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Favourites Fumble in Small Field

By Parjanya | 03 May 2011 | DELHI


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Smaller the field, greater the difficulty in picking the winners. The axiom proved right again when a card of six events with betting exclusively for only two places had just one favourite cross the wire safely at the Delhi races on Tuesday. Jockey Chhotu Singh Jodha, trainers Ishwar Singh Parmar and Magan Singh were the successful professionals to share a brace each. Reinman Ranjeet Singh succeeded in equalising the points to keep his hope alive for the championship title. For the second consecutive time within a short span of three days, the opening event of the day saw the piping hot favourite bite the dust. On Saturday, El Toro was the victim; today, it was the turn of Show On in The Swift Angel Plate.

The filly, who had made Warrior Race sweat out before bowing down by three parts of a length and that too in a start-to-finish attempt over six furlongs, was found struggling today over five furlongs. Master Dartagnan (Tirol – Landrail) registered a convincing victory after coming from the fourth position. Master Crown, who was quickest till the top of the homestretch, finished third. The victory of Magan Singh's Lilly came as a big shock in The Pile Up Plate, which was earmarked for the class two runners. The daughter of Duja and Mistica not only led from the front but also provided her apprentice handler Dhanu Singh Deora a chance to earn his career's first victory in a small field of four.

The public fancied Roaming Fame, who tried to pose himself as a big threat to the victor till the distance post, finally ended up third behind Jovial. However, most the horses and their jockeys were found to be struggling to cope up with the hot climate. The second fancied Devputra was observed to be bleeding from nostrils. Jockey Ranjeet Singh, who is looking for his first jockeyship title, rode Ashwa Pallavi (Sham – Make Over) with brilliance in The Queen Ann Plate. To get her long overdue win, Ranjeet kept the mare close to the field till top of final curve of the seven-furlong trip and waited for a possible split between Johnny Bravo and Steel Force after entering into the straight. Ishwar Singh Parmar's Little Cut (Case law – Final Cut) never allowed the market-fancied Happygolucky to snatch the issue while making every post a winning one in the lower division of The Sweetie Plate.

Aleem's charge Confidential Lady (Libor – Aspiration) landed spoilsports at nourishing odds in the penultimate event which was the upper division of The Sweetie Plate. Indian Bride, who was ridden out poorly, had no other option but to play the role of onlooker ahead of Imagine. Yet another poor display of riding by DS Rathore on Nonios made the task for Gangajal (Bee’s Prospector – Fur Elise) easy in The Pieces Of Gold Plate. The winner, who won her last outing under sufferance, was seen making a re-gallop inside the distance after leading the way till 300m. Dazzling Wise finished an impressive close third.