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Vittal Deshmukh trained Highly Acclaimed who was a rousing performer having reeled off four wins in a row had gone off the boil in the last two season but bounced back after a series of disappointing efforts to win the 1200 metres Telangana Race Horse Owners Association Trophy, a race for horses rated 75 and above, the feature event of Sunday’s Hyderabad races. Apprentice jockey Surya Prakash who has struck a good partnership with the six-year-old was again astride the horse. This was his fifth win on High Acclaimed for Surya Prakash and the prolific performer thus far has won eight times in his career. Trainer Hilton Sequeira stole the limelight with a quadruple.
Highly Acclaimed was taken on a start to finish mission in his customary fashion by Surya Prakash. Inside the final furlong, the lesser fancied runner looked vulnerable when Isabella put up a strong challenge and even put her head in front. However, the better riding prowess of Surya Prakash, as contrasted with that of another apprentice Gopal Singh on Isabella, saw Highly Acclaimed claw back and win by a neck. Favourite Agni ran on to take the third position edging out stablemate Titus who seems to have dropped the imposing form that he once had.
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Another Vittal Deshmukh trainee Ruletheworld who enjoyed strong favouritism in the 2000 metres Nagarjuna Sagar Cup, a race for horses rated 40 to 65, flopped unable to live up to expectations. Alliston set a fast pace with Ruletheworld in the chase with the others spaced out behind. Rounding the final turn, Ruletheworld was under pressure to overhaul the pacesetter and even as he was struggling, Kesariya Balam who was in the shadow, produced a tremendous turn of foot and stormed clear to win with a great deal of ease. Artistryy ran on strongly to get the second position ahead of Gazebo and Miss Marvellous. Ruletheworld weakened completely to finish fifth.
Jockey Suraj Narredu was able to drive out Hilton Sequeira trained Staridar to a narrow win over late-finishing Dandy Man in the 1600 metres Meghalaya Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Staridar took charge of the proceedings in the stretch and stormed ahead. Dandy Man who was at the wrong end of the field came up with a big effort down the final furlong but just about failed to collar the favourite by a neck. Lockhart saved place money by keeping the challenge of The Special One at bay. Sreekant trained Destined Dynamite who had gone down narrowly with a late effort made amends in the lower division of the race. Jockey Irvan Singh kept Destined Dynamite in a handy position this time out and the grey pounced on the front-running Golden Hope and Bayrd inside the final two furlongs and stormed clear in the final furlong to win from Bayrd and late rallying Top Contender. Favourite NRI Heights who graced the wrong end of the field did not make much progress in the stretch to eventually finish a disappointing fifth.
Suraj Narredu had no problem in steering favourite House of Diamonds to a comfortable win in the1200 metres Capachino Plate (Div I), a race for maiden three-year-olds. House of Diamonds came into strong contention in the final furlong and went sailing clear. Saffron Art found the rhythm rather late and was full of running when finishing a noteworthy second ahead of Chuckit. Leo D’Silva trained Aintree was guided by Imran Chisty for an easy win in the lower division of the race. Aintree burst on the scene in the final furlong to storm clear of the front-running Beauty On Parade and went beyond the reach of the rest. There was a cluster finish for minor placings with the late rallying Lightning Pearl snatching the second position from Crazy Horse and Beauty On Parade.
Hilton Sequeira trained Curcumin produced a stunning burst of speed to nail Wood Bridge in the concluding stride of the race to win the 1200 metres Eturnagaram Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. When Wood Bridge stormed ahead in the final furlong, the six-year-old mare appeared to be headed for an easy win, but Curcumin’s late dash put paid to the hopes of the lesser fancied runner. Blazing Speed necked out favourite Gladstone to get the third place. Srinivas Reddy trained five-year-old Starboy who had been sparingly raced broke the maidens’ ranks in his fourth outing by staving off the challenge of Brush The Sky and New State who rallied late.
Apprentice jockey Santosh Raj got the second winner of his career when he guided Leo D’Silva trained Let It Be Me to a narrow win over Jo Malone in the 1400 metres Sir Bruce Plate, a race for horses in the lowest category. Santosh Raj brought the long shot from the wide outside draw to the front and though Let It Be Me drifted out in the straight course, the four-year-old produced that bit extra under pressure to pull off a narrow win. Favourite London Bridge could do no better than finish third.
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House Of Diamonds (Suraj Narredu up) winner of the Capachino Plate (Div-I)
Destined Dynamite (Irvan Singh up) winner of the Meghalaya Plate (Div-II)
Aintree (Imran Chisty up) winner of the Capachino Plate (Div-II)
Curcumin (Afroz Khan up) winner of the Eturnagaram Plate (Div-I)
Staridar (Suraj Narredu up) winner of the Meghalaya Plate (Div-I)
Highly Acclaimed (Surya Prakash up) winner of the Telangana Race Horse Owners Association Trophy
Kesariya Balam (A Ashhad Asbar up) winner of the Nagarjuna Sagar Cup
Starboy (Surya Prakash up) winner of the Eturnagaram Plate (Div-II)
Let It Be Me (Santosh Raj N R up) winner of the Sir Bruce Plate
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