From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Thursday, 26th July 2018 - By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 25 Jul 2018
From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Thursday, 26th July 2018
- By Cyrus Naterwalla
Race No. 1 :- The Alley Cat Plate – Div. II – Class IV – Distance :- 1000M
MALAVIKA:-Small but sprightly 4 year old filly trained by Altaf Hussain who is yet to taste success in her 10 starts till date but is becoming a bit frustrating to follow and keeps finding one or two too good. She went close a couple of times last season on this track and appears to be fit judging from her workouts. The booking of C.S. Jodha is a positive but unfortunately she has bagged a wide draw in Stall 11 which is a disadvantage. She clearly deserves each way consideration and should be involved in the frame but there is a suspicion that she may be found wanting again today and she does not inspire confidence.
BUDDYHOLLY :- Lightly raced 3 year old from the Malesh Narredu yard who was sent off favourite on his debut way back in January over this trip but disappointed finishing only 6th. He did a little better in his next start which incidentally was his last run, ending up a modest 3rd to Godsword and he has been given time to improve and strengthen since then. He begins handicaps on what looks a reasonable mark and is taking on a relatively weak field so must fancy his chances and with P.S. Chouhan up, looks likely to make it 3rd time lucky.
CHOO MANTAR :- Unexposed 4 year old filly from the Faisal Abbas yard who made a belated racing debut back in February over 1200M and finished well beaten. That was her first run so she can be expected to improve and she has been catching the eye in the morning trials suggesting that she has taken a step forward. She is a totally unknown quantity but in form apprentice K. Nazil takes the ride and if looking well, she has the scope to improve and strike here and must be considered.
WHISPERING QUEEN :- 3 year old filly who comes from the yard of Ivor Fernandes who has limited winners in Pune and has been unplaced in her 2 races so far, over 1000M on debut and then tried over 1400M next time out. The only things of note are that her recent trackwork has been encouraging and the feeble R. Shelar has been replaced by Neeraj Rawal which is a big positive. She is worth a second glance in the paddock and could be each way value if looking the part.
FIRE FLAME :- Well bred 3 year old who is one of 4 runners from the Narendra Lagad stable and has run 6 times till date without much success. However, she did come out of the pack to finish runner up to Eden Rock over this trip on her last start which was her best effort till date. She is likely to come into her own over further eventually and may be out for an airing with Bhawani Singh in the saddle but could be a dark horse who could spring a surprise and bears watching.
JIGAR :- Progressive 4 year old filly who is a stable companion to Choo Mantar and has been improving steadily with each of her 4 starts. She looked like coming to hand on her last start over 1200M when she finished on well to be a close 3rd to Collegium which looks strong form. She is not certain to appreciate the drop down to the minimum trip but is likely to improve again and with G. Amit in the saddle, looks to have a good chance from the bottom of the scale.
CONCLUSION :- Not much to go by way of form and paddock looks will probably be a good indicator. Buddyholly is expected to find some improvement and is the cautious selection here. Choo Mantar has been working well and looks a danger along with the consistent Malavika while Jigar could also be dangerous.
Race No. 2 :- The Nitrous Plate – Class III – Distance :- 1600M
BRABOURNE :- Well bred and consistent 5 year old mare trained by Imtiaz Sait, she does not appear to be completely straightforward but has run well most of her career, winning twice from 11 starts and placing on 6 other occasions, her last win coming around this time last year over 7 furlongs off a mark of 42. She was brought along gradually during the Mumbai season with 4 well spaced out runs and finished runner up on the last two occasions, last time out outwitted by Carnival when sent off favourite over this trip. She has to concede weight all around here which looks a tough ask and also looks a bit short on prep work so although P. Trevor is an encouraging jockey booking, she appears to have more of a place chance today and is likely to play a minor role.
SAGITTARIUS :- Well bred 4 year old Arazan gelding from the Sanjay Kolse yard who has also been relatively lightly raced and seemed to come into his own when switched to forcing tactics and upped in trip in his last few starts. He has finished in the first two in 5 of his 7 starts till date, winning twice both over distance trip during the last Mumbai season with 2 inexplicably poor runs interspersed between the good ones. He looks to be progressing still and should be able to dominate in this small field so even though ideally, he would prefer more galloping ground, he could prove to be very dangerous if allowed to dictate the pace and may try and win this from pillar to post with S.A. Amit n board.
GRAND ACCORD :- Got abroad gelding from the powerful stable of Karthik G, he has been tried over a variety of trips but has proved to be most effective over the mile, both his victories coming in mile races in Mumbai. After scoring over a mile in Class IV back in January he was tried a few times over longer trips without any success but bounced back when returning to a mile on his last start to convincingly beat La Magnifique and Massimo. Grand Accord has been working well in his lead up work and with A.Imran Khan a positive jockey booking, he looks to have a strong chance to continue his progression over his pet distance and looks one of the main contenders here.
SUMAAQ :- Aged but remarkably consistent 6 year old handicapper trained by Faisal Abbas who seems to have his string in good order, he comes into this race fresh off a win in the lower class last time out when just holding off Dibaba and Rapid Girl in an older horses contest. He has only been penalized 4 kilos for the win but all his 3 wins have been well spaced out amongst his 26 starts and he looks vulnerable against the younger horses. He usually gives a good account of himself and can run into a place but winning looks tough in this company.
CELESTIAL LIGHT :- Stable companion of Brabourne who has also become remarkably consistent in her last few starts, winning 3 of her 21 races till date but she has finished in the first three in her last 5 starts in similar contests. She finished a very close 3rd over 1400M in her last run and looks slightly better placed on the scales than Grand Accord on a common line through Massimo. Her recent track work has also been very good and with Neeraj Rawal booked to ride, she looks another who must be seriously considered in this field.
CONCLUSION :-Celestial Light has been very consistent throughout the Mumbai season and with a slightly more favourable handicap and good recent trackwork, is just selected to get the better of the improving Grand Accord. Sagittarius could also prove to be dangerous if allowed to bowl along in front and may prove to be good value at the forecast odds.
Race No. 3 :- The Double Bull Plate – Div. II – Class V, 4Years Old & Over – Distance :-1200M
MONTANA :- Thrice raced 4 year old improver from the yard of Faisal Abbas, she returned last April from a year off the track and ran two promising thirds in quick succession over 1000M in the higher class. Making late headway to finish a promising 3rd to more fancied stable companion Southpaw on her reappearance she improved on that to finish a close 3rd to Nextstar last time out. She has now been eased in grade into the lower class and gets a more positive jockey booking with K. Nazil taking over from the more feebleAmyn Merchant. She has the maximum scope to improve in this field and looks to have a strong chance to progress again and gain a maiden victory.
KOTOR :- Highly regarded but underperformed 4 year old Phoenix Tower gelding from the Dallas Todywalla yard, he has run 8 times till date with just one placed effort to his name which was a faraway 3rd over 1400M a couple of starts ago. He has the potential to unlock some improvement but has showed no signs of doing so of late although he has the services of champion jockey P. Trevor. He could be given an each way chance in this field but needs to show a little more spark on the track before he can be strongly recommended.
MAGICAL BLOSSOM :- Well bred 4 year old filly from the small yard of C. Rajendra, she has been untried in her 6 starts till date but after running way down the field on the first 5 occasions, she hinted at some ability last time out over this trip when given a decent rider for the first time, finishing a fairly close 5th to Milwalkee. She has moved nicely in the couple of pieces of work that she has gone here and S. J. Sunil has a decent number of winners so she could be one to keep an eye on and could spring a surprise at a long price.
AQUARIUS :- Aged and exposed 5 year old maiden trained by M.K.Jadhav, he has gone 18 starts so far without a win but looks to be on a decent handicap mark at present and has been finishing just outside the frame in his last few starts. The booking of D.A. Naik is not encouraging and suggests that maybe he is out for an airing today but he looks well placed on the scale on the pick of his old form and can be given an each way chance if he has his galloping shoes on.
DIVINE SPARK :- 7 year old gelding who comes from the stable of Altaf Hussain, he is yet to taste success in 14 starts till date but is another who looks reasonably well treated on the scale and was fancied on a couple of occasions in Mumbai but failed to deliver. He finished a close 3rd to Make It Shine when well backed over course and distance last September and has been working fairly well. Yash Narredu is an interesting booking for the yard and he is another worth keeping an eye on.
ETERNAL DANCER :- Another consistent and versatile 5 year old handicapper from the Rehanullah Khan yard, she too has been running well in defeat but is still searching for that elusive first success, winless in 17 starts till date. She has run well over 1000M as well as over a mile so this in between trip should not be a problem. She finished 3rd in her last 2 runs in similar contests with the same rider up and is another who looks an each way contender if running up to her best.
CONCLUSION :-Although these races are usually better left alone, I would like to put forward Montana as a selection here. She has the maximum scope to improve from this lot, has been eased in grade and was a promising 3rd last time out.
Race No. 4 :- The Sea Ruler Plate – Class IV – Distance :- 1800M
IN IT TO WIN IT : -Progressive 4 year old gelding trained by AdhirajsinghJodha, he took his time to come to hand after being fancied quite often early in his career but looks to be progressing nicely at present and comes into this race bidding for a hattrick after 2 smooth wins in his last 2 starts. After scoring a decisive win over a mile on his penultimate start, he showed further improvement over 2000M last time out when easily tackling Tar Heel and Yellowstone to win convincingly. The handicapper has given him a chance as this is his 3rd run in Class IV in spite of his 2 wins and the 1800M trip should be ideal for his seasonal debut. He seems to be improving with every one of late so even though he is slightly worse off with Kimberella at the weights, he is capable of overcoming that deficit and is given a strong chance to complete his hattrick with C.S. Jodha up again today.
KIMBERELLA:-4 year old filly from the Imtiaz Sait yard, she has proved a little inconsistent so far in her 6 runs till date and after 3 indifferent performances in Mumbai, looked on the way back to form last time out when coming with a strong run to defeat Momentum over this trip. She finished 5th behind In It To Win It the time before that and is 2 ¼ kilos better off for that run so has a handicap chance to reverse the form. Dashrath Singh who rode her last time out is up again today and has been riding well and she appears to be the main danger to In It To Win It.
GOLD MEDALIST :- 3 year old gelding trained by S.A. Waheed who has run 4 times till date, exclusively over this trip in maidens and appeared to be progressing steadily. After a couple of thirds in his previous runs, he went one better last time out, ending up a decent 2nd to Madagascar. He has been working quite well since that run, looks likely to have improved over the break and merits each way consideration with Neeraj Rawal in the saddle. He needs to improve substantially on the bare form to trouble the more fancied runners but can be involved in the finish.
MEDICI :- Twice raced Phoenix Tower colt from the small stable of Zadmal Singh, he is taking a marked step up in trip with both his earlier runs coming over sprints. After finishing 4th over 1000M on debut, he showed a little improvement to end up 3rd behind Mount Olympus over 1200M. On breeding he looks likely to appreciate more galloping ground and the switch from T.S. Jodha to P. Trevor is an interesting one. He looks a dark horse who can upset if finding improvement for the longer trip and bears careful watching if fit and well.
ROGUE ONE :- Another well bred and highly regarded 3 year old this one comes from the stable of Narendra Lagad and is having his first start since being gelded at the conclusion of the Mumbai season. He has run 3 times till date, outclassed in the Shapoorji Pallonji Colts Championship but finishing 3rd on either side of that race, last time out 3rd to Truly Epic over 1400M. He has been given plenty of prep work to get him fit and ready first time out and with K. Nazil claiming an additional 3.5 kilos in the saddle, he could be an upset at the low weight.
CONCLUSION :- The pair to concentrate on here appear to be In It To Win It and Kimberella with slight preference for the former although the latter is better handicapped today. There are some potentially useful 3 year olds who could upset if finding improvement after the break
Race No. 5 :- The J.E.Hughes Trophy – Class II – Distance :- 1000M
DOUBLE NINE :- Solid 5 year old handicapper who has 3 wins to his name from 19 starts and has also placed on 9 occasions so has been quite consistent throughout his career. 2 of his 3 wins came in the last Mumbai season and has been in rousing form of late. His last win came on his penultimate start when he beat God’s Own and Wild Fire convincingly and he went on to make Clymene pull out all the stops next time out where he again had Wild Fire and God’s Own in behind. He has top weight to defy here but needs to show that he is resuming in the same vein and with P.S. Chouhan in the saddle, is likely to run well although may find weight a stopper.
CHAPLIN :- Improving 4 year old trained by Dallas Todywalla who has finished in the first two in 6 of his 8 career starts till date and has been steadily moving up the handicap ranks albeit over longer trips. He has raced over only 6 and 7 furlongs till date so is dropping down to this minimum trip for the first time and has been working exceptionally well of late. Neeraj Rawal has been booked to ride and it is dangerous to ignore him as he is likely to have improved again but he is taking on established 5 furlong horses in the short Pune straight and may find things happening a little quickly.
SOUTHPAW :- Another progressive 4 year old trained by Faisal Abbas, he has been progressing up the handicap ranks over this trip and has won his last 3 starts over this trip most impressively and is bidding for a four timer. His recent trackwork suggests that he has maintained his condition after the break but he is now up a further 7 kilos. K.Nazil has been booked to ride claiming a useful 3.5 kilos in the saddle and he may still be ahead of the handicapper and is strongly fancied to continue his winning run.
GOD’S OWN :- Speedy 4 year old filly from the Narendra Lagad yard who showed she was in good heart just last week when chasing home House of Commons over this trip, ending up a good 2nd. She has finished behind Double Nine twice during the Mumbai season but is now weighted to gain revenge and may have the advantage of fitness. T.S. Jodha who rode her last time out keeps the ride, she has been well drawn in Stall 2 and is expected to have bold show.
WILD FIRE:-Course specialist who holds the 5 furlong record on this track and can be excused her poor run last week as she missed the kick and could not recover thereafter. She has been working better than her stable companion God’s Own and stable jockey Dashrath Singh takes the ride. If she gets off to a level jump today then she could be a force to reckon with and shapes as a live danger.
CONCLUSION :- Southpaw has been improving with every outing and looks a Group Class sprinter in the making. He is bidding for his 4th straight 5 furlong win and is selected to continue his winning spree although he is tackling the Pune course for the first time. Wild Fire is feared most as she has been blazing the track and missed the kick last week when a firm favourite. Chaplin is also very progressive and can upset although he will find the trip on the sharp side.
Race No. 6 :- The Alley Cat Plate Div-I – Class IV – Distance :- 1200M
IMPALA :- One of 4 runners for the Narendra Lagad yard and looks the stable choice judging from the jockey bookings with Dashrath Singh booked to ride. The 3 year old has had 4 runs in his juvenile season in Mumbai, scoring a gritty maiden success when getting the better of Run Forest Run over this trip on his penultimate start before finishing 4th in The Bahrain Trophy to Columbianaprincess. His lead up work to this race has been very impressive suggesting that he has improved and in this company, he looks to have a strong chance to return to winning ways.
NEXTSTAR :- Enigmatic 4 year old grey filly trained by Imtiaz Sait who looked back to her best when last seen in Mumbai when scoring a decisive win over Royal Ace over this trip when last seen back in April. Overall she has run 9 times with 2 victories to her name although she has had a string of poor runs in between the two wins. She has been working very well in her preparatory work and with P.S. Chouhan booked to ride, she will make a bold bid to repeat and could be a force to reckon with if turning up in the same mood.
TOUCH ME NOT :- Stable companion of Impala who has 1 win to her name in 10 starts till date but was out of sorts in her 3 runs in Mumbai and needs to bounce back although she performed well during the previous Pune season. Her workouts leading up to this race have been decent and although Impala appears to be the yard’s first choice, she could add some spice to the finish and with 5 kilo claimer N.B. Kuldeep up and a good draw in Stall 2, she looks a good each way contender.
CAPTAIN :- Speedy 5 year old gelding trained by Faisal Abbas who has been relatively sparingly raced with 11 starts till date and is still a maiden in spite of a couple of near misses over this trip. He looked to be returning to form when well backed on his last start and was collared late home by Wilshire. He has been troubled by injury throughout his career so he has to prove that he is resuming in the same form but he could prove to be a danger if he can run upto the same level again with G Amit a good booking.
YUTAKA :- Consistent 4 year old handicapper from the S.K. Sunderji yard who does not have an inspiring overall record of just 1 win from 13 starts and he has been struggling with the handicapper since gaining his maiden success in December. She appears to be in the grip of the handicapper at present and will need to find some more improvement if she is to be a factor. C.S. Jodha is a promising jockey booking but she looks more of a minor berth contender and is likely to fight it out for the places.
CONCLUSION :- Impala is selected to get the better of the unreliable but in form Nextstar and the race is expected to be a straight fight between the pair
Race No. 7 :- The Double Bull Plate – Div. I – Class V, 4Years Old & Over – Distance :-1200M
ROYAL ACE :- 5 year old gelding trained by Faisal Abbas who has a fine sprinting pedigree but is still a maiden after 13 starts. He has been knocking at the door in his last few starts having finished runner up in 3 of his last 4 starts including over 1000M last time out behind Nextstar and has now been eased in grade into the lowest class. He should relish the return back to 6 furlongs and K. Nazil takes the ride so he looks to have an excellent chance in this field and may finally gain that elusive first success.
GNOSTIC EYES :- Fashionably bred 4 year old gelding from the Rehanullah Khan yard who has slowly been coming to hand and scored an overdue success over 1400M last time out, beating Forever Free and Allegria quite convincingly. He may not be ideally suited by the drop in trip but may have finally come right now and should make a brave attempt to repeat although the booking of Kishore Kadam too is not convincing.
ARABIAN STORM :- 5 year old gelding trained by Narendra Lagad who is bred to be a stayer but has been running his best races over sprint trips, his solitary win in his 15 starts coming over 7 furlongs last September. He did finish runner up over 1000M in Mumbai a couple of starts ago but does not appear to be totally straightforward. On the plus side, he has been working very well of late and is now eased in grade into the lower class and the booking of Dashrath Singh suggests that he is the stable’s main hope. The draw has not been kind to him though drawn very wide at 14 which is another negative and all in all, he comes with plenty of risks attached.
SAFFRON FLOWER :- 4 year old maiden filly trained by M.P. Jodha, she has run 11 times so far without success but has placed on a couple of occasions in similar contests and was runner up to Sia on her penultimate run over 1400M and should not be bothered by the slight drop in trip. Nirmal Jodha takes the ride, she looks capable of finding some improvement and looks to have an each way shout here if fit and ready to go.
TALLY HO :- Inconsistent and unreliable 5 year old who moved midway through his career from MaleshNarredu to Narendra Lagad and gained his solitary and maiden success over 1000M on this track last season. However, he has failed to run upto that level in multiple starts since then, running poorly throughout the Mumbai season save for 1 run where he finished a decent 3rd to Arc of Passion again over 1000M. His recent trackwork has been good suggesting that he is in good heart at present but a leap of faith is required to support him with Bhawani Singh up and with a poor draw in Stall 11.
XOXO :- 4 year old gelding trained by S.S. Shah who has reduced his string considerably in the last few years, he is a maiden after 9 starts having been tried between 1200 and 1600M without success. His best effort has been when finishing a close 3rd over 1400M early in the Mumbai season but his subsequent efforts have been uninspiring. N.S. Parmar has a decent strike rate for the limited rides which he gets, he has been working well and could have been freshened up by the break.
CONCLUSION :-Probably best to be a spectator in this concluding event but Royal Ace could have found a good opportunity to gain his maiden success at the expense of the erratic and poorly drawn Arabian Storm. The well bred Gnostic Eyes seems to be going the right way and is also respected.
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same)
