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HIGHLANDER (A.Sandesh) was fractious and reluctant to be stalled. Since the gelding had behaved in a similar manner in its previous run, Trainer Rehanullah Khan has been asked to give the gelding more gate practice and show him to the satisfaction of the Starter in a Mock Race, before next accepting with him to race.

After being stalled, CYPRESS POINT (Akshay) started lashing out. The mare was taken out and examined by the Club’s V.O. and found to have suffered cut injuries on the left stifle and on left hind cannon and was sore from the left hind leg. As such, CYPRESS POINT was certified unfit to race and hence withdrawn on veterinary grounds before coming under the Starter’s Order.  The mare has to be passed fit by the Club’s V.O. before next accepting to race.

At the start, ALLEGIANCE (I.Pasha, dr.1) jumped awkwardly outwards due to which SUMMER ECLIPSE (Neeraj Rawal, dr.2) shied and shifted out and at the same time LUCKY THIRTEEN (P.Trevor, dr.3) jumped awkwardly inwards and jostled with SUMMER ECLIPSE and then ricocheted on to GHANGHORR (Amyn Merchant, dr.4) and then made contact with CYCLOPS (Kavraj Singh, dr.5).

ALLEGIANCE (I.Pasha) was inclined to lug-in in the straight. Trainer Narendra Lagad has been asked to take remedial measures before next accepting to race the gelding.

Trainer Rehanullah Khan and Jockey A.Sandesh were questioned regarding the running and riding of HIGHLANDER and the matter was reported to the Stewards for such action as deemed fit.

The Stewards after the last race questioned Trainer Rehanullah and Jockey A.Sandesh in the above connection. Trainer Rehanullah Khan said that HIGHLANDER is a stayer and does not have initial speed and also he was carrying top weight, therefore, he had instructed the Jockey to ride a waiting race, judge the pace and ride accordingly. Also, he had asked the Jockey to keep niggling at the horse since he needs constant riding. He opined that the Jockey’s decision to come from the outside was beneficial to the horse as the horse got a clear run and he took no exception to the Jockey’s riding. He added that this was the first run of the horse on the Mumbai course and he had won one race at Pune while being ridden off the pace.

Jockey A.Sandesh stated that he was instructed to sit in 6^th / 7^th position and ride a waiting race and to do his best. When asked as to why he had not made sufficient effort to improve his position in the early part and why he had travelled so wide round the bend, Jockey A.Sandesh said that he was told to ride a waiting race and he was niggling the horse all the way. He said that negotiating the bend he was just behind ZLATO (J.Fortune) and  he decided to make his move from the outside of ZLATO so as to give the horse a clear run and when ZLATO started shifting out he did not want to break the horse’s stride, so he kept the horse on the outside so as to give him a clear run and did his best. When asked as to why he changed his whip hand when the horse was responding well when he had the whip in his right hand, Jockey A.Sandesh said that the horse was trying to go out so he collected the horse and changed the whip hand to bring him in.

After viewing the video recording of the race, Jockey was given the benefit of the doubt and he was cautioned to be more careful in the future.

After the race, GHANGHORR and ALLEGIANCE (examined on 17/01/2014) were found to be sound.