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Srinivas Reddy Ashwa Bravo who is easily one of the best horses in training at the local circuit had no problem in tackling the 1200 metres Three Wishes Plate, a race of horses rated 40 to 65, the feature event of opening day`s races of the Hyderabad Monson Season Monday. Racegoers welcomed live-action after having been deprived of racing since April due to the second wave of Covid. Racing also ran kindly for the punters with favourites ruling the roost. While Srinivas Reddy and Vittal Deshmukh saddled three winners each, jockey Trevor Patel had a rich haul, booting home four winners.
Winner of last year`s Golconda 2000 Guineas, Ashwa Bravo had unsuccessfully campaigned over longer classics. Now back to racing over a trip most suitable, Ashwa Bravo who was at cramped odds, readily obliged. Kept in the mid group as Lagopus went for a good lung opener, running freely in front, Ashwa Bravo moved up with raking strides inside the final furlong to storm clear to win by a widening margin of three lengths. House of Diamonds ran on to take the second position ahead of Vijay Simha. Trevor had an easy job on the winner who is bound to add many races to the kitty as long as he is confined to the sprints.
Srinivas Reddy`s other winner of the day came through lesser fancied Siyavash who despite being fractious and throwing tantrums at the gate, was well mannered during the race and got the measure of strongly backed favourite City of Bliss in the closing strides of the race to bag the 1200 metres Con Amore Plate (Div I), a race for maiden three-year-olds. City of Bliss who had placed in all three efforts once again found one better as her front-running tactics came to nought in the shadows of the post. Siyavash warmed up to the task in the final furlong and won easier than the half-length verdict as he was full of running at the finish. Hard To Toss occupied the third slot. Laxman Singh trained By The Way was the shortest-priced horse of the day and readily obliged in the lower division of the race. By The Way controlled the race right from the start providing jockey Pradeep Chouhan with an arm-chair ride to success, winning by six lengths over Total Darc who in turn was another fix lengths ahead of the Maximum Glamour. Most of the runners in the fray appeared to be in need of a run and looked out of sorts.
The opening day was devoid of any cup events, The 1400 metres Random Harvest Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 65, was another highest-rated event to be run in the course of the day. Ashwa Yashobali provided the third winner for Srinivas Reddy as the five-year-old recorded the second win of his career finding success after a longish wait of more than two years. Ashwa Yashobali graced the wrong end of the field and had acres of ground to cover inside the final 300 metres. However, the progeny of Arazan produced a strong effort even as Maxwell who had the race in his grasp faltered close to home. The fancied runner managed to get the nod close to home. Full Volume was third. Favourite Kesariya Balam was fractious at the gates and was withdrawn from the fray.
Vittal Deshmukh trained Francis Bacon had been a let down having recorded just one win in his career despite a great deal of hype. Backed strongly to have a decisive say in the 1400 Tenacity Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45, Francis Bacon won the race authoritatively, having the race sewn up a long way from home. The second win of his career came after a wait of 693 days. Ashwa Arjun nosed out Just Incredible to snatch the runner-up berth. The lower division of the race went the way of the same combination of Deshmukh and Trevor. Fire Power who had made a winning debut but floundered in the subsequent outing, was relaxed in the rear group as the front runners led by Royal Pal went at a frenetic pace in front. Fire Power steadily moved up in the stretch and was hailed a winner well before the final furlong. The favourite checked in by a widening margin of four lengths over Cheltenham and Explosive.
Surprisingly, Laxman Singh trained Hidden Hope whose last two efforts had seen the four-year-old finish not less than 20 lengths behind the winners, was made the favourite to win the 1100 metres Scarlet Prince Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45, possibly because the horse was working well and was switched back to a scurry. After Flying Jet lead the field into the final furlong, the fancied Appenzell quickly asserted her supremacy and burst clear for an easy win over the late rallying Start Racer. Blink Of An Eye nosed out Hidden Hope for the third place in a cluster finish. Vittal Deshmukh`s third winner of the day and the fourth one for Trevor came in a dramatic fashion in the last race of the day. Colachel Battle was completely outpaced in the early part, came very wide into the straight but had enough class to cover the leeway and get the nod in the dying moments of the race over Thunder Road. After Gusty Note gave hopes by leading deep into the stretch, Thunder Road grabbed the lead and shaped to win but the finishing burst of the favourite put paid to the hopes of the long shot.
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By The Bay (P S Chouhan up) winner of THE CON AMORE PLATE (DIV-II)
Fire Power (Trevor Patel up) winner of THE TENACITY PLATE (DIV-II)
Siyavash (A Ashhad Asbar up) winner of THE CON AMORE PLATE (DIV-I)
Francis Bacon (Trevor Patel up) winner of THE TENACITY PLATE (DIV-I)
Appenzelle (Akshay Kumar up) winner of THE SCARLET PRINCE PLATE (DIV-I)
Ashwa Bravo (Trevor Patel up) winner of THE THREE WISHES PLATE
Ashwa Yashobali (Gaurav Singh up) winner of THE RANDOM HARVEST PLATE
Colachel Battle (Trevor Patel up) winner of THE SCARLET PRINCE PLATE (DIV-II)
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