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Srinivas Reddy trained Ashwa Bravo was produced with a late dash by jockey Suraj Narredu to clinch the Gr 3 Alcock Arabian Million, a terms race for three-year-olds, the feature event of the concluding day’s races of the Hyderabad Winter Season on Monday in the final stride of the race. It was yet another big day for the Poonawalla resident stallion Leitir Mor who sired the first two placed horses.
Ashwa Bravo had recorded a smashing win in his debut run and that ensured that he went to the post as a strong favourite ahead of Good Connection. Jockey David Egan who only the previous day had guided Forest Flame to a fine in the Poonawalla Multi-Million took Good Connection on a start to finish mission and went at a good clip and appeared to have stolen the race as the front-runner had a sizeable lead. When Suraj set alight Ashwa Bravo, the task looked difficult but the favourite flew home under an aggressive ride to nail Good Connection in the final stride of the race to pull off an exciting win. Bisate was third. Committed Warrior lacked early speed and jockey David Allan ran into a tight situation and in trying to get his horse to the wide outside to get a clear run at the final turn ran into an erratic running Whiskey Martini. Committed Warrior possibly clipped Whiskey Martini as the former stumbled badly but David Allan miraculously managed to stay in the saddle but he had to pull up as the saddle had slipped.
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In a tight finish, David Egan guided favourite Southern Princess to victory in an absorbing three-horse finish in the 1200 metres Attractress Plate (Div I), a race for maiden three-year-olds. Look of Love who led from the start had a comfortable lead going to the final furlong but came under intense pressure from Fashion Universe and the late rallying Southern Princess. The last-named was able to put her neck at the finish with Fashion Universe taking the second spot ahead of the longtime leader who weakened in the closing strides of the race and ended up being relegated to the third slot, with a neck each separating the first three placed horses. The lower division of the race was won by Donald Netto trained favourite Royal Romance who tackled Blink of An Eye inside the final two furlongs and stormed clear to win with a great deal of ease. Blink of An Eye held off the late finishing Vijay Simha to retain the runner-up berth.
Jockey David Allan did well to keep favourite Reno Star on a tight leash to prevent the four-year-old gelding from running out and drove out the Hilton Sequeira trainee to an easy win in the 1600 metres Nawab Mir Mushtaq Ali Khan Memorial Cup (Div I), a race for horses rated 40 to 65. Nova Scotia took over the running after the first furlong and held the lead till the final 200 metres. Reno Star was inclined to run out and by the time David Allan had corrected the drift and brought him into contention, Artistryy had shot ahead. However, the strong riding of David Allan elicited the desired response and Reno Star had the race firmly in his control in the final stages of the race. Miss Marvelous ran on to take the third position. Srinivas Reddy trained Mahashakti recorded an encore in the lower division of the race. Jockey Ashhad Asbar had the well-backed Mahashakti in about the fourth or fifth position till the final turn as Red Snapper set the pace. Mahashakti covered the leeway in the stretch easily and stormed clear of Alliston who held the charge in the final furlong to establish a winning lead. Ayur Shakti came from way off the pace with a big run but the favourite had enough cushion to survive this late onslaught. Lockhart ran on strongly to take the third position.
Srinivas Reddy trained Ashwa Arjun who had been running way below the field in all his runs had shown reversal of form on the last occasion and he maintained that form to give a hammering to the opposition in the 1400 metres Beacon Plate (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. In the hands of apprentice jockey Abhay Singh, Ashwa Arjun swept the others off their feet and won by a comfortable margin of over three lengths with a start to finish effort. Honourable Guest necked out Golden Hope to get the runner-up berth. K Satheesh trained Best Friend brought off a big upset in the lower division of the race giving no chance for the others with aggressive running in the front in the hands of apprentice jockey Jitendra Singh. Star Boy held off the late finishing Curcumin to get the runner-up berth. Sreekant trained Gladstone produced a big effort down the final furlong to storm clear and held off the big rally of Top Saga to land the spoils in the lower division of the race. Favourite Aibak was beaten to the third slot. Lesser fancied Spice Up produced a big effort in the stretch to assume command with a furlong left in the race and spurted clear to win with ease the lower division of the race. Buzz Light Year briefly threatened before weakening to finish second ahead of Heaven Can Wait.
Arjun Anne trained A Hundred Echoes justified the expectations of the betting public getting the better of equally well-fancied London Bridge in the closing strides of the 1600 metres Mirza Zunnur Ahmed Memorial Cup, a race for horses in the lowest category. Valee Tiger held off Faraska to save place money.
Hilton Sequeira was the champion trainer for the third time in a row while Akshay Kumar maintained his supremacy as the top jockey for seven times in a row.
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Southern Princess (David Egan up) winner of the Attractress Plate (Div-I)
Spice Up (Nakhat Singh up) winner of the K. R. Arvind Reddy Memorial Cup (Div-II)
Royal Romance (Kiran Naidu up) winner of the Attractress Plate (Div-II)
Mahashakti (A Ashhad Asbar up) winner of the Nawab Mir Mushtaq Ali Khan Memorial Cup (Div-II)
A Hundred Echoes (B R Kumar up) winner of the Mirza Zunnur Ahmed Memorial Cup
Reno Star (David Allan up) winner of the Nawab Mir Mushtaq Ali Khan Memorial Cup (Div-I)
Ashwa Arjun (Abhay Singh up) winner of the Beacon Plate (Div-I)
Gladstone (Irvan Singh up) winner of the K. R. Arvind Reddy Memorial Cup (Div-I)
Ashwa Bravo (Suraj Narredu up) winner of the Alcock Arabian Million (Gr.3)
Best Friend (Jitendra Singh up) winner of the Beacon Plate (Div-II)
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