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Showing posts from December, 2010

Sunspirit wins at the expense of Abnoba

Sunspirit edged out Abnoba in the Jog Cup, the feature event of races held on Friday thanks to an opportunistic ride by Richard Hughes. An uncharacteristic ride by Suraj Narredu saw him getting bottled up at a crucial juncture of the race on Abnoba and this was exploited to the hilt by the eventual winner. The better horse on the day suffered a narrow defeat. The six event card turned out to be a drab affair. Abnoba who had recoded a hat-trick of wins and Sunspirit were both supported enthusiastically in equal measure by their respective connections. In a slow run race, Portaone led the field with Suraj on Abnoba restraining the horse and getting stuck along the rails as Sweet Caroline raced outside of the joint favourite. Sunspirit not only graced the rear but had to travel wide right through. Rounding the final turn, Suraj failed to maneuver a clear run and by the time he could work his way out, Hughes was flat out on Sunspirit who went on to neck out his pursuer. If there were a f

Bracketing of horses: Is it a feasible option?

There has been clamor for bracketing of horses as several horses belonging to the same owner run in the same race and at times, the lesser fancied horse wins at the expense of the favourite. On Sunday, Polish Patriot won from stablemate and favourite Becket by a whisker with the first six runners finishing within reach of each other. The finish was a handicappers dream though the result was due to the terms of the race which leveled the chances of most well performed horses in the fray. The protagonists of bracketing of horses are making a renewed demand for bracketing of horses because such a system existed very long ago. We do not know whether the system will work in the present scenario and in multi-pool betting system. We do not have studies to suggest that bracketing can eliminate all the mistrust. Bracketing of horses means that two or more horses belonging to same owner are given one number for purpose of betting. The odds will be the same and the bettor would win his bet irresp

Hyderabad lifts ban on movement of horses

The Hyderabad Race Club has lifted the ban on movement of horses to and fro from Bangalore to its premises following fears of an epidemic affecting the stables of Bangalore Turf Club. About 39 horses were reported to been suffering from fever last week which had resulted in several horses being withdrawn from the fray for last weekend races. The HRC unilaterally announced the ban barring Bangalore horses from entering its premises along with an advisory to the professionals that those who ride in Bangalore will not be permitted to ride at Hyderabad. With the winter season at its peak now, the decision of HRC had come as a rude jolt to racing. The Bangalore Turf Club swung into action and had requested for the meeting of the Veterinary Commission which is the official body of the Turf Authorities of India. The Commission met in Bangalore on Monday and visited the stables of turf club. According to the findings of the Commission, about 39 horses had suffered from fever and they responded

Did Hyderabad Race Club act in haste?

The Hyderabad Race Club perhaps acted in undue haste in issuing a notice banning movement of horses and personnel from Bangalore much before the veterinary commission of India met and took stock of the situation. The Hyderabad Race Club’s notice of Sunday is bound to cause panic in racing circles as the decision of the club has come without critical evaluation of the existing scenario. With the winter classics picking up momentum and a number of classics scheduled for the month of January, the decision of Hyderabad Race Club to ban movement of horses and personnel is seen as not being in conformation with the Standard Operative Procedures for monitoring and surveillance of equine diseases and mandatory health requirements for movement of thoroughbred horses in India. The Hyderabad Race Club’s notice states that in view of occurrence of Pyrexia (fever) of unknown origin in horses at Bangalore, horses stationed at Bangalore will not be permitted to enter the premises of HRC until further

Oban records an encore in fine style

Jaggy Dhariwal trained Oban came up with stellar performance to win the 1600 metres Topmost Cup, a race for horses rated 80 and above which featured Christmas day racing on Saturday. The small made four-year old daughter of Greensmith was driven out for a fine win by jockey Silvester De Sousa who rode the horse with greater understanding. His job was made easier by the fact that the connections of Criminal Lawyer chose to gift the race on a platter by electing to declare jockey Selvaraj who as of now is not equipped to win in a competitive race which requires riding skills as well. Trainer Irfan Ghatala has lost quite a few races during the season by his decision to entrust his wards to jockeys who lack both talent and temperament. Bottom-weighted Camelot was the favourite to win the race though the race had a very open look about it. Criminal Lawyer who had let down as a favourite last time out, showed out in the paddock parade and looked set to make amends. Oban continued to have her

Araceli lifts Bharachukki Cup

The Hazara Stud Farm bred Araceli won the Bharachukki Cup, a five and half furlongs race for two year old maidens, the feature event of races held on Friday. The highlight of day was the performance of Padmanabhan trained Kilimanjaro who swamped the opposition in the manner of a horse which could be trusted to make a mark in exalted company. With the track being firm and devoid of moisture, fast timings were par for most races. The progeny of Adler, Shoot Out cornered all the betting in the race meant for first season runners. The manner in which the odds shortened on him, it looked as though he would have to just complete the formalities of going through with the race. With most horses in the fray being backward, it was understandable. Araceli was working well but the widest outside draw was a dissuading factor for the majority. Shoot Out belonged to trainer Suleiman who has a poor record on favourites. Appu had Win Again dictate the pace as Araceli, from the outside draw, was settled

Red Renegade scrapes home in a thriller

Padmanabhan trained Red Renegade who was running in a sprint race for the first time in his career, made an effective switch back in distance by staving off the opposition in the 1200 metres Karnataka Police Trophy, a race for horses rated 80 and above, the feature event of Saturday’s races. The long absence from the track had its bearing on Red Renegade who was grinding to a halt but the winning post came to his rescue even as Rare And Precious came menacingly close. Red Renegade had been campaigned over long trips and had even won the Deccan Colts Trial Stakes last year over a mile. Red Renegade did not relish the mile and quarter trip in the two Derbys that he participated in. Compounding his problems was the fact that he bled in one of his runs which saw him being kept off the track for a long time. He made a winning return in summer over seven furlongs and then ran a close fourth in his next outing in a close finish. Red Renegade was sharpened for this race with the benefit of a

Sun Absolute unleashes a winning performance

Irfan Ghatala trained Sun Absolute unleashed a winning performance in the Royal Calcutta Turf Club Trophy, a seven furlongs terms race for three year olds, the main event of Friday’s races. Sun Absolute who was taking on higher rated horses, had no problem in beating the opposition and lived up to the promise of her debut victory. With the race card throwing a confusing scenario in most events, winner picking turned out to be an exacting exercise. Darius Byramji trained Unleashed who had let down as a favourite in his last run, was expected to make amends in the feature event especially since he was the highest rated horse in the fray by a mile. However, the progeny of Warrshan who was sporting blinkers for the first time let down again as jockey Srinath rode him in too much restraint and possibly waited too long to get the favourite to unleash a big run. From a forward position at the bend, Sun Absolute was pushed to take over the running at the top of the straight and the produce of

Jacqueline, Aurora Aurealis sent to US

The Vijay Shirke, Khushroo Dhunjibhoy, Berjis Minoo Desai owned Jacqueline who became the darling of Indian race goers after winning four Indian classics before losing by a whisker to Becket in the Gr 1 Indian Turf Invitation Cup has been sent to the US along with Aurora Aurealis. The two mares left India on Wednesday and arrived at their destination after a long haul. Both these mares are covered by Glory of Dancer and are due to foal sometime in March. The plan chalked out by the connections is for these mares to spend the statutory 90 days in quarantine at the US before being shipped to Ireland to be covered by a top stallion possibly Galileo who is currently the best stallion in the World. The schedule is tight but it can be managed. The progeny of these two mares may be raced either in Ireland or England where these owners already have several racing horses. It may be recalled that last year, Jacqueline was to travel abroad for the purpose of breeding along with other star perform

Sun Kingdom survives a scare

Irfan Ghatala trained Sun Kingdom was a racing certainty in the Gr 2 HDIL Bangalore 2000 Guineas and the son of Royal Kingdom won the second classic of the season as expected on Saturday but not in the manner expected. Jockey Suraj Narredu nearly made a mess of it but the Equus bred horse was so superior that he was able to overcome the shortcomings of the jockey and still win with a measure of comfort. Electing to make a run along the rails, Suraj had his passage closed and though the front running Braavo and Aprillia had established a useful lead, they lacked the class and stamina to sustain which went against them as Sun Kingdom, after being pulled out, came home with big strides to seal the race in sight of the post. Sun Kingdom looked unbeatable and as such, ran at cramped odds as there was no perceptible threat. Magisterial appeared the only one capable of essaying a challenge but then this talented horse does not have sound legs and had barely managed to win a handicap race as a

Mysore Race Club faces the heat

It is not just politicians who can throw a spanner in the conduct of racing. Bureaucrats can prove to be much more troublesome given the powers that they are vested with. The Mysore Race Club lease is pending and from what one gathers, the government has every intention of extending it. In fact, at the height of government’s forceful demand on Bangalore Turf Club to relocate out of its existing venue, the government had suggested that the club conduct its activities in Mysore till such time an alternative infrastructure was in place. This is a clear indication that the government does not want to meddle with the Mysore Race Club land. In fact, the government has been very understanding and is reportedly considering reducing the tote turn over tax in order to help the club develop its infrastructure in lieu of the land given up to expand the Administrative Training Institute which resulted in the loss of more than 200 stables at the nearby venue. It is just that the local politicians i

Captivating performance in BTC Trophy

Jaggy Dhariwal trained Captivating grabbed the Bangalore Turf Club Trophy, a terms race for three-year olds and over, the feature event of Friday’s races, from the word `go’ and simply gave no chance to her challengers to come anywhere near her shadow en route to a smashing win. The well performed Captivating is due for retirement for stud duties and this were to be her last run, one cannot ask for a better swan song for the talented daughter of Burden of Proof who has literally won `start to finish’ of her career. The field for the feature event looked pretty closely matched though Captivating stood out by virtue of her performance. The front running Captivating has always thrived on challenges and this time out; she achieved her target with ease. Jockey Chris Hayes had Captivating dictate the pace cleverly and when the opponents closed in with a rush with a furlong out, asked the favourite to quicken which she did with remarkable ease to record a facile win. Atlantus made a good rall

Admiralofthefleet to stand at Kunigal Stud Farm

The six-year old son of Danehill, Admiralofthefleet whose promising career was cut short by an injury during the Dubai Racing Carnival two years ago, has been nursed back to stand as a stallion. In his first year at Ireland, he covered 10 mares and seven of them are confirmed to be in foal. India’s leading owner Dr Vijay Mallya, who also runs the hugely successful Kunigal Stud Farm, had bought Admiralofthefleet to race him after the son of Danehill won three races including two group races. However, he broke down and there were doubts whether he would be able to stand up to the injuries suffered and still have a stud career. The efforts have paid off and after one year of stud duty abroad, he has arrived in India and he is at the quarantine station at Chennai before he arrives at the Kunigal Stud Farm to join the most productive sire of the farm, Burden of Proof (Fairy King). India boasts of a number of sons of Danehill currently doing duty in India as stallions at various stud farms.