It's what a Racing Day should be all about
Posted on - 17 Jan 2011
It’s what a Racing Day should be all about
Sunday had the perfect script for a top class racing day and thankfully the action lived up to the hype. The best thoroughbreds, record prize money, entertainment and food, glamour and fashion. Even the most hard nosed critic would have gone away impressed. And to top it, a wonderfully cool January breeze that wafted through the lawns all afternoon.
The good attendance had to wait till near the end for the best. First, the Indian Derby winner was probably sighted, as Ocean and Beyond, dispelled any doubts on his staying ability or class, steamrolling the opposition in the R.R.Ruia, the Derby lead up. Hughes had him on tight reins, in style reminiscent of the way he rode Jacqueline in the Oaks last year, and it was all over once given his head. The got abroad tends to idle in front, and except for this chink, if one can call it that, the biggest prize in Indian racing appears to be at his mercy.
Once the show was over, just past six, the lawns came alive with a spectacular trapeze act to lights and music by the Club Med Asia staff. It is a pity most members did not wait to watch this performance, which was the icing on the cake of a grand afternoon. Earlier Forest Flair enhanced his reputation as the leading Sprinters’ Cup hopeful with a most impressive win the Club Med Million- being run for the first time at Mahalaxmi.
The Wadhawan silks were also carried to victory in the Sahaan Juvenile Multi Million, as Mountain Glory scooped the winner’s purse of nearly 2 million. The juvenile multi million was sponsored by first time entrants Tarita Shanker and Chetan Wakalkar who hosted a very well attended party on the lawns- which were set ablaze by fiery performances by Sandip Soparrkar and Jesse Randhawa. Well known models Aachaal Kumar (of Big Boss fame), Shahwar Ali, Saahil Shroff amongst others, added the right touch of glamour.
In a magnanimous gesture, the Wakalkar family announced freeships (free tuition and boarding) to the kin of ten syces, at their well known Indira Institute in the Pune region.
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