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Hartnell, the fittest horse in the field of six runners, scored an emphatic victory in the 2,000m Maharajadhiraja Uday Chand Metab of Burdwan Memorial Cup, the feature event in Thursday’s card. Held back in the mid-division till the top of the home turn, jockey B. Mahesh let the top-weighted runner, from trainer Jasbir Singh’s stable, go into the lead and the race was over bar shouting. The afternoon also witnessed jockey Imran Chisty was also in the limelight, having scored a rich treble in the seven-event competitive card.
It was an open-betting field in the feature event, with Hartnell going to the start as a co-favourite along with Cadman (Suraj Narredu), and lowly weighted Pothus (S. Zervan) at 7/2. The other favourites in the betting, however, never made any impact while Jasbir’s less fancied runner, Rewalding (Mohit Singh) made most of the running. Honestly speaking Cadman, Rewalding and Multiglory finished in the order named, behind Hartnell, on sufferance but the Burdwan Cup’s running is likely to infuse some form into to the three named horses for the future performance.
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Later in the afternoon, Jasbir went on to saddle Modification (app. Rupal Singh) to victory in the 1,400m Zenga Handicap that also witnessed a huge wagering on Shafiq Khan’s Bang Bang – another one ridden by Chisty. Modification, however, displayed a brilliant turn of foot to cash in on her present form as Bang Bang belaboured second, from way back, proved disappointing.
Shafiq, however, had his day cut out early in to afternoon when Chisty presented him with quick double.
Starting out with the victory of his in-form four-year-old’s, Caiden’s, victory in the 2,000m Accrews Handicap, Shafiq also saddled Ariste Royal to the winners’ enclosure in the 1,100m Angels Handicap.
Caiden’s victory was a fluent one after the 7/4 favourite waited with the tail-enders in the early half of the journey.
The expanding odds of Aritiste Royal may have given a wrong signals to his followers but the Chisty rode the 5/1 to in the business-like manner in the home-straight – bringing to six-year-old in to contention, close home to snatch the lead from ViKash Jaiswal’s quietly fancied runner, Knight’s Gambit (P. Tajeshwar), who was being hailed as a winner, in the final 50 meters.
Suraj Narredu was under no pressure, having complete his 2000 winners, and he was at his usual impressive self on Vijay’s baby, Silver Bracelet, a debutante in the 11-horse field lined up for the 1,200m Gurkirpal Plate. The Win Legend filly won from the start despite her looks not been so impressive. She is bound to improve further after this win and she needs to be on the watch-list.
Vijay’s Ruby Cube was, however, caught unaware by Javed Khan’s aging sprinter, Tough Enough (Chisty) in the 1,100m Shaktiroop Handicap. The 2/1 favourite, Ruby Cube, was brought into the contention after his stable-mate, Gaurish, finished doing the donkey-work below the distance-post. The favourite also looked like providing Suraj with his second winner but inside the final 150m Chsity buried all such hopes. Tough Enough was ridden well off the pace but the rail-side wide opening, combined with superior acceleration Made the task of the 7/1 shot that much easier.
Vijay’s Marigold, too, missed the target, albeit narrowly, in the 1,100m Master Twister Handicap, thanks to the filly’s inexperienced apprentice, Hasib Khan, who could have avoided taking all turns wide and save that much of ground to his advantage in the closing stages. As a result of this trainer Shyam Habbu’s Bacaardi, ridden by experience apprentice, R.S. Bhati, got a narrow verdict in his favour, in a close and exciting finish.
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Caiden (Imran Chisty up) winner of the Accrews Handicap
Artiste Royal (Imran Chisty up) winner of the Angeles Handicap
Silver Bracelet (Suraj Narredu up) winner of the Gurkirpal Plate
Tough Enough (Imran Chisty up) winner of the Shaktiroop Handicap
Hartnell (B Mahesh up) winner of the Maharajadhiraja Uday Chand Mahtab Of Burdwan Memorial Cup
Bacaardi (R S Bhati up) winner of the Mister Twister Handicap
Modification (Rupal Singh up) winner of the Zegna Handicap
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