Castlebridge outruns rivals to win Indian 2000 Guineas - By Shailendra Awasthi I TOI
Posted on - 18 Dec 2017
Castlebridge outruns rivals to win Indian 2000 Guineas
By Shailendra Awasthi
TOI
Mumbai: Kolkata challenger Castlebridge justified public faith and easily won the Jacqueline Indian 2000 Guineas (Grade 1), the second Classic of the Mumbai season at the Mahalaxmi racecourse on Sunday.
The Bharat Singh-trained colt, guided in the saddle by Trevor Patel, hit the front as soon as the field settled down and never allowed any of his nine rivals to even catch his shadow. “He gave me an arm chair ride,” Trevor told TOI later. “Once in front he was completely relaxed,” added the ace rider for whom it was his first Indian 2000 Guineas crown. For Kolkata-based trainer Bharat Singh, it was his first Indian Classic victory in his 30-year-old career. “I am thrilled my colt was a cut above the rest and he proved it,” said the 54-year-old.
The other big race of the day, the RWITC Ltd Sprint Challenge (1200m), had some of the biggest sprinters in the fray. It was a cracker of a race. Faisal Abbas-trained 5-year-old gelding Holy Smoke won it in a record time of 1minute, 09.549 seconds.
Jockeys Patel, Dashrath Singh and trainers Sayeed Shah and Sheraz Sunderji landed a double each to share the day’s honours among professionals.
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