Can Fire Zone make his presence felt?

Fire Zone is competing in the highest category in Saturday’s Bangalore races (June 13) for the first time after two encouraging wins in the lower class. The son of Glory of Dancer showed encouraging class in his wins which saw him being campaigned ambitiously in the Indian 2000 Guineas. Though he did not do well, the experience will stand him in good stead when he takes on a competitive field in the 1400 metres Civil Services Cup.

Fire Zone might have been out of depth on that occasion but there is no denying the fact that he is a good handicapper. His mock race was encouraging. Though he is taking on seasoned and well performed Einstein, the fact remains that Fire Zone is yet to his reach his handicap mark. Since Fire Zone can be stretched to do better and the fact that he is well placed in scales, encourages one to nominate Fire Zone ahead of the rest. Spark of Gold, who has been a rousing performer, is sure to add pep at the finish.

Man United has been entrusted to a jockey with a good win percentage and that itself should make him worthy of a bet. Reaping Reward is another horse worthy of trusting one’s money on.

The rest of the races appear not clear cut. The first race will Ticket To Ride run as a cramped on money favourite without any justification.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The enduring charm of the Bangalore Derby

I never thought that I would become a full-time racing writer when I set out as a journalist in the year 1980. My passion for cricket was what drove me to become a sports journalist. If there are many converts like me in the field of horse racing, you can blame it on the enduring charm of the Derby. Most people come to the Derby because they hear so much about it. Many of them stay back and I was one of them.   The first time I attended any race day was the running of the 1984 Derby. Eddy Cracknell trained Lively Empery was one of the highest priced runners in the fray. The horse reportedly was for sale much before the Derby. Luckily for the trainer it remained unsold and the horse went on to win the Summer Derby as well as the Winter Derby in the hands of Alan Mercer. It won the Derby at odds of 100 to 1.   Legend has it that the current leading trainer Padmanabhan told one of his owners to buy the horse and that he would win the Derby with this horse. The owner was not too en
Read more

Rajan Bala, one of a rare kind

Image
One of the finest cricketer writers that India has seen, Rajan Bala, passed away in Bangalore on Friday (October 9) after brief illness. He was truly an inspirational journalist for a generation of sports writers in the country in a career spanning about four decades. I began my career as a sports journalist in Deccan Herald of which he was the Sports Editor. I worked under him later in Indian Express as well though at that time he was stationed in Chennai. He then moved to Mumbai and also had a stint with an eveninger. He returned to Bangalore in the last decade with the intention of retiring from active journalism and keep himself occupied by writing columns for newspapers. But he soon landed another job, this time as the Resident Editor of Bangalore edition of Asian Age and he made me write a column on horse racing. He later became a columnist for Bangalore Mirror and joined a TV company as a consultant editor and yet again, he made me participate in a panel discussion on horse rac
Read more

Villoo Poonawalla’s death leaves a void in racing

Villoo Poonawalla’s death last Tuesday has caused a big void in racing world. Being the wife of one of leading faces in Indian racing, Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, she was easily the most recognizable person in horse racing at Pune and Mumbai. She was a great racing enthusiast and was instrumental in Dr Cyrus Poonawalla keeping a substantial number of horses to race in his colors. She also goaded Dr Poonawalla to buy quite a few got abroad horses for purpose of racing them in their colors. In fact, Phenomenale who won the Pune Derby two years ago, raced in her colors. India's best known nursery of thoroughbreds, the Poonawalla Stud Farm, is owned by the Poonawalla family. Having been an amateur rider herself in her younger days, Villoo had passion for racing and made it a point to be present at the racecourse to cheerfully lead in the winners owned by the family. She led in Change of Luck who won the Casino Royalel Indian St Leger in March earlier this year, with great delight. She express
Read more