Day of reckoning for In The Spotlight - By Shailendra Awasthi TNN
Posted on - 16 Jan 2013
Mumbai: Wonder mare In The Spotlight, the multiclassics winner and the highest stakes earner in Indian racing history with more than Rs 5 crore in career earnings, will take on 15 international contenders in her first ever race on foreign soil in Dubai on Thursday. The Dubai Duty Free Full Of Surprises is the sixth race of the day at Meydan race track and will be run over a distance of 2410 metres at 10.55 pm India time. The race carries prize money of $ 110,000 (Approx Rs 6,024,150). Champion jockey Ryan Moore will guide In The Spotlight. “She is ready to go,” S Padmanabhan, her trainer told ToI from Dubai on Thursday.
“We feel at least three horses, South African Star Empire, who won here last year, Ahzeemah and Ithoughtitwasover from Ireland are the three big threats but we are confident of overcoming them,” said Padmanabhan.
“When we are taking on top quality international stars, we should worry about our performance rather than thinking about rivals and that’s what we are doing. We expect In The Spotlight to deliver it tomorrow,” added the champion trainer. Captain Jamshed Appoo, the owner of the great mare, says In The Spotlight has adapted to conditions there very well. “She would be running for the first time in a race where horses run anticlockwise and during the practice sessions, she adapted to it very well.”
According to Appoo, ace jockeys Wayne Smith and Moore, who both rode themare in the practice session, have expressed positive opinion about her. “Both are saying she can win on Thursday,” added Appoo.
In The Spotlight, who has an international rating of 102, is co-owned by Zavaray Poonawalla.
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