From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Thursday, 15th March 2018 - By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 14 Mar 2018
From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Thursday, 15th March 2018.
- By Cyrus Naterwalla
Race No. 1 :- The Radha Sigtia Trophy – Class II – Distance :-2400M
UNCLE SCROOGE:- Versatile 6 year old gelding owned by the Shirke’s and trained by M. K. Jadhav. He has run 25 times till date with 4 wins and 5 seconds to his name. His wins have come once over 7 furlongs, twice over a mile and once over this trip so he is very versatile with regards to trip. However, his most recent form has been over middle distances and he does not race much over this trip nowadays. He also has to concede weight all around here and may not be suited by the muddling pace which may happen in this small field. A Sandesh gets along well with him and is up again today so although he is given a small chance and does stay well, it may pay to look elsewhere
MULTIGLORY:- Well bred 6 year old gelding trained by S.K. Sunderji, he has a similar profile to Uncle Scrooge having run 24 times with 5 wins and 3 seconds to his name. However, his last win came back in April last year over 2000M and he has been relatively out of form in 6 subsequent runs over varying trips. He is attempting this mile and a half trip for the first time in his career so staying is a bit of an unknown. P. Trevor has been booked to ride today so he merits consideration in this small field but needs to bounce back from his recent indifferent efforts
SELFIE STAR:- 4 year old Classic hopeful from the Dallas Todywalla yard, this half sister to Silver Beauty has done well in her limited career and is a winner of 3 of her 9 starts although she is yet to win over this trip. However, her last 3 runs have all been in Classics over a mile and a half and she finished a fair 3rd in the Indian Oaks which should be good enough form to win this contest. David Allan who has been riding her recently is up again today, she should be able to control the gallop in this small field and looks the most likely winner amongst the quartet
DROGO:- 5 year old gelding trained by Imtiaz Sait, he came to hand towards the latter part of his career and has been making slow and steady progress up the handicap ranks. Winner of 3 of his 16 runs so far, all his wins have come over middle distance trips although he has been slowly stepping up in distance. He was tried over this trip in the lower class last time out and ran respectably finishing 3rd to stable companion Jager Bomb without conclusively proving that he stays. He is upped in class and takes a significant drop in weight now and with P.S. Chouhan in the saddle, looks the one most likely to trouble Selfie Star
CONCLUSION :- The 4 year old filly Selfie Star seems to have found a good opportunity to gain a confidence boosting win and is the selection here. With the two 6 year olds not in the best of form, Drogo appears to be the main danger
Race No. 2 :- The Usman Chotani Plate – Div. II – Class V – Distance :- 1600M
CUPIDO:- 4 year old unexposed gelding trained by Faisal Abbas, he has run 4 times till date and has been unplaced on each occasion. All his 4 runs have been in Class IV and he is now eased in grade into the lowest class. In his last 2 runs, he has run a lot closer to the field and is now given more galloping ground, tackling this mile trip for the first time. Decent apprentice G. Amit has been booked to ride claiming 3 ½ kilos and his recent trackwork suggests that he has improved so he is an unknown quantity who has not been tried till date and could strike if taking to this more galloping trip so is worth considering
LOVELY FAIRY:- Another unexposed 4 year old, this one from the yard of C. Rajendra who is having a decent season with his small string, she too is quite unexposed having run just 6 times but showed that she had some ability on her last start in this class over 1400M in January where she ran on well to finish runner up to Centaurus with the same rider on board. She has not run for almost 2 months now but seems to have maintained her form and fitness judging from her track movements and in this relatively weak looking field and with scope to improve, she looks to have a good chance to get off the mark and is shortlisted
ALOHA:- Sparingly raced maiden 4 year old filly from the S.K. Sunderji yard, she has yet to do anything of note in her 8 starts till date and has taken her time to come to hand but has come down notably in weights as a result. She has raced just twice this season but her last run over 1200M was a decent effort when she finished just outside the frame and she looks to have an each way chance if she can build on that effort. She is expected to appreciate more galloping ground and has the assistance of Derby winning jockey C.S. Jodha in the saddle. She has a decent pedigree and if looking well in the paddock, may be worth chancing at a long price
DIVINE SPARK:- Aged 7 year old gelding trained by Altaf Hussain, he is relatively lightly raced for his age and has been well fancied on his last 2 runs but has failed to deliver till date. He was made favourite in a similar contest over 1200M in Pune but warmed up late to finish 3rd and then after making an eye catching reappearance over 1000M, he was again well fancied over 1200M last time out but again began galloping late to finish 4th to Golden Horde. His style of racing suggests that he is worth a try at this longer trip, he has been working well and J.Chinoy keeps the ride. He looks to be well within himself at present and looks to have a good each way chance in this company
SHIVALIK SKIES:- Unreliable 7 year old mare from the stable of Vijay Kasbekar, she has managed to win just 1 of her 28 starts till date but that win did come around this time last year over course and distance off the same mark and she has returned back down to that mark today. She finished just behind Sir Song over this trip last time out with the same rider up and looks a rank outsider who could be involved if she turns up in a galloping mood
SIR SONG:- Another fully exposed 7 year old gelding, this one trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha, he has run 38 times till date and has managed to win just once although he went very close to adding a 2nd win to his name on his penultimate run when coming with a strong burst and just being nosed out in a photo by Abu Al Bukhoosh in a similar contest. He ran 4th last time out but Dashrath Singh who up on that penultimate run gets back in the saddle replacing S.A. Amit, he appears to be in good form at present and although he is unlikely to improve much, he is effective over this trip and looks to have strong each way claims
SHEVCHENKO:- Relatively untried 5 year old gelding trained by Ivor Fernandes, he has been brought down to a very attractive mark and had a good rider up for the first time in his last run and showed a little ability to make the frame and finish 4th to Ricardus over a furlong shorter. Neeraj Rawal who was up that day keeps the ride again today and although the yard has but a handful of winners throughout the year, he has the scope to improve a little bit more and looks to have a chance at the weights
CONCLUSION:- It is usually prudent to stay clear of these Class V contests which have plenty of imponderables but we will make a tentative selection of Lovely Fairy. The well bred 4 year old finished runner up in her last start and with the same rider up and a bit of improvement expected, she could score here. There are several dangers to choose from but the most likely alternatives appear to be Divine Spark and Sir Song
Race No. 3 :- The Usman Chotani Plate – Div. I – Class V – Distance :- 1600M
ANGELS HARMONY:- 4 year old maiden filly from the Altaf Hussain yard, one suspects that we have not seen the best of her in her 8 runs so far and she appears to be better than her current mark suggests. After a couple of modest efforts towards the end of the Pune season, she has run thrice this term and has made steady progress with every run but hinted that her turn was not far away last time out when she ran her best race till date to end up a close 3rd to Till End Of Time over 1400M. The runner up that day Dixieland won on Sunday giving strength to the form and if she can make a little more progression, then she looks a strong contender to shed her maiden tag today. H. Zeeshan has been in good form this season and will claim a valuable 3 ½ kilos. She looks to have improvement left in her still and is given an outstanding chance today if she can improve again
HUZZAH’S GRACE:-From the in form yard of Imtiaz Sait, this 4 year old filly has also run 8 times till date over varying trips, finishing 3rd on a couple of occasions. Her best run till date has been in a similar contest in Pune where she was favourite and finished a close 3rd to Fencing and Eternal Dancer, beaten just a length. She has run thrice this season, last time not so good over 2000M with Trevor up but she may do better dropped back down in trip with Dashrath Singh taking over in the saddle and she merits each way consideration
KOTOR:- Yet another unexposed 4 year old, this Phoenix Tower gelding is trained by Dallas Todywalla and has run 6 times till date, running a forward race last time out to finish 3rd behind Centaurus and Lovely Fairy so the latter’s run in the earlier race may gave an indication of his chances. He has the scope to improve but is running after a 2 month break so although he is respected with P. Trevor in the saddle, he looks to have more of a place chance today
RICARDUS:- Well bred 5 year old gelding from the S.K. Sunderji yard, he took advantage of his lenient mark to score an overdue maiden victory over 1400M last time out and has not been too harshly penalized for that win, up just another 5 kilos. He is unlikely to be troubled by the additional furlong and if he has finally come to hand then he stands a very good chance to go in again. C.S. Jodha, who rode him that day is up again today and he looks one of the leading contenders to score a quick encore
MASTER SERGEANT:- Maiden 5 year old gelding from the yard of trainer Vinesh he has run 14 times till date and ran a couple of promising races towards the end of the last Mumbai season finishing 3rd and 2nd a couple of times over this trip. She should be fit enough after 3 runs this season and finished 3rd over 1400M on his penultimate run suggesting that he was getting ready to strike. He finished on well to be just outside the frame over 1200M last time out and is likely to run better back up to this trip. S.A. Amit takes over in the saddle today in place of S.S. Baria and from the bottom of the weights, he looks to have a strong each way chance
CONCLUSION:- Angel’s Harmony looks the most likely winner if building on her impressive last run in a race which has worked out well. Last outing winner Ricardus and the well handicapped Master Sergeant appear to be the main dangers
Race No. 4 :- The Ibrahim A. Rahimtoola Trophy – Class III – Distance :- 1400M
FOREST FAIRY:- Nicely bred and lightly raced 4 year old filly trained by Bezan Chenoy, she has run well in her 5 race career so far, and is yet to finish outside the first three with 2 good wins to her name. She was a decisive winner over this trip on the opening day of the season, finishing 2 ½ lengths clear of Glyndebourne that day in receipt of 2 kilos. She has not run since then which is a slight concern but her recent track work suggests that all is well with her. She has to improve 2 ½ kilos to get the better of Glyndebourne who reopposes again today but is an improving sort who is greatly respected with P. Trevor taking the ride today
STAR OF THEA:- 4 year old gelding trained by Narendra Lagad who has recently hit cracking form over this trip and comes into this race bidding for a quick hattrick having already scored twice over 1400M in his last 2 starts. He has adopted front running tactics on the last 2 occasions and should be able to do so today as well in this small field. He is taking on two potentially smart fillies today but is in top form at the moment and if there is a chink in either of their armours today, he should be able to exploit it with T.S. Jodha keeping the ride.
GLYNDEBOURNE:- Another well bred and highly regarded sort, this one owned by the Dhunjibhoys and in the care of Vishal Gaikwad, she was thought to be a classic prospect at one time but did not quite go on from her impressive maiden victory and has been winless in 5 starts since then. She finished 3rd to Forest Fairy on the opening day of the season and also skipped the Indian Classics and is reappearing after a short break. She too has been working extremely well of late and is 2 ½ lengths better off with Forest Fairy on the last run. It remains to be seen which of the two have improved more since the last run so a paddock check is advised but she looks well placed on the scales and with A. Sandesh up, appears to be the one to beat
CONCLUSION:- This race is likely to be between the two well bred and scopey 4 year old fillies Glyndebourne and Forest Fairy and as both are running after the same amount of time, fitness will clearly be a factor. The former is better off at the weights and has been working well so is marginally preferred but it could prove to be close between the pair
Race No. 5 :- The Jimmy Bharucha Cup – Class III, 5 Years Old & Over – Distance :- 1000M
ADELINE:- Nicely bred 5 year old mare from the yard of Zadmal Singh, she had run 9 times till date with 2 wins and a second to her name so far, both the wins coming over 1200M so she is likely to find this trip slightly on the sharp side. She has run twice this term in similar contests over 1200, finishing 4th and 5th beaten about 5 lengths behind the winner on both occasions. She should be fit enough today and P. Trevor takes over in the saddle from Dashrath Singh which catches the eye but she finished on late over 1200M and may find things happening too quickly over this shorter trip
ALPINE EXPRESS:- Speedy 5 year old mare who has run 15 times till date and has won on 3 occasions, being most effective over this minimum trip. She was a winner over this trip and off a similar mark around this time last year and has been slowly been coming back to form since then, having run just thrice since. She was fancied last time out but was withdrawn at the start and should have recovered from that. A. Sandesh has been booked suggesting that connections fancy their chances and she looks to have a strong chance to score in this field
FRINGE BENEFIT:- 6 year old gelding trained by Mansoor Shah who has been quite consistent in his 21 runs till date winning twice and placing on 7 occasions. He has been coming to hand in his last 2 starts and looked like he was ready to strike when finishing on well last time out to be 2nd to Chaplin over 1200M. He does have the speed to tackle this shorter trip, looks to be in good form at the moment and with H. Zeeshan keeping the ride, he looks to have a strong chance to earn another bracket
PRICELESS GIRL:- Another 6 year old speedster from the C. Rajendra yard, she has run 12 times till date and has won twice recently both times over 1000M when dominating from the outset. Her last win came on her penultimate run in the lower class so she has been upped in grade and is now taking on tougher opposition. S.A. Amit has been booked to ride and she does merit some consideration but may not find it easy to dominate in this field and looks more likely to fight it out for minor honours
LADY IN RED:- Interesting 5 year old filly from the Dallas Todywalla yard who usually races over much further and returns to this trip for the first time since her debut where she finished on late to be runner up. Her wins have been over 1200 and 1400M and she seems to be get along very well with David Allan who has ridden her to both her wins but her form with any other rider has been below par. She did run a forward race last time so it will be interesting to see what tactics are employed with S. Zervan in the saddle today and she could be an interesting outsider
CONCLUSION:- An open looking older horses contest and the two to focus on appear to be Alpine Express and Fringe Benefit although Lady In Red could be an interesting outsider
Race No. 6 :- The Starry Eyes Plate – Class IV, 4 Years Old Only – Distance :- 1400M
COLLEGIUM:- Well bred 4 year old gelding from the S.K. Sunderji yard, he has been placing consistently in maidens before scoring a maiden win over this trip back in Pune. He ran a close 2nd over this trip and in this class a couple of starts ago and returns to it after 2 unsuccessful attempts in the higher class. R. Ajinkya claims a useful 2 ½ kilos in the saddle, he should be fit enough after several runs this season and looks to have a strong each way chance if running up to his best
ANGELS TOUCH:- Well bred and highly regarded 4 year old filly trained by Karthik G she has run 8 times till date and returns after failing to stay the trip in the Indian Oaks. She appears to have been well prepared since then and this looks a much more realistic level for her. The booking of Bhawani Singh tempers enthusiasm somewhat and she might need this first run back but she did run 2nd on her penultimate run in similar company and is dangerous to ignore
HARMONYOFTHESEA:- Sparingly raced 4 year old filly from the yard of Imtiaz Sait, she was a fluent winner over 1200M early in the Pune season but has not quite gone on from that and has been inconsistent in 3 runs since then. She did finish on to be a fair 3rd over this trip on her reappearance behind Moonshine but then ran poorly over a mile last time out. She has been working quite well since the run and the booking of P. Trevor catches the eye. She does not appear to be the most reliable sort but is another who could strike if in a galloping mood
HARRIER:- Well bred 4 year old who made a belated racing debut over 1200M about a month ago and made good late headway from the rear to finish a promising 5th and is sure to have improved and stripped fitter. He has plenty of scope to improve on just his 2nd start and with A. Sandesh taking the ride again, he looks to have an excellent chance to shed his maiden tag off what looks a reasonable mark
HELLS BELLS:- Unexposed 4 year old gelding trained by Faisal Abbas, he appears to have had plenty of set backs from an early age judging from the fact that he has had 2 runs till date, both well spaced out and has been withdrawn on 2 occasions as well. Both the runs came within a year of each other, the 2nd of them this December where he made good late progress to finish 5th behind stable companion Nembe Greek. He has been brought along steadily since then, his recent track work has been good and Neeraj Rawal has been booked to ride which is encouraging. He has the scope to be better than his current mark and looks a dark horse who could spring a surprise
HIGHLAND WIND:- Comes from the stable of Rehanullah Khan and has looked to have made some progress in his last couple of starts, having finished 3rd over a mile to Arashi on his penultimate run and then finishing on nicely to be a close 4th over 1200M when upped to this class last time out. The 7 furlong trip should suit him better, he seems to be improving with his racing and bears watching from the foot of the scale with N.S. Parmar in the saddle today
CONCLUSION:- A competitive looking event but Harrier is taken to build on his promising debut and could have been let in leniently here by the handicapper. Angels Touch is also highly regarded and is respected back in a handicap along with the top weighted Collegium
Race No. 7 :- The Quest for Cash Plate – Class IV – Distance :- 1000M
EL TYCOON:- Speedy 5 year old from the yard of Vijay Kasbekar, his overall strike rate is unconvincing but he has been knocking at the door in his last few starts and appears quite likely to win one of these contests before too long. He has finished 2nd on 3 of his last 4 starts over sprints, last time out ending up a close 2nd to Locarno. He looks to have maintained his condition since then, Amyn Merchant who has been up on the last two starts keeps the ride again today and although he has to concede weight all around here, he cannot be ignored and should be in the firing line
LORD COMMANDER:- Improving 4 year old grey from the Bezan Chenoy stable, he has managed one win from his 7 starts till date and has finished runner up on 3 occasions, looking a winner over 1200M last time out but being shocked by Lilac Time in virtually the last stride. He looks better over 6 furlongs but does have the speed to tackle 5 and with P.S. Chouhan retaining the ride, he looks to have a strong chance to make amends
NEMBE GREEK:- Well bred 4 year old filly who does not appear to be totally straightforward but looks to have a strong chance on her previous winning run where she easily beat Chaplin who has won several races since then. She has not run upto that level in 2 runs since so she comes with risks attached but she has a 3 ½ kilo claimer up for the first time in several starts and if returning to her best form, she could have the ability to tackle them all
FINE TUNE:- Improving 4 year old filly who seems to be progressing nicely with her racing and was a fluent maiden winner over this trip on her penultimate run and then ran well when upped to this grade next time out and finished a close 3rd to Southpaw. Has been working well since the run suggesting that she is holding her form well and with H. Zeeshan taking the ride, she looks to have a strong each way chance in spite of her unfavourable draw in Stall 12
BEWITCHED:- Well bred 4 year old who was formerly trained by C.D. Katrak and has now moved to the stables of M.K. Jadhav for whom she will be having her second start. She has run just 5 times so clearly has the scope to improve with her best effort being when ending up a distant 2nd to Kramer over 1400 in Pune. She was given a trial run over this trip about a month ago and should strip fitter for that effort and with T.S. Jodha taking the ride again today, she could be a lively outsider
CONCLUSION:-Lord Commander was unlucky to be pipped on the post last time out and if running upto the same level again, should be hard to beat. Fine Tune should give him the most to do, while Nember Greek looks a danger if reproducing her winning run
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same)
