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Imtiaz Sait trained Iron Age proved that he is the best sprinter of Western India when treating the opposition with contempt en route to his sixth straight win to claim the Gr 2 Dr S C Jain Sprinters Championship, a terms race for four-year-olds and over, the feature event of Sunday`s Mumbai races. Iron Age cut a smart time of one minute 09.84 seconds which was fractionally slower than the course record. Imtiaz Sait had a rewarding day saddling four winners.
The Manjri Stud Farm produce has struck such prolific form that for him every race has been as easy as an outing in the park. He went to the post as a short-priced horse. Trevor Patel has the speedy son of Strong Suit in the front and the favourite enjoyed his foray there staying put without coming under pressure. Iron Age spared a comfortable margin of two lengths to Intense Stylist who was ridden out to catch up with the front-runner. La Magnifique took the third position finishing four lengths adrift of Intense Stylist. Iron Age is now headed to Mysore for the Sprinters Cup where he will take on the challenge of the likes of Multifaceted, Mauritania, Knotty Ash and the rest to establish his claim as the best sprinter in the country. Imtiaz Sait has done a splendid job of keeping the five-year-old gelding in splendid shape.
Sandesh had it easy on Sagittarius in the 2000 metres Sonny Brar Trophy, a race for horses rated 60 to 86. Both Sagittarius and Gloriosus were strongly fancied to win in the three-horse field, but the race became a one-sided affair. Sandesh had Sagittarius dictate the pace from the word `go` and in the final furlong skipped clear to win by a widening margin of five lengths even as Gloriosus struggled to bridge the gap. Square Moon was third.
Shiraz Sunderji trained Revelator completed a hat-trick of wins by staving off the strong challenge from Gallantry and Sasakwa to win the 1400 metres Dr Jagjit Singh Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 66. After Poker Pace ran freely in front and weakened by the final furlong, Nicky Mackay pushed favourite Revelator to take charge. Gallantry made a strong challenge along with Sasakwa who came from way off the pace but the front-runner had enough cushion to win by half a length.
Imtiaz Sait trained Miss Muffet made an impressive winning debut in the 1400 metres N M Irani Trophy, a race for maiden three-year-olds getting the better of Live By Night close home. Miss Muffet was sluggish at the start and was at the wrong end of the field when the field took the final turn. Jockey Nicky Mackay who came in for the injured Zervan who suffered a toe finger fracture at Chennai did not panic and nursed the filly to salvage whatever she could in the long straight. She Is On Fire who set the pace weakened going into the final furlong and Live By Night who had the benefit of a race run came into strong contention. Nicky Mackay worked his way through the middle on Miss Muffet who briskly covered places to challenge the fancied runner. Miss Muffet got the better of Live By Night in the waning yards of the race to land the spoils as a favourite. Arcadia ran on strongly to get the third position ahead of Casanova Prince and Chancellor.
Sandesh drove out Imtiaz Sait trained Memorable Memories to record an encore in the 1200 metres Cole Centenary Gold Trophy, a race for horses rated 20 to 46. Memorable Memories got the better of front-running Alpine Dancer in the final furlong and stormed ahead to win with a measure of comfort. Agrami necked out Stick To The Plan to get the third position.
Trainer Imtiaz Sait led in his fourth winner through Ithaca. David Egan who is enjoying a good run booted home Ithaca to a repeat win in the 2000 metres Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 66. Peerless ran freely in front and doggedly stayed on till the final stages of the race. Ithaca who was in the second position was driven out to measure the front-runner close home and then stave off the late flourish of Gold Medalist to land the spoils.
Jockey Amyn Merchant was astride a rare winner through the well-fancied So Splendid in the lower division of the 1400 metres Forest Fair Plate, a race for horses in the lowest category. From a handy position, So Splendid shot ahead in the final furlong and had no problem in staving off the challenge of Grand Eyes. Lovely Fairy who raced up with the pace weakened to finish third. Grand Eyes reportedly returned sore after the race. Sandesh guided M K Jadhav trained Aquarius to a start to finish in the upper division of the race. Aquarius was under pressure to keep the lead in the closing stages of the race as Romanesque was closing in with a rush, but the winning post came to the rescue of the front-runner. Nusrat was in contention till the final 100 metres but failed to find an extra gear and had to settle for the third spot.
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Sagittarius (A Sandesh up) winner of the Sonny Brar Trophy
So Splendid (Amyn Merchant up) winner of the Forest Flair Plate (Div-II)
Revelator (Nicky Mackay up) winner of the Dr Jagjit Singh Trophy
Miss Muffet (Nicky Mackay up) winner of the N M Irani Trophy
Iron Age (Trevor Patel up) winner of the Dr. S. C. Jain Sprinters Championship (Gr.2)
Memorable Memories (A Sandesh up) winner of the Cole Centenary Gold Trophy
Ithaca (David Egan up) winner of the Maharashtra, Gujarat & Goa Area Trophy
Aquarius (A Sandesh up) winner of the Forest Flair Plate (Div-I)
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