B R Sharan Kumar

Mysore Guineas winner String Along did her reputation no harm when slamming the opposition in the Krishnaraja Trophy, a race for horses rated 80 and above, the feature event of what technically was the opening day’s racing of the Bangalore Winter Season on Saturday. The speedy daughter of Alnasr Alwasheek who will be a force to reckon with in the ensuing Guineas brooked on opposition when checking in well clear of late rallying Spark of Bronte. With rains easing off, racing action could begin after a break of three months which was a great relief to racing enthusiasts after the tension of eviction threat that the club faced following the expiry of the lease agreement with the government and the defeat that the club suffered in High Court. String Along had won twice at Mysore and before that an equal number of times during the summer season. String Along opened at cramped odds but the odds expanded marginally though there was no threat perception from any of the contestants who either ...

The Bangalore Turf Club authorities may well have to take the help of astrologers to fix the start of every season. It is a record of sorts that the last decade has seen almost every season, be it winter or summer being affected by strikes by race owners and professionals or adverse weather conditions. Just as things were falling in place for the start of the winter season in these troubled times, came persistent rains over the last one week due to north-east cyclonic conditions, the impact of which was also felt in Bangalore. Though rains have been intermittent in the last two days, the earlier rains had done enough to soak the track. Rains on Thursday put paid to any hopes as underfoot conditions became soggy. The penetrometer reading was about 7 cms which in itself was not bad enough for racing to be held. Friday’s races have been re-scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 9. The authorities felt that even if they were to start racing, the jockeys would have raised objections, st...

The highlight of the Bangalore Winter Season, scheduled to start on Friday, November 5, is the fact that the season will start without the usual strife that characterized the start of any season in Bangalore. Strikes are no longer acceptable especially after the fracas of the summer season which resulted in several days of the season being cancelled. There is very little sympathy for any strike. More importantly, the contentious issues have been sorted out paving the way for smooth start to the season. There is some increase in incentives for local horses and winners of horses bred in Karnataka while the stakes have been retained at the old level. The turf club is also keen on shoring up its resources and as such, there is creation of profit which is being transferred to the reserve pool. The prospectus condition of one per cent of winning stake towards Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association will continue despite protestations by several owners who had given a letter to this effect to ...

Perhaps for the first time in the annals of Indian racing history, a Derby was declared null and void after two freak mishaps involving the first two favourites and a false start. The Gr 1 Poonawalla Mysore Derby turned out to be an eventful one in many ways and the race itself, without the first two favorites being rendered hors de combat was also chaotic, with bumping and boring and lack of control on the part of the jockeys resulting in clumsy action. There would have been spate of objections but the false start perhaps saved the Stewards from going into the running of the race itself. It was a pity that the glamour event of the season should have ended this way. A capacity crowd had come to witness an exciting day’s action but it turned out to be an anti-climax and the outcome was a big disappointment to scores of race goers. The starter’s lack of reflexes and adequate response resulted in the premier race of the season ending in a disaster. The situation could have been saved if t...

Sun Kingdom should have gone into the Gr 1 Poonawalla Mysore Derby which is scheduled to be held on Sunday, as an overwhelming favourite but for one aberration. His below par effort in the Mysore 2000 Guineas has put doubts in the minds of race goers as to his continued brilliance. If the run benefit brings about a dramatic transformation in him, he can win the biggest race of the season. Immense who won the Golconda Colts Trial Stakes and the Mysore 2000 Guineas, has been supplemented ias a final entry after he beat the seemingly invincible Sun Kingdom with ease has a fair chance of retaining his supremacy. Spark of Atan is another who has been enthusiastically put as a final entry in the hope that he would have a strong say. Trainer Irfan Ghatala feels that Sun Kingdom is back at his best. ``I possibly made a mistake in my strategy in asking the jockey to chase Immense instead of racing my horse to its strength. Sun Kingdom produces his sparkling acceleration when he is held back ins...

Mr. Khushroo Dhunjibhoy, racing administrator, leading race horse owner and owner of the high profile Nanoli Stud Farm has been expanding the scale of racing operations in recent times. The success of Jacqueline (King Charlemagne) who won a record breaking four successive Indian classics including the Gr 1 McDowell Indian Derby has obviously been the high point of his career as a race horse owner. This success perhaps has spurred him to explore newer avenues. He already owns a few horses and one of his two-year olds Jehanbux (owned by the same team as Jacqueline) won a race in England in August. The two-year old colt is by Giant’s Causeway out of Harlan Honey (Silver Hawk) who won a race in England in August. The horse is under the care of Richard Hannon and was ridden to victory by Richard Hughes. ``Indians may well be racing more horses abroad’’ Mr. Dhunjibhoy had quipped after returning from Arqana sales in August where the prices had dropped significantly, way below the price that ...

The Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan and Prem Tharani owned Ocean And Beyond (Kingsalsa/Sayuri (Saddler's Wells) won the Gr 1 Nanoli Stud Pune Derby in a close finish from owner mate Sun Light on Sunday. The victory of Equus Stud Farm bred Ocean And Beyond was on expected lines though the horses which chased him to the finish were not the ones who were expected on figure in the thrilling finish. Trainer Shriaz Sunderji had got Ocean And Beyond in the right frame of mind which also helped the hard working professional to win the third Pune Derby of his career, the previous winners being Desert Warrior and Desert Carnival. Rajendra completed a hat-trick of wins in this event.. Eloise who had beaten Ocean And Beyond in her last outing albeit in receipt of weight was a final fray. After staying in touch and striking distance till the final bend, she faded out of contention to finish off the frame. The Derby 1-2 was a repeat show for Rakesh Kumar and Prem Tharani. Moonlight Romance and Sun Kingdo...