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Hilton Sequeira trained Smashing Blue recorded her fifth straight win in the 1200 metres Youngsters Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 60 to 85, the feature event of Hyderabad races held on Sunday. Sequeira who had a big day in the office saddling four winners also led in the winner of the lower division of the race through Trump Girl who proved vastly superior to the field. Jockey Akshay Kumar too had his usual quota of three winners.
Smashing Blue has been a veritable money-spinner. Considering her form, the three-year-old daughter of Win Legend went to the post as a strong favourite. The race very nearly slipped from the favourite as the speedy Classic Remark led by lengths and had a good cushion going into the final furlong. Under a vigorous riding by Akshay Kumar, Smashing Blue responded well and managed to overhaul the front-runner in the shadow of the post. Warrior Supreme was third some lengths behind staving off NRI Super King to save place money.
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Trump Girl had good winter form and her workouts indicated that she was fit enough to resume with a winning effort. Apprentice jockey Abhay Singh kept Trump Girl a handy second behind the pace-setting Long Range with the others spaced out behind. Jockey Darshan on NRI Symbol came a cropper at the gates and the riderless horse ran in front and was hampering the progress of Trump Girl in the final furlong. Abhay Singh managed to pull his horse out of the harm’s way and drove out the mare that readily responded and sped away from the opposition to win by a widening margin of two lengths. Shaquille ran on from behind to take the second spot ahead of the longtime leader Long Range.
Sequeira’s Soviet Pride provided Akshay Kumar with an easy win in the 1200 metres Adolfito Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Celeritas went on a start to finish mission enjoying a good break and was comfortably ahead of the rest. Soviet Pride who was in about the eighth position at the final turn was pulled out on wide outside by jockey Akshay and was asked to stretch out. The progeny of Air Support picked up speed with great alacrity and collared the front-runner in the final 100 metres to win with ease. Apollo ran on to take the third spot.
Sreekant trained Curcumin managed to thwart the bid of Story Teller despite drifting out of a straight course under pressure in the 1200 metres Democracy Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Apprentice jockey Jitendra Singh lost his whip in the final furlong but he managed to get the horse to stretch out with a hand drive. N R I Heights who was poorly positioned covered ground in the stretch to be a suggestive third. Prasad Raju trained Marvell Princess had unproductive efforts during the winter season but she was at a mark where she could be trusted to have a say again in the lower division of the race. Backed down as a favourite, Marvel Princess was taken on a start to finish mission by Kiran Naidu. The fancied runner held on gamely to thwart the late bid of The Special One who covered big ground in the final stages only to find the winning post come too soon. Starboy was third without doing anything significant.
Srinivas Reddy trained Mirana brought off the biggest upset of the day in the 1400 metres Recommender Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Mirana stormed into contention approaching the final furlong and spurted clear to win by a margin of four lengths over favourite House of Diamonds and the fancied Southern Princess. Sequeira trained Shivalik Valley who was backed to exclusion of the rest in the lower division of the race was a runaway winner, sparing more than seven lengths at the finish. Chuckit and Spicy Star took the next two slots behind the winner.
In keeping the trend of one-sided contests, Faiyaz Ali Khan trained Augenstern won the 1200 metres Soviet Star Plate, a race for horses rated up to 25, without coming under pressure. Augenstern bolted to the front with a furlong left in the race overwhelming the front-running Bob Campbell to record an encore. Hopscoth ran on from way behind to take the third position.
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Shivalik Valley (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Recommender Plate (Div-II)
Smashing Blue (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Youngsters Plate (Div-I)
Curcumin (Jitendra Singh up) winner of the Democracy Plate (Div-I)
Sovet Pride (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Adolfito Plate
Mirana (A Ashhad Asbar up) winner of the Recommender Plate (Div-I)
Marvel Princess (Kiran Naidu up) winner of the Democracy Plate (Div-II)
Trump Girl (Abhay Singh up) winner of the Youngsters Plate (Div-II)
Augenstern (Afroz Khan up) winner of the Soviet Star Plate
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