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Sulaiman Attaollahi trained Serjeant At Arms proved invincible when he maintained his unbeaten run in Bangalore with yet another smashing performance in the 1600 metres Krishnaraja Wadiyar Cup, a terms race for four-year-olds and over, the feature event of Sunday`s races. Races did not run kindly for punters as several long shots won against the run of expectations resulting in just one jackpot hunter cracking the pool.
Serjeant At Arms has time and again proved that there is no horse in India who can beat him over trips up to a mile. Though he was conceding weight to all his adversaries, nobody was willing to take a risk on any other horse as Serjeant At Arms towered over the rest with his commanding performances. He was quoted at a very cramped price. Jockey Sandesh who has struck a fine partnership with the champion son of Ikhtyar out of wonder mare Rahy`s Serenade, was confidence personified as he settled the favourite in about the fourth or fifth position well into the straight. Serjeant At Arms established a commanding lead once Sandesh asked the horse to quicken. Serjeant At Arms majestically strode past the rest for an easy win in a good time of one minute 36.9 seconds. Aster Rose who did not get a clear run and had to be pulled out horizontally inside the final furlong to make her bid, was full of running, a little more than three lengths adrift. With a clear passage, Aster Rose would have finished closer but would not have toppled the favourite. Fire Glow ran on to finish third while Ace Bucephalus finished fourth. Hall of Famer failed to live up to expectations, finishing down the field as she was outpaced from the beginning and was unable to gather momentum.
Prithviraj trained Minver Rose who had finished second best on a few occasions, finally found the winning mark in the 1200 metres Speaker`s Trophy (Div I), a race for maiden three-year-olds. After the lung opener, Miniver Rose appeared ready to strike. The speedy daughter of Western Aristocrat swept into a big lead on entering the straight and had enough legs to scrape past the post ahead of the late rallying Cold Frontier. Animal King was third. Favourite Malana did not get a clear run and was lost in the crowd. Faraz Arshad trained Louisiana won the lower division of the race with a start to finish mission. Favourite Gandharva found foot rather late and was a disappointing second. Surf Romance edged out Sam Bernardino to save place money.
Arjun Mangalorkar trained Fabulous won the 1600 metres V T Velu Memorial Cup, a race for horses rated 45 to 65, quite comprehensively. Fabulous burst clear of the pack inside the final furlong and sped away for an impressive win. El Fenix and That`s My Class battled for the second spot, with the former getting that berth by the proverbial whisker. Star Tracker who was expected to fight it out was a late-finishing fourth as the four-year-old gelding lost a forward position and was then brought very wide by jockey Imran Khan which itself ensured that whatever chances the horse had evaporated into thin air.
Mayweather was yet another favourite to bite the dust from the yards of Neil Darashah in the New Market Plate, a race for horses in the lowest category. The four-year-old gelding raced up with the field till turning for home but faded out under pressure. The race was won by Narayan Gowda trained Amalfi Coast in the hands of jockey R Anand returning a dividend of over 200 to 1 on the tote. Flying Bullet was second ahead of Splendid Brave. Sidi Bamba got struck under the gates as the horses were being loaded. The start of the race as a result was delayed by more than half an hour as it took a long while for the horse to be pulled out.
Campari Girl let down huge expectation in the 1400 metres Flirting Vision Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 15 to 35. Long shot Opening Act led from the start and had a useful cushion going into the final furlong which helped the cause of the front-runner who escaped to victory by a fast-diminishing margin of a short neck. Dancing Princess and Indian Legend swooped on the front-runner but missed the mark narrowly. Favourite Satinette got all the openings required in the straight to win the lower division of the race. Satinette came into the straight with a ground-saving run and for her luck, all the spaces opened up and Trevor was able to drive the filly to victory. Summer Star got the second place ahead of Karod Pati. There was spirited betting on Ira who graced the wrong end of the field from the beginning and end up a tame fourth.
Ravelnation was another favourite to let down in the 1400 metres Chettinad Stud Plate, a race for horses rated 30 to 50. Ravelnation shot ahead in the final furlong but was surprised by Amazing Desire who produced a strong gallop to get past the favourite to score a comfortable win at big odds. Silver Legend who attempted start to finish tactics, managed to stave off Wise Guy to get the third place.
Leo D`Silva trained Mega Million was yet another big priced horse to win in the concluding race of the day. Star Line was strongly fancied to win the 1200 metres Prabalo Plate, a race for horses rated 15 to 35, ahead of Kasauli. Both these horses were not in the hunt. A Hearttoremeber made an earnest effort but was floored in the final furlong by three-year-old Mega Million whose four unplaced efforts back home at Hyderabad was not suggestive of an imminent change in form. Parting Shot returned rich dividends on place betting by finishing third.
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Serjeant At Arms ( A Sandesh up) winner of The Krishnaraja Wadiyar Cup
Louisiana (Suraj Narredu up) winner of The Speaker`S Trophy (Div-II)
Satinette (Trevor Patel up) winner of The Flirting Vision Plate (Div-II)
Amalfi Coast (R Anand up) winner of The New Market Plate
Opening Act (Anjar Alam up) winner of The Flirting Vision Plate (Div-I)
Fabulous (S John up) winner of The V. T. Velu Memorial Cup
Miniver Rose (Prashant P Dhebe up) winner of The Speaker`S Trophy (Div-I)
Amazing Desire (Rayan Ahmed R up) winner of The Chettinad Stud Plate
Mega Million (G Naresh up) winner of The Prabalo Plate
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