahead of last start winner Double Vision, while Peridot, it was clear, was seriously not in the running.
Darius Byramji, who recorded a double on Thursday through Flight Of Fancy and Vyasa led in his third winner of the final week, Tolkien edging out the Bharath Singh-trained Andre' in a pulsating finish. Antony Raj astride the winner again produced a classy effort and this effort helped Antony draw level with Trevor, before Trevor combined successfully with Sulaiman and struck through Basilica and Positano to make sure the duo walked home with the champion jockey and champion trainer title respectively.
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