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Sulaiman Attaollahi trained Captain Morgan stormed home in the Gr 2 Maharaja`s Cup, a terms race for four-year-olds and over, the feature event of Sunday`s Bangalore races. The progeny of Admiralofthefleet produced a scintillating burst of speed in the final furlong to measure Whomakestherules who had attempted to win the race end to end. Serendine was not far behind in the third position.
The race had an open look about it though the overwhelming belief was that Captain Morgan who was essaying a more suitable trip would have a stronger say over Mathaiyus who had finished ahead of him in the head-to-head encounter on the last occasion. Other than Captain Morgan, there was no strong favourite in the race. Jockey Imran Khan who came as a substitute for the injured Suraj Narredu on Whomakestherules, had the progeny of Multidimensional dictate the pace at a good clip even as the rest were spaced out behind. Captain Morgan was in the mid-group along with Mathaiyus.
Whomakestherules fought on resolutely and held the lead going into the final furlong but it was clear at this stage that he looked vulnerable as Captain Morgan was unleashing a powerful run while Serendine was breathing down his neck. Closer home, Captain Morgan got the better of Whomakestherules to win the race comfortably. Another Multidimensional progeny Serendine was third. Mathaiyus failed to produce the spark of his previous run and was unable to cover the leeway after being ridden in more restraint than before. Hall of Famer who is yet to recover prime form after being affected by an infection, yet again ran well below her capability.
Arjun Mangalorkar trained Antananarivo scored an impressive win in the 1200 metres Marilingaiah Memorial Cup, a race for horses rated 45 to 65, finding all the spaces in the homestretch while making her foray from the back of the field. Fabulous Touch held on to the second place ahead of Duke of Clarence. Queen Credible who was also well fancied, was lethargic at the gates and thereafter she had very little chance of making up the leeway in the straight though she was finishing on well on the wide outside.
Trainer Prithviraj is firing sure shots these days. If his horses come in for serious betting, they have rarely disappointed. Maybe Forever came in for one-sided betting in the 1200 metres Young Rajput Plate, a race for horses rated 15 to 35. The betting was well directed as Maybe Forever bolted to the front from the word `go` and came home in solitary splendor as the rest could not even race within her shadow. Maybe Forever won pulling up by five lengths over Calico King and Prince Azeem.
Newly licensed trainer Dheeraj Venkatswamy had surely begun his training career on a promising note. The youngster led in his fourth winner of the season when the heavily supported Wild Wild Angels swamped the opposition in the 1400 metres Epsom Plate, a race for horses rated 15 to 35 despite apprentice jockey Rayan Ahmed losing the whip in the final furlong. Noble Sapphire ran on from way behind to finish an impressive second ahead of longtime leader Extremelydangerous.
Samar Singh trained Magical Dancer brought off the biggest upset of the day, winning the 1400 metres N M Lingaraju Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 30 to 50 at huge odds. Magical Dancer got a good run along the rails and the five-year-old gelding produced a powerful effort to stave off the late rally of Kolkata challenger He Calls The Shots. Don`t Dilly Dally was third. Favourite Rum Runner ran below expectations.
Cold Frontier who had gone down narrowly last time out with a late effort, was spot on this time in the 1200 metres Divine Light Plate, a race for maiden three-year-olds. Cold Frontier breezed past the front-running Malana in the straight to win by a margin of over four lengths. St Pauli Girl put in a good effort towards the close to get past Malana for the runner-up berth.
Rock Steady won the day`s opener, the 1200 metres Endorsement Plate, a race for horses in the lowest category, quite easily from late-finishing Feet On Fire. As it happens in a race of this nature, the favourites tend to fail unless they are the medium of a gamble. As such, the poor performance of Love For Live was in conformity with this belief.
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Captain Morgan (Trevor Patel up) winner of the Maharaja`s Gold Cup (Gr.2)
Rock Steady (Rayan Ahmed R up) winner of the Endorsement Plate
Cold Frontier (Trevor Patel up) winner of the Divine Light Plate
Magical Dancer (V R Jagadeesh up) winner of the N. M. Lingaraju Memorial Trophy
Antananarivo (S John up) winner of the Marilingaiah Memorial Cup
Wild Wild Angels (Rayan Ahmed R up) winner of the Epsom Plate
Maybe Forever (Dhanu Singh Deora up) winner of the Young Rajput Plate
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