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Dancing Prances has to defy history

  February 26 , 2015
   

The Gr 1 Sprinters Cup has the reputation of throwing nasty surprises. This year`s edition of the Sprinters Cup is being sponsored by part owner of Attila who herself had the distinction of winning back to back Sprinters Cup albeit as an outsider. Since horses of more or less equal caliber compete in the race, there is no margin for error. However great the horse may be, it has to be at its best and produce the best on the track overcoming many a hiccup en route to the winning post.

Over the years, there have been odd favourites to have obliged huge expectation but history has taught us with unerring consistency, that there is no such thing as a certainty in a race of this nature. Before the race, we could identify a horse as being the best based on its run of wins but in the race itself, things even out and become more democratic. All are equal till crossing the winning post. In the last two year`s edition, a mere hair`s breadth has come in the way of glory and defeat. Nine year old Nefyn bids to become the first horse in the history of this race to aim a hat-trick having won the last two editions held at Kolkata and Hyderabad by the shortest of margins possible. Interestingly, Nefyn had performed poorly leading to the Sprinters Cup and was lucky to be nominated for the race at Hyderabad. In the race itself, in the hands of Jimmy Fortune he produced a lethal burst of speed in the final furlong, gaining the distinction in a three horse photo finish with Dancing Prances, this year`s favourite and Speed Six who is trying to be third time lucky missing out by a whisker.

Nefyn hasn`t been in great form this year as well but nothing can take away the fact that he produces his best in the most competitive environment. Trainer Bezan Chenoy, who has time and again got amazing results with his wards, is a past master at planning his wards to produce their best when it matters the most. Though long in the tooth, Nefyn is not to be trifled with. The worry though has been his form as well as the wide outside draw that he has got.

By all accounts, Altaf Hussain trained Dancing Prances should be the firm favourite to win this test of speed. Dancing Prances has shown his fighting qualities by winning his last five races in exemplary fashion. He has not been flashy in his wins but effective nevertheless. Jockey Sandesh understands him very well. The horses weighed 540 kgs when he won his first outing of the season and was about eight kgs less in his second win when he held off the surprise challenge of Brynhill. He should have stripped fitter much more than last time. This big made five year old son of Ace is sure to go to the post as a favourite. Unfortunately, he too has been drawn on the wide outside which demands that the horse has to be on the boil from the word `go` as positioning in a sprint race is what finally determines the outcome of the race unless one has the brilliance of Oasis Star who won this event back to back some years ago. She had the versatility to win from any position and ability to cover ground in the blinking of an eye.

Nazak Chenoy trained Brynhill has been in great form. The six year old performed brilliantly going down to seasoned Dancing Prances in the dying moments of the race in his last run in the Dr S C Jain Sprinters Cup whose form has held good for this race even if not in the order of finish of this race. Interestingly, when this race was held in Bangalore a few years ago, the S C Jain result manifested in reverse order! Brynhill lacked the experience of running in exalted company. Now with the experience of S C Jain race, he should prove a handful though he has also suffered a poor draw, being drawn the widest in the 15 horse field.

The horses mentioned above are the best that Mumbai can offer. Then coming back to the formidable challenge from Bangalore, there is seven year old Speed Six who has defied odds and so many physical niggles to maintain his brilliance. The Padmanabhan trainee has been unfortunate to have lost at Kolkata after going into what appeared a winning lead in the final furlong. He lost by a whisker thanks to the brilliance of both Nefyn and his jockey Jimmy Fortune. And again at Hyderabad, Speed Six overcame a hampered passage but was pushed to the third slot, with head and short head being the margin. Speed Six cut some brilliant timing in both his wins over six furlongs at Bangalore. He appears to be in fine shape and bids to get lucky the third time. Perseverance always pays and it remains to be seen whether Speed Six can crown himself with what has eluded him for the last two years. Jockey Trevor Patel who finally got it right on Speed Six on the last occasion, will guide the fortunes of the progeny of Burden Proof who surely is one of the gutsiest horses that one has seen.

Invincible Prince, also trained by Padmanabhan, has been a game performer. In his last run at Kolkata, in the race that Dandified won, he was badly interfered and lost all his chances. He has a blistering turn of speed and if things fall in place, he could be the dark `un in the fray.

Hyderabad`s Un Un Un comes to the race on the back of six successive impressive wins at home. The R H Sequeira trainee is in great shape but it remains to be seen how he will fare in the Sprinters Cup which is a different ball game. The others in the fray seem to be making up the numbers though time and again horses which have been totally neglected have benefitted from lack of pressure and produced stunning upsets.

The other highlight of Saturday`s races is the Gr 1 Stayers Cup which has a good field of 11 runners in the fray. Pesi Shroff trained Tiger Tops who ran behind Be Safe in the Indian Derby has been targeted for this race. The got abroad four year old filly is stoutly bred to stay and is sure to be the most preferred one. The Stayers Cup has been mostly won by seasoned horses and Tiger Tops, despite her top drawer performances, has a tough ask.

An Acquired Taste went off the boil after winning Indian St Leger two years ago. He had a useful mock race but then has to make quantum improvement to enhance his chances. Stablemate Astapi who won the last year`s edition of this race appears to have a better chance than him.

Azhar Ali trained Wind Stream who finished second best last year appears to have bounced back to his best. Wind Stream beat Agostini pointless in his last outing over a mile and half trip in his last run. Going by that performance, Wind Stream is one of the strongest contenders for the plum.

Kolkata Invitation Cup winner Tintinnabulation has done reasonably well back home. He has the class and the stamina to make his presence felt.

 
 
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