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To The Manor Born wins in a stylish manner. Review of the 7th day of the Pune Racing Season - By Shiven Surendranath

Posted on - 21 Aug 2014

To The Manor Born wins in a stylish manner. Review of the 7th day of the Pune Racing Season.
By Shiven Surendranath
 
India celebrated its 68th year of Independence on the 7th day of the Pune Racing Season 2014. For all the heated debates against the rule of the Raj there can be no denying that for lovers of sport one has to be grateful for them for their glorious legacy of cricket and horse racing if for nothing else.
 
While the hangover of their rule has all but disappeared from the gentleman's game with coloured clothing, the IPL and sun screen lotions, the sport of the kings has reveled in tradition. Be it the nomenclature of its classics: The 1000 Guineas, 2000 Guineas, Oaks, Derby and St Leger, the clockwise running of races, the language of our race books or the preferred language and terminology of our commentators.
 
Indian racing has, however, not just aped British racing but has also developed some iconic properties of its own, amongst the more popular of which is attending the "Independence weekend" at Pune. Owners, punters and racing enthusiasts from Mumbai drive down to its sister city, contributing in no small measure to six hour traffic snarls on the new expressway.
 
The racing is always top drawer, with group races, cup races and millions and it was in the first race of this weekend that the got abroad colt Unico Coarzon was the firm favourite at 11/10. Unico was not known to be the best looking specimen when those with trained eyes first spotted him at the Kunigal Sutd Farm. His subsequent runs in which he placed 13,9 and 6 did nothing to redeem in action what he lacked in the looks department.
 
However for the many racing aficionados whose familiarity with the family trees of race horses is greater than their own, the price seemed more than fair as this got abroad son of Authorised was now entered over the extended trip of a mile.
 
Star Benevolent, Zafirah and Golden Wave ran 1-2-3 till the turn. Sandesh had meanwhile started scrubbing Unico so vigorously around the 800 that he would have given a top class washing machine an inferiority complex. While Unico took nearly 400 meters to warm up he ran away from the field when he did, giving jockey Sandesh the first of his four winners for the day.
 
The proud owners Mr&Mrs I. Nathani, M/s Murad I. Nathani & Zain I. Nathani owe jockey Sandesh a 90 minute deep tissue massage at Pune's plushest spa for his efforts in the saddle.
 
Artists Matisse and Picasso are said to have remarked that Cézanne "is the father of us all." A third Artiste could have added his name to that quote after the 2nd. Artiste was lucky to win last time out with Quizzical and Soothsayer both preferring a late morning jog rather and a hard run in that race. Cezzane, was not doing another Artiste any such favours and followed him in second position through 900 of the 1000 meters. He then challenged him in the last 100 to win, giving his trainer a double in the first two races of the day.
 
The Pune Sub Area Trophy Division 2, the third race of the afternoon, wore what is often termed as an "open look", which when translated, often means a race prone to an upset. Zoe was the favourite but more on sufferance than form. Titleist, who was fancied by his connections last time out managed to do this time what he could not do last time and won.
 
While the winning connections would have been full of smiles, no one's smile would have been larger than co owner Rustam Mehta's, who had predicted his horses victory immediately after his third last time out. In the race Polar Zone, Ice Gates and Laurus Pride ran abreast from the start till the turn. Titleist sat 4th behind them and Zoe was in the back bunch. Into the straight Titleist put up a good run on the outside while Zoe put up a nice challenge along the rails. Finally the better horse won.
 
Star Gazing came third from nowhere and was given such a poor ride by apprentice R. Ajinkya, that if he had sat still on the horse instead of trying to ride it, he might have won the race. It will be difficult to stop Star Gazing from winning next time out.
 
Sombero, Samay Balwan and Awesome Smile were the fancied runners in the third. Gloria and National Pride looked good on the scales, making it a fairly open race. In a tightly packed field, the well backed Sombrero clipped the left hind hock of Windsor Queen at the bend and dropped out of contention. Samay Balwan and Windsor Queen then led into the straight with Awesome Smile sitting a handy third. Once Awesome Smile made his move the race was in his pocket and owners Vikram D. Shah, H. M. Shah & Ashok Jain had every reason to flash an awesome smile each of their own.
 
Make a note of both Gloria and National Pride their iron is hot and they can strike.
 
Getting an apprentice to ride your horse is a bit like flying Air India. You will get a bit of an extra allowance for your bags but the flight might never arrive on time. The connections of Caruso got an Air India experience with apprentice Daman piloting their horse's fortunes. While they benefitted with an allowance, they kept waiting for their pilot to land. When things came into view it was Beforememoryfades who was in full flight with Caruso challenging far too late.
 
While Neeraj Rawal rode a nice little race on Beforememoryfades, Caruso's pilot deviated from his flight path and flew five to seven wide making his only the second flight to land.
 
Every once in a while punters get to see the odds on a horse gallop faster than the horse itself. Adil Dajee trained Shivalik Storm was one such horse. His odds galloped from 80/100 to 19/10 at a speed so impressive that if there were a race for odds instead of horses his odds would have won by a distance.
 
If that wasn't enough Sandesh decided to go start to finish over 1800 meters. Shivalik Storm finally finished 5th, two lengths off the winner and couldn't have been any better from this experience, considering his next start will be in the Pune Derby. Reynolds who always sat  4th made a strong bid to win the race and took over the running but was challenged by Fortune Favours at the 200 who then went on to win impressively.
 
Haunting Moments is the horse to note he was under pressure and sat a bad last for most of the race thereafter he got a check and had to be pulled out wide. Under a jockey the stable prefers to fire with, he can run a big race next time out.
 
The Eve Champion Trophy, the 7th race, was the feature event of the day. Circle of Bliss who had finished third in the Indian Derby just 2 ½ lengths shy of the winner was carrying just 50 kgs into the race. Her form and track work were impeccable and she was backed as if defeat was out of the question. Unfortunately for Circle Of Bliss her jockeys form for the season was also a Circle - A big "0".
 
Jockey Zervan kept his 0% win record intact in Pune with a ride that did his reputation or confidence no good. Instead of going away in the straight with a horse that clearly stayed, he waited. To The Manor Born needed no further invitation and zeroed in on Circle of Bliss in the last 200 to go away.
 
Montreal got a bad check along the rails and yet rallied on to finish third. His run was impressive and he should win next time out with intelligent placing.
 
The Antonios Trophy for horses in class 1 had a competitive field. One Kept Secret, Way Out and Rio were the most fancied by their connections. In an action replay, the odds on the Adil Dajee's ward, Way Out, began to gallop once again and it seemed like the trainer might be training digits instead of horses.
 
However, Way Out jumped out smartly from a wide draw and won start to finish with such authority that his jockey had a leisurely peek over his shoulder as early as the 600. One Kept Secret ran an odd race and came from last position to finish second. He never looked like he was going to win.
 
The PRA Independence Million run over 2000 meters for horses in class 4 has become something of a Derby for horses in the lower class. It is the target race for many horses and always attracts a healthy field. This year was no different. There was nothing to choose from amongst the contenders as they battled each other into the straight.
 
Dreams of You, who was always sitting a handy 2nd or 3rd shot ahead but only to be caught by Oxbridge. Just By Chance meanwhile had received multiple checks, had a wall of horses in front and was being pulled out wide enough to test the new monsoon track. With 200 to go Oxbridge was hoping for the winning post to come to its rescue while Just By Chance was wishing it further and further away. Considering the distance Just By Chance covered in the last 200 meters it would not be impossible to believe that the winning post did indeed take half a step backwards when no one was looking to make Just By Chance win.
 
One look at Don Corleone in the last and it was clear that his enemies were going to murder him as soon as he left the paddock. Ice Affair and Dhanyawad led Don Corleone till the 600, around then they let Don Corleone take the lead for 200 meters or so but in that fraction of a second before anything actually happened, Corleone knew he was a dead man as horses from behind him  started overtaking him one by one.
 
Josephine who was in the betting last time out at 3.5-1 and had finished poorly under an apprentice was now available at 30-1 under a full jockey and beat Quid Pro Quo home. The once highly thought of Quick Fire finished an encouraging third the others were not up to much.
 
As the first day of the Independence Weekend came to an end there was more to look forward to after the rest day on Saturday. As someone remarked, "when will Sunday come".
 
(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the author's personal views.)

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