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Prasad Raju trained Lady In Lace maintained her amazing winning streak by extending it to the first classic of the season, the Gr 3 Deccan Fillies Championships, the highlight of Monday`s races held at Malakpet. The daughter of less heralded Chinese Whisper took a quantum jump in her ratings by easily accounting for dual classic winner Manifold to bring big cheer to the local enthusiasts who have time and again seen outstation horses come and thrash the local hopes in the classics.
The official ratings may not have shown much difference between the two horses. While one was a classic winner, the other was yet to test waters in a classic race. Mainfold`s reputation was so imposing that she was quoted at on money odds despite the fact that Windsor Forest who had run a close third to the Derby winner over a mile, had been roundly beaten by Lady In Lace. The local sentiment went in favour of Lady In Lace who had her share of supporters despite the imposing credentials of the contender from Mumbai who had conquered Bangalore during the summer season.
Indian jockeys are not adept at devising strategy if they are confronted with a situation they would not have envisaged before the start of the race. On both the occasions that Manifold won at Bangalore, the pace of the race was strong and jockey Neeraj Rawal could settle the horse, bring her from behind and exploit both the speed and stamina of the daughter of Multidimensional. In short, Indian jockeys look good if they have the assistance of a GPS which in effect means a guided pace. With the horses in the fray not having the class to go to the front, Neeraj Rawal found himself in front on Manifold. Srinath cleverly got the well-backed runner to take a sedate start and settle her behind.
Neeraj perhaps went a tad quick in the early part of the race which eventually worked against her. Manifold came into the straight a couple of lengths clear of Mahateji while Srinath on Lady In Lace was confidently sitting behind, waiting for the race to evolve to make his move. Neeraj pushed Manifold hard to get a decisive lead in the homestretch but the filly did not have the sprinting speed to go clear. Srinath waited with Lady In Lace till approaching the final 300 metres before riding out the filly with all the resources at his command. Lady In Lace was not required to be punished with a whip to get the necessary response. A mere shake of the reins was good enough for the filly to change gears. Lady In Lace bounced clear in the final furlong and was hailed a winner long way from home. Manifold ran on to keep the second place ahead of Mahateji. The small made Manifold will be a different kettle of fish when she runs in the extended trip of the Derby. One is not sure whether Lady In Lace can get extended trips. If she does, then the Derby becomes an exciting prospect.
Donald Netto trained Big Heart was backed with conviction to win the 1400 metres Blue Max Cup, a race for horses rated 26 to 46. The progeny of Western Aristocrat tracked Dance Oh Dance into the straight before leaving his companion way behind to establish a winning lead well before the final furlong. Big Heart checked in more than six lengths clear of Ashwa Bahula who nosed out Golden Hope for the runner-up position.
Jockey Trevor Patel who is all set to test his skills in Australia from next week, drove out Doroteo to win the 2000 metres Delage Plate, a race for horses rated 42 to 62. Doroteo who raced up with the field along with Carolina Moon, skipped clear on turning for home and established a winning lead. By the time Euro Zone could warm up to the task and make a strong challenge, Doroteo was in the vicinity of the post and Trevor was unrelenting in ensuring that the well-backed runner reached the post safely. Carolina Moon was third.
In a thrilling finish, with the bobbing of heads deciding the outcome of the 1200 metres Donegal Plate, a race for horses rated 26 to 46, the well backed Palace On Wheels managed to get the nod from Warrior Supreme in an exciting battle for supremacy. Top Starchy managed to keep the third position ahead of late finishing Sweet Pistol. China Millennium ran below par.
Trainer Laxman Singh who saddled Palace On Wheels had earlier led in debutant Heathrow who swamped the opposition in splendid fashion in the Diabolo Plate (Div I), a race for maiden three-year-olds. Heathrow was slightly sluggish at the start but covered ground without much fuss in the straight to collar the favourite Royal Green and go clear in the final 100 metres to win the race by a comfortable margin of four lengths. Wannawin was third. Jockey Robert Hannam drove out Inzaire vigorously to keep the challenge of Starlight at bay to win the lower division of the race as a well fancied runner. Be Sure was third while Air Strike ran well below expectations.
The 1400 metres Starsky Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated up to 30 where jockeys were not allowed to carry the whips, saw a tight finish with Invasion winning by the proverbial whisker over Jayin. The last named raced detached from the field and showed up rather late in the straight. However, Jayin crisscrossed his way to surge ahead closer home. Invasion who went wide in the final moments of the race also finished with a rush. It was difficult to pick who was the winner as the two runners were spread out wide. The magic eye favoured Invasion who thus snatched victory thanks to jockey Akshay Kumar who persevered with the horse with his hands in the absence of the whip which could have corrected the drift. The well fancied Shivalik Arrow from the stables of trainer Anupam Sharma won the lower division of the race with a late rally which saw the four-year-old filly measure the runaway leader Zensational in the nick of time to land the spoils. Dear Friend failed to change gears and stayed glue to the third position.
Anupam Sharma trained La Romance made light of the opposition to win the 1200 metres Red Chieftan Cup, a race for horses rated 26 to 46 in emphatic fashion. Apprentice jockey B R Kumar took La Romance on a start to finish mission and the front-runner went beyond the reach of the rest in the home stretch to win by a margin of over two lengths. Ashka Ashka Ashka nosed out Celtic Queen for the runner-up berth.
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Lady In Lace (Y S Srinath up) winner of the Deccan Fillies Championship Stakes (Gr.3)
La Romance (B R Kumar up) winner of the Red Chieftan Cup
Heathrow (S S Tanwar up) winner of the DIABLO PLATE (DIV-I)
Big Heart (Shailesh Shinde up) winner of the Blue Max Cup
Shivalik Arrow (B R Kumar up) winner of the Starsky Plate (Div-II)
Doroteo (Trevor Patel up) winner of the Delage Plate
Palace On Wheels (Kuldeep Singh up) winner of the Donegal Plate
Invasion (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Starsky Plate (Div-I)
Inzaire (R J Hannam up) winner of the Diablo Plate (Div-II)
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