Galahad Steals the Spotlight on Opening Day

The Bangalore Winter Season finally kicked off — not with swagger, but with a government licence so temporary it could have been printed on cartridge paper from a roadside Xerox. The club now has just one month to nod obediently, agree to shift the racecourse, and file a joint memo to wrap up the Supreme Court case. Amid this bureaucratic ticking time bomb, Galahad at least delivered clarity by winning the day’s feature, the Rajyotsava Trophy, with authority.

 

By Sharan Kumar

 

The Bangalore Winter Season began because the Government finally waved the licence in like a ration coupon valid for only a month. The club must now spend these 30 days signing letters, affidavits, and joint memos promising to shift the racecourse and to close the case in the Supreme Court by getting consent from the Special General Body. Essentially racing with a noose in the parade ring and a stopwatch ticking in the Stewards’ Room.

 

Sulaiman Attaollahi trained Galahad at least didn’t bother about this melodrama. The horse had last won 300 days ago but looked like he suddenly remembered what winning feels like. Anthony Raj kept him handy, Kalamisti dragged the field along doing the unpaid front-office job, and inside the final furlong Galahad simply said this is my party and went home a comfortable winner from Imperial Blue and Kalamisti in the day’s feature, the 1400 metres Rajyotsava Trophy, a terms race for three-year-olds and over. Iron Clad who has run in more random distances than a confused marathon tourist tried to improve through the rails and then simply evaporated into fourth without even a decent excuse.

 

Money then poured like a breached reservoir on Sulaiman’s Elysium in the Jayanth Shah Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65, because the market swore, she would prove too good. Instead, she ran like she had forgotten what running was. Flights of Fancy lost supporters as rumours floated that she wasn’t a force today. Reiko had juicy odds and Suraj decided not to waste time and simply sprinted off. The Phoenix Tower’s progeny opened daylight and won by a widening margin. Alamgir and Small Dreams wandered into second and third as if by accident. Elysium meanwhile was in another postal code altogether, still trying to figure out why there was so much fuss about her in the first place.

 

Earlier in the day, Solara , yet another Sulaiman Attaollahi trainee, carried more money, more hope, and ultimately delivered more heartbreak. Steffen set the pace and managed to give Solara a check at the crucial moment and by the time Vivek G finally found daylight, Cashable with Suraj in the saddle had already slipped away and sealed the deal. Rocking Star completed the frame while Solara’s supporters completed the heartbreak.

 

Suraj Narredu collected a treble. Excellent Lass waited and waited while Regal Reality took charge for a few seconds of fame in the 1200 metres Belgaum Plate, a race for horses rated 60 to 85. Then Excellent Lass warmed up like a delayed geyser and simply swallowed the field. Regal Reality ran out of petrol, Stellantis hung on for third, and Suraj walked off with the day’s honours.

 

Irfan Ghatala’s Sunshine then did what favourites are supposed to do. Ransomware led, Final Call hit the front, and then Sunshine and apprentice Pavan casually walked past and won by over three lengths. No fuss. No melodrama. No plot twist.

 

Irfan completed his double when Sapporo put up a sustained late run to win the Dudhsagar Falls Plate, the concluding race of the day. Majestic Persona led aggressively but weakened in the final furlong. Amalure flew late, but Sapporo had done enough.

 

The opening race of the day belonged to Lokanath trained Feeling Good who was dropped in class and behaved like a heavyweight dropped into featherweight. Honeypot led them in but Feeling Good delivered an uppercut and won by over seven lengths. Southernartistocrat was third.

 

 

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