Can Becket halt Jacqueline's amazing run?

Jacqueline has remained unconquered after her loss by a whisker to Aboline in the Kingfisher Derby. Jacqueline has won an unprecedented four Indian classics in spectacular fashion though her win against Becket in the Indian Derby was achieved with a degree of difficulty. There were several factors that went against Becket while many favored Jacqueline. Can Becket halt Jacqueline`s amazing run in the Gr 1 Vandrevala Foundation Invitation Cup on Sunday? Jacqueline has had an uninterrupted racing career. She has been free from any niggles. Irish jockey Richard Hughes has ridden her with great understanding, not wanting to extract an ounce of extra effort and preserved her enthusiasm intact. Jacqueline won both the Guineas and the Oaks as though she was on a morning stroll. She has a great temperament and knows exactly what is expected of her which makes the job of her jockey easier. She seizes up the opposition, waits for the command from her master and responds with all the resources at her command. She has shown greater maturity and she has struck fine partnership with Hughes. Hughes is a great strategist himself and critically analyzes the opposition. He rode a peach of a race on Jacqueline in the Indian Derby. Unlike in the past where he relaxed far behind the field, he knew that he had one horse to beat in the Derby and that was Becket. He did not allow Becket too much of a lee way and had the courage of conviction to take the gap that materialized along the rails to overhaul the front running Becket. There was a danger that the gap could have closed but Hughes reacted so swiftly that the race was won the very moment Jacqueline came through the gap. The Sohna Stud Farm bred daughter of King Charlemagne has maintained her form and fitness and is bidding to become the 18th horse in the history of the Invitation Cup to win the double of Indian Derby and the Invitation Cup.


The one factor that could go against her is the fact that she has had quite a bit of racing, had an energy sapping race in the Derby and has to take on an opponent who is going to be wiser by the experience in the scorching heat of March. Interestingly in recent years, the horses which won the Indian Derby rarely went on to win the Invitation Cup and those who lost narrowly made amends in the Invitation Cup.

Becket has had an interrupted career, serious and crippling injuries threatening to end his racing career form the time he set foot on the race track. He missed the first season due to stress fracture as he had the habit of over extending himself, disproportionate to his physical maturity. He had problems with his hoof and had a bout of cellulites in the month of December due to which he missed racing action for considerable period of time. He won the Bangalore Derby in only the fourth run of his career and then within a fortnight, traveled to Mumbai and very nearly conquered Jacqueline, the queen filly. What went against him was his relative inexperience. In all his previous runs, Becket had pulverized the opposition. After overhauling everyone, he could afford to relax but for the first time, he was engaged in a tussle by Jacqueline. There is also a feeling that in order to get Jacqueline off the bridle, the connections of Becket rushed the horse too soon. The fact of the matter is that Becket is a champion in his own right and he should be ridden to his strengths. Becket is a horse who is aggressive up to the point of overtaking the horses in front and once he does the job, he tends to relax. Becket can be more devastating if he is ridden from behind, allowing Jacqueline to hit the front first. Becket has shown good improvement since his Derby run. His latest gallop was outstanding to say the least. The son of Hawk Wing is immensely talented. If he is ridden to his strengths, there is no reason why he cannot reverse the verdict of Indian Derby. As far as others are concerned, Native Knight who has been pretty consistent without winning even once, should run a prominent race though one cannot expect him to topple both Becket and Jacqueline.