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Pesi Shroff trained Alluring Silver who had placed in the classics and well placed in the scales because of the terms of the race, managed to pull off a last stride win over lowly rated long shot Bisate in the Gr 2 Nizam`s Gold Cup, a terms race for four-year-olds and over, the feature event of Sunday`s Hyderabad races. Favourite Salazaar who had a rating of 113, ran way below par, finishing a disappointing third.
Alluring Silver had placed third in the Indian Derby and hadn`t moved up to the mark she was capable of as she hadn`t won many races. As such, she was the most preferred horse to win the prestigious race followed by the prolific performer Salazaar who had time and again let down expectations as a strongly fancied runner. The race did not run to expectations, with Bisate, who is rated 50, very nearly spoiling the party with a start to finish mission. The filly who was allowed an uncontested lead in a slow run race spurted clear in the run-in for home. But for the fact that Alluring Silver produced a strong finishing effort despite jockey Akshay Kumar being all at sea to keep the temperamental filly on an even course, Bisate could well have produced a shock result. Alluring Silver very nearly spoiled her chances by going wide but managed to save the day only because an inexperienced Bisate was there in front and the formidable Salazaar failed to produce the burst of speed he was known for. Sandesh perhaps kept him behind for too long for the eight-year-old to cover up the leeway and he was a well-beaten third.
Jockey Akshay Kumar who was the most successful jockey of the day narrowly failed to get the desired result on the second favourite Lagos who did all the running only to find favourite Scramjet collar her in the dying strides of the race in the 1200 metres Mica Empress Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Scramjet who had narrowly lost a race at Mumbai on the Indian Derby Day was backed with conviction to have a bold show. Lagos was the horse considered capable of beating the favourite. Lagos ran freely in front and at one stage, looked to have the race in her control but faltered in the closing stages of the race. Scramjet who took his own time to warm up in the stretch, however, produced a powerful burst to put paid to the hopes of the front-runner. Lockhart was a surprise third while Xfinity ran below expectations expending the energy well before the race started by of his tantrums.
Anant Vatsalya trained Mauser prevailed in the 1200 metres Bakhtawar Plate (Div I), a race for maiden three-year-olds. Mauser came wide into the straight but ducked towards the rails but still proved good enough to cover ground on the front-runners and finally win with ease. NRI Sport and Wallop And Gallop disputed for the minor placings. Laxman Singh trained Jean Lafette was backed as if defeat was out of the question in the lower division of the race but the favourite never gave hope at any stage of the race plodding home in the third position. In the hands of jockey Ashhad Asbar, Hard To Toss who had benefitted by a forward run bolted to the front and was so far clear of the rest by the final furlong that an easy win for the filly was well assured. Special Effort ran on late to edge past Jean Lafette to take the third position.
Trainer Sreekant had a nice-priced double. Just Incredible came in for sustained betting in the ring. Jockey B R Kumar who had a double for the day had Just Incredible handily placed and drove out the fancied runner in the final furlong to contain the challenge of the late rallying long shot Moringa by a whisker. Fashion Universe was a close third. The more fancied Lifetime from the stables of Vittal Deshmukh fared poorly and it was left to stablemate Moringa to cause a flutter.
Satheesh trained Mark My Day brought off an upset win in the hands of the double seeking Kumar in the 1400 metres Brown Jack Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Laxman Singh trained By The Bay was the strong favourite but let down badly. Good Connection who was running after an operation for a choking issue was well supported. Mark My Day who had the first run on his opponents at the top of the straight, managed to stave off the challenge from Good Connections who hung in badly and made the task of jockey Zervan all the more difficult. Zervan tried to reverse the verdict in the Stewards room with an objection that lacked substance. But the Stewards took an enormously long time to overrule what was a straightforward case.
Akshay Kumar drove out favourite Alluri`s Pride to contain the challenge of Berkley in the 1200 metres Star Haven Plate, a race for horses rated up too25. Lesser fancied Berkeley shaped to pull it off in the closing stages of the race but a strong drive on the part of the jockey enabled Sreekant trained Alluri`s Pride to oblige huge expectations. That`s My Speed was a close third.
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Muaser (Nakhat Singh up) winner of THE BAKHTAWAR PLATE (DIV-I)
Hard To Toss (A Ashhad Asbar up) winner of THE BAKHTAWAR PLATE (DIV-II)
Scramjet (P S Chouhan up) winner of THE MICA EMPRESS PLATE
Just Incredible (B R Kumar up) winner of THE RAM TILAK PLATE
Mark My Day (B R Kumar up) winner of THE BROWN JACK PLATE
Alluring Silver (Akshay Kumar up) winner of THE NIZAM`S GOLD CUP (GR.2)
Alluri`s Pride (Akshay Kumar up) winner of THE STAR HAVEN PLATE
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