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Faisal Hassan trained That`s My Darling won the 1200 metres Sri S Ramakrishnam Raju Memorial Cup, a race for horses rated 58 to 78, the feature event of Saturday`s Hyderabad races in a sensational finish. With the horses tightly handicapped, more than half a dozen runners were within less than a length of each other. That`s My Darling who had placed in classics, was winning a race after 545 days.
This year the handicapper has dropped all the horses by 20 points which has brought the horses closer. Those dropping back because of lack of performance and others getting the bonus of a drop are all bunched up and the races for higher category are bound to prove very competitive as a result. And so it proved in the feature event where there was a cavalry charge at the finish, with That`s My Darling getting the nod by a whisker. With a furlong to go, Net Champ who had shot ahead looked safe with only Vallee Secrete looming as a danger but closer home, the complexion of the race changed and the others too charged in. In the bobbing of heads, That`s My Darling on the wide outside had got the nod ahead of Net Champ and Vallee Secrete. That most of the contestants were well matched by the scale was borne out by the close finish.
The 1200 metres Auxiliary Plate, a race for horses rated 26 to 46, went the way of favourite Act In Time. Long shot Matica tried to steal the race by adopting runaway tactics but was found wanting in the final furlong. Act In Time who was in chase of the front-runner got stronger in the final 100 yards and marched to victory with a measure of comfort. Charming Beauty was second ahead of Apache Gal who held off Kireeti for third place.
There was noticeable support for Satheesh trained Surprise Party to win the 1400 metres Cupid Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated up to 30. War Cry was the favourite but then the four-year-old has suffered so many niggles including an operation for a wind problem and there was always a question mark as to how he will cope with pressure when challenged by others. Naamdhari was the other who was in betting consideration of punters. Surprise Party bolted to the front from the start and though she looked vulnerable when War Cry drew clear, the former could pull that bit extra to land the spoils at nourishing odds. Surprise Party hadn`t won for 517 days and the drop that she had for the runs as also the one-time drop of 20 points saw the race turning in her favour. Favourite Penthesilea produced a powerful run down the middle of the track in the final furlong and managed to stave off the late bid of Vijay`s Delight to win the lower division of the race. Take A Bow too finished on well to be a noteworthy third.
Srinivas trained Mirfield produced a scintillating burst of speed in the final furlong to draw clear of the front-running Sweet March to record a facile win in the 1400 metres Warangal Plate, a race for horses rated 26 to 46. Sweet March who led from the start had no answer when Mirfield swooped on her. Sweet March, however, saved the runner-up berth by a whisker from late-rallying Ashwa Ashoka.
Contrary to expectations of first-timer Reunion proving superior in the 1400 metres Ran Laxmi Bai Plate (Div I), a race for maiden three-year-olds, it was Dance Oh Dance who asserted her supremacy in the debut run. Dance Oh Dancer swept past the field in the final furlong and was well clear of Reunion who struggled hard to bridge the gap. Exclusive Striker failed to build on his forward run and was a tame third. Faisal Hassan trained Golden Hope produced a powerful effort in the closing stages of the race to get the nod in the waning yards of the race from Starlight in the lower division of the race. Rapidamente who raced in front always looked vulnerable but managed to keep the third place from Good Strike.
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That`s My Darling (Md Ismail up) winner of the Sri S Ramakrishnam Raju Memorial Cup
Dance Oh Dance (Kuldeep Singh up) winner of the Rani Laxmi Bai Plate(Div-I)
Golden Hope (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Rani Laxmi Bai Plate(Div-II)
Penthesilea (Deepak Singh up) winner of the Cupid Plate(Div-II)
Mirfield (S S Tanwar up) winner of the Warangal Plate
Act In Time (B R Kumar up) winner of the Auxiliary Plate
Surprise Party (Nakhat Singh up) winner of the Cupid Plate(Div-I)
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