B R Sharan Kumar

Pedigree is the backbone for any race horse to perform to classic potential. But is pedigree good enough to ensure performance? Quite often, modestly bred horses have proved everyone wrong and gone on achieve glory that was considered beyond their compass. What are the factors that race goers have to keep in mind while assessing a horse? Americans believe that proof of performance is pedigree while in Europe the reverse is the mantra. They believe that pedigree is proof of performance. These two conflicting theories also guide the mindset of breeders in these places. In USA, they don’t hesitate to breed with top stallions if the horse concerned has achieved laurels in racing even if he does not command blue blood in the traditional sense. In Europe, a horse must have both pedigree and performance in order to be entertained by top stud farms. What factors should weigh in the minds of race goers in order to decide their fancies in classic races? Almost every horse which runs in a classic...

Neil Darashah trained Hatsuhana built on the good effort that he had put in his last essay by claiming the Karnataka Sub-Area Cup, a seven furlong race for horses rated 80 and above, the feature event of Saturday’s races from late rallying Tomsk with a measure of comfort. This full brother to multi-classic winning Fleeting Arrow has overcome many a problem and is now performing to his potential. The last two races of the day were held in rain which intensified significantly after the last race for run. The rains lasted for more than three hours and the underfoot conditions will be on the softer side for Sunday’s races. Hatsuhana had the credentials but the thrust on him was not so much visible in what appeared a competitive and tricky race for most race goers. He was the favourite at 4/1 while the rest were available at longer odds. Red Renegade led the field followed by Topkapi, Soberano and Hatsuhana while the rest was spaced out behind with Tomsk bringing up the tail end. Jockey Lad...

There is a saying in racing that if you want to make an ass of yourself, issue an unqualified statement about a race horse, the horse will take it from there. Horses have a way of fooling even the most wise, acknowledged as authorities. What else can explain the irony of the Gr 1 Fillies Championship Stakes Lovely Kiss and Gr 1 Colts Championship Stakes Pronto Pronto not being original entries for the coveted summer Derby while scores of other horses have been entered which have little or no chance in the coveted event? Lovely Kiss and Pronto Pronto who are the top rated three-year olds in the country at the moment, have to be supplemented to the Derby as final entries. Severstahl who finished an impressive third despite the hind shoe coming off during the race is another who may run in the Derby as a final entry at a whopping amount of Rs 16 lakhs. The total stake money for the race is expected to swell beyond Rs 240 lakh mark. The Derby winner will get much more than the Indian Derb...

In a pulsating finish, the Manjri Stud Farm bred Pronto Pronto managed to get the verdict in the bob of heads to win the Gr 1 Colts Championship Stakes, the second classic of the season, on Sunday. Veteran trainer Imtiaz Sait was thus recording a classic success in Bangalore after a longish break through Pronto Pronto who overcame a lack of a run on this track to win in one of the most absorbing contests of the season. The first visit to Bangalore Turf Club for joint owner and breeder Shapoor Misty proved to be a rewarding one as he led in the winner excitedly along with his son and partners. Though there were reservations about Amadeus getting the mile trip, he ended up as the favourite in the belief that at level weights he would prove a different customer and put it across Speed Six who had beaten him in their last encounter. Pronto Pronto and Tiberius who had gone into the race with a mock race to boost their fitness were available at nourishing odds. Speed Six was available at lon...

Ganapathy trained Ordained One claimed the Gr 3 Chief Minister’s Cup with aggressive running in the day’s feature event on Saturday. Becket who was known for tremendous acceleration in the final furlong, is a pale shadow of his former self as a number of niggles seem to have taken its toll. Last year’s dual Derby winner Xisca had a good lead up race for her future assignments as she finished with a late dash but could not displace long time front runner Spearhead from the runner up berth. It has been difficult for race goers to look beyond Becket as he was once again made the overwhelming favourite despite the presence of last year’s second best horse in the country Xisca who had won the Deccan Derby and Calcutta Derby besides finishing third in Indian Derby and second in Indian Turf Invitation Cup. She was well placed in scales too. While Becket was at even money, Xisca was at nourishing odds. Ordained One had placed in classics and as such he was enjoying the best advantage in scales...

Pesi Shroff trained Amadeus lost to Speed Six in his last outing at a difference of five kgs but both these horses will be running at level weights in the Gr 1 Colts Championship Stakes, the second classic of the season, to be run on Sunday. Amadeus lost by two and half lengths but can he cover that leeway and more at level weights? Logically he should but given the fact that Amadeus has faltered over seven furlongs not once but twice in his career makes one wonder whether he has issues with stamina over longer trips. The outcome of the Colts Championship will perhaps decide the destiny of Amadeus as to whether he will be experimented over longer trips or brought back to a sprint. Since Speed Six won over seven furlongs quite well, he should have no problem in tackling an extra furlong. If both these horses under perform for any reason, there are two horses which are eminently capable of profiting from the same. The unbeaten Tiberius and Mumbai’s Pronto Pronto are both in great shape b...

Trainer Samar Singh, who did not know where his winner was going to come from last winter season, has a struck a gold patch through Hazara Stud Farm bred Lovely Kiss. The daughter of Rebuttal recorded a hat-trick of wins when landing the richly endowed Gr 1 Fillies Championship Stakes, the first classic of the Bangalore Summer Season. Lovely Kiss is owned in partnership by Mrs Shanti Devi, Vikram Singh, B V Singh and breeder Nirmal Singh. This is the first Group 1 success not only for first season sire Rebuttal but also for the up and coming stud farm based at Ambala in Haryana. Frenchman Stephane Ladjad did everything that was expected of him on the fancied runner. The Fillies Championship attracted a big field of 16 runners though on book of form, Black Magic Woman, Lovely Kiss, Preordained and Nearness of You appeared to have better chance than the rest on the basis of their performances thus far. Black Magic Woman had performed incredibly well over sprints and had reached a highe...

Arjun Mangalorkar trained Immense asserted his superiority over the opposition in the 1400 metres Civil Services Cup, a race for horses rated 80 and above, the feature event of Saturday’s races. Dual classic winner Immense overcame a long absence from the track owing to an injury suffered at Mumbai during the Indian 2000 Guineas with a smashing win which should make him as a frontline contender for next month’s BTC Anniversary Cup. Immense enjoyed the status as the best horse last winter after Guineas heroine Siachen. Immense was sent to Mumbai to have a go at the Guineas with a great deal of expectation but he did not travel well and also suffered a crack on his hoof. As such, he was out of action for a long time. Though he had not been stretched in workouts, most believed that his class would carry him home. His manner of victory and the fact that he re-affirmed that he had not lost his zest augur well for him. Till this performance from Immense, Siachen looked a cinch on the basis o...

The first classic of the season, traditionally known as the Fillies Trial Stakes, has been re-named as Gr 1 Fillies Championship Stakes, and it will be run on Sunday. There is great enthusiasm in the absence of any clear cut favourite which is evidenced by a record number of 16 runners in the fray. It is in the fitness of things because the runners appear to be well matched. The Cooji Katrak trained Black Magic Woman who is the highest rated filly in the fray, will obviously be the preferred one though her rating has been achieved significantly by winning a handicap race where there was lack of effective competition. What enhances her value as a top contender is the fact that in her third run at Mumbai, she clocked an outstanding time for a sprint. And if she can extend her superiority over the mile long trip, she can go places. Black Magic Woman’s dam, One Magic Moment was an outstanding performer up to seven furlongs. She faltered over longer trips. One Magic Moment was second in th...

Jaggy Dhariwal trained Siachen made an effective switch back in distance to win the Gr 3 Chief Minister’s Trophy, the feature event of Sunday’s races in splendid fashion. Siachen came from way off the pace to collar Sprinters Cup winner Atilla with minimum of fuss to show that she is adept from sprint to a mile. Australian jockey Noel Callow, who rode Siachen to victory, had a rewarding day having also been associated with the success of Sovetskaya, Chantilly and Crown Empress. Attila, who had won the Sprinters Cup at Mumbai in March, was the favourite though there was absence of enthusiastic thrust as his odds kept on expanding. Siachen and Sirono were the other two horses widely expected to figure prominently at the finish. There was no doubting the class of Siachen who showed out in the paddock parade. The only question mark was the fact that she had performed below par over seven furlongs last summer before asserting her superiority over a mile. She had never been campaigned less t...

Dominic trained Still Will finished on powerfully in the hands of jockey P S Chouhan to measure the front running Friendly Bond in the final strides of the race to win the 1200 metres K N Guruswamy Memorial Cup (Div I), a race for horses rated 60 to 85, the feature event of Saturday’s races. Last outing winner Citrali won the lower division of the race at fancy odds even as favourite Florida finished in the ruck. Friendly Bond was firmly backed to win and not without reason. Friendly Bond had been rated highly by the stable and after a failed attempt in a classic over a mile; he ran some run of the mill races. Now brought back to sprint, he was at a mark where he could make his presence felt. However, with Abnoba receiving inspired support, Friendly Bond was available at nourishing odds. Still Will was available close to 10 to 1 though this moody customer runs best when he is fresh. Another Destiny led the field with a fast run with Friendly Bond in close attendance while Still Will wa...