From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Saturday, 11th August 2018 - By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 10 Aug 2018
From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Saturday, 11th August 2018
- By Cyrus Naterwalla
Race No. 1 :- The Colombiana Plate – Class IV & V – 3 Years Old Only (Maiden) – Distance :- 1400M
GOLDEN HIND :- Once raced son of Kingda Ka trained by Vishal Gaikwad, he made his debut in Mumbai towards the end of March over 1200M and was well fancied but got the hang of things very late and finished on pleasingly to be runner up to the highly regarded Dazzling Star. The extra furlong is likely to be to his advantage and he should improve significantly for the educative run. However, he has only been given a couple of easy workouts so far and may not be fully wound up. He is a half brother to Nicaragua who although failed to win from his 8 starts finished 3rd in the Golconda Derby and the South Indian St. Leger and Normandy who won 1 race from 5 starts for the same connections. A. Sandesh takes the ride and he appears to be one of the chief contenders here.
WINDSOR FORTUNE :- One of 2 runners from the Narendra Lagad yard and appears to be the lesser fancied of the pair on Jockey bookings. Having an attractive pedigree by Multidimensional out of Indian Derby winner Psychic Flame, he is a full brother to Psychic Warrior who won the Group 3 Bangalore Winter Million and placed a couple of times in his 7 starts although unplaced in the Classics. In Western India, his sister Sacred Fire was highly regarded and won the Forbes Breeders Juvenile Fillies Championship – her only win in a limited 5 race career. He is also full brother to the brilliant Kolkotta based filly Adiella who won 7 of her 15 starts and placed 2nd in the Kolkotta 2000 Guineas (Gr. 2) and the Calcutta Million (GR.2). On pedigree his ideal trip appears to be a mile so he will appreciate this distance much better than the 5 furlongs which he debuted over on the opening day of the season. On paper he appears to be the stronger of the 2 runners from the yard but T.S. Jodha rides him while Dashrath Singh opts for Fire Flame. He has been working well and looks interesting.
HAMMERSMITH :- Fashionably bred filly from the powerful Pesi Shroff yard, she is a full sister to Classic winner Windsor Forest who was a narrow 2nd in the Indian 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1) and a half sister to the highly regarded Continental who’s promising career was cut short by a fatal injury in the Pune Derby. It shows the regard which she is held in by her Trainer as she made her racing debut a month ago directly in the Mysore Fillies Trial Stakes for which she was sent off favourite. Understandably the task proved to be beyond her and she could only finish 4th of the 5 runners but she is likely to have learnt plenty from that experience and this looks decidedly easier. She has been working well and with man of the moment P. Trevor in the saddle, she looks a leading contender to earn her first career win on just her 2nd start.
PRINCESS ELIZA :- Interesting runner from the Karthik G yard who also sends out Lambretta who appears to be the fitter of the pair so it is interesting that A. Imran Khan has been booked to ride her. She made her debut over 1200M early in the Mumbai season and finished 5th of 7 in a decent maiden won by stable companion Silver Locket. She has been rested and given time to improve since then so she returns after a long absence and will clearly have fitness to prove as her preparatory work has been limited. Her half brother Pathan just recently broke his maiden last week in Class V but another half brother Vijay’s Champ was well performed in Hyderabad winning 3 of his 17 starts and finishing runner up in the Deccan Derby (Gr.1) and the Golconda St. Leger (Gr.2). She may need this lung opener after the long break but should not be ignored if looking well
FIRE FLAME :- 2nd runner from the Narendra Lagad stable and the choice of stable Jockey Dashrath Singh. She is also the most experienced runner in the line up having run 7 times till date with not much to show for it, her best effort coming over 1000M when she finished a 5 length 2nd to Eden Rock back in Mumbai. She appears to be more exposed and have less scope to improve than several of these and her full brother Majestical is still a maiden. However herhalf sister Solange was effective over this trip and finished 4th in the Indian 1000 Guineas so there is some hope of trying her back up at this trip. She appears to be a minor berth contender in this field
CONCLUSION :- Some well bred and potentially smart youngsters on display and Hammersmith is given another chance to live up to her impeccable bloodlines after having been thrown in the deep end on her debut. She should be fitter and sharper and is the clear selection. Golden Hind appears the form horse and the main danger although he looks a bit short on prep work while Princess Eliza is also interesting.
Race No. 2:- The An Acquired Taste Plate – Class III & IV – Distance :- 1800M
SAMARJEET :- 4 year old Varenar gelding from the bang in form stable of S.K. Sunderji, he has developed into a decent handicapper having won 3of his 13 starts, most of them while dominating over similar trips. His last win was back in December over 2000M off a mark of 45 when he got the better of Drogo and Aspen in a similar contest. His form has been modest in 4 runs since then, placing on a couple of occasions but he has been working well of late and appears to have been freshened up by the break. He may be taken on for the lead by Zanara who also likes to front run but the yard is in red hot form and with C.S. Jodha in the saddle, he looks to have a strong chance to get back to winning ways.
ZANARA :- Enigmatic4 year old mare trained by Dallas Todywalla, she used to race in the colours of the Poonawalla family and was thought to be a Classic prospect but came up short in the Graded races and changed hands to Saleem Fazelbhoy recently. Her record overall is decent with 2 wins and 3 seconds from 11 starts and she seems to be at her best when dominating from the front. She had a lung opener over 1400M earlier in the season, finishing 4th to Pioneer and will be more suited by more galloping ground. Neeraj Rawal takes the ride today and she may be able to dominate in this small field but she has been out of sorts for a while now and needs to show some more spark before she can bounce back. She has each way claims today.
CELESTIAL LIGHT :- Consistent 5 year old handicapper from the Imtiaz Sait yard who is yet to begin to fire in Pune, she has 3 wins to her name from 22 starts but has placed on several occasions and has been quite consistent in her last several starts. She was a winner over 1400M back in February in the lower class where she beat Chaplin convincingly and since then she has finished 3rd in her next 3 races including earlier this season over a mile behind Grand Accord and she appears to hold stable companion Jager Bomb on that running. A. Sandesh takes over in the saddle today from Neeraj Rawal, she has been working well in Pune and looks to have a good chance to earn herself another victory with the extra furlong not appearing to be a problem. Strong fancy.
FLYING DRAGON :- Fully exposed 6 year old gelding from the yard of S.S. Shah, he is a 31 race veteran and although he has placed on as many as 13 occasions, he has only been able to win twice, his last win coming on this track but way back in September 2016 when he scored over 2000M off a mark of 42. He has come back down to that mark now after some indifferent efforts and he did go very close over a mile in Mumbai back in December. 3rd over this trip to In It To Win It earlier in the season, he looks fit and well and with K. Nazil in the saddle, he could strike off the low weight.
CONCLUSION :-In spite of the small field this looks a trappy contest and it is tough to pick a winner with almost of all them able to stake a claim. The consistent Celestial Light is a tentative selection to prevail over Samarjeet.
Race No. 3 :- The Proteus Plate – Terms, Maiden 3 Year Olds – Distance :- 1000M
RETAINED ASSET :- Sedgfield gelding from the stable of Adhirajsingh Jodha, he has run 4 times till date over varying trips, finishing 4th on 2 occasions. Debuting over 1400M back in December, he finished 4th to Mozart in a decent maiden, but then ran poorly in the Breeders Produce Stakes, ending up last of the 8 runners. Given a short break, he reappeared over 1200M in March end, leading for a long way and ending up a good 4th to Dazzling Star. Tried again on the final day of the Mumbai season over 1400M , he again ran a forward race before retiring at the bend so it seems to make sense to try him down at this minimum trip. He has been showing good speed in the morning gallops of late and should be fit and ready to go. Dashrath Singh has been booked to ride and if reproducing his work, he looks to have a strong chance to shed his maiden tag today and is respected.
STORMY ATLANTIC :- Solid looking Strong Suit gelding from the powerful Pesi Shroff yard, who’s half brother Pacquiao has won 3 of his 5 races in Mysore, he has run twice before, making his debut over 1200M way back in December and ending up 4th to Silver Locket. He looked to be carrying some condition when making his seasonal debut again over 1200M just last week but showed good speed to be prominent till the bend before retiring. He is likely to have stripped fitter for the run, looks likely to relish the drop to the minimum and P. Trevor now replaces S. Zervan in the saddle. He is marginally the highest rated runner in this field and with the fitness edge, looks to have an excellent chance to open his account.
WHITEWALKER :- 3 year old gelding out of Stern Opinion trained by Dallas Todywalla, he has always been held in high regard by his trainer but does not yet seem to have come into his own and has run modestly in his 4 starts till date, finishing 4th on a couple of occasions and 3rd on debut albeit in a 4 horse affair in The Gool S. Poonawalla Million. His 3 subsequent runs in maidens have been disappointing, finishing 4th to Godsword and Between The Waters in weaker fields than today. However, his work on the Pune course recently has been excellent, working better than Princess P who won a rich race here last week so there is some encouragement on that score. Retained rider P.S. Chouhan is up today and he has bagged the rail draw as well so if he able to show early speed, he could have improved enough to have a say although he still needs to improve on his form till date. Each way contender.
FALCONETTE :- Relatively exposed filly from the stable of Narendra Lagad, she has run 6 times till date over varying trips, her best effort being when finishing 4th to Rose Gold on her penultimate start over 1000M back in Mumbai. She does not appear to have too much of a chance against these unexposed improvers and the fact that Dashrath Singh has passed over the ride also tempers enthusiasm and she will be ridden by T.S. Jodha. The only positive for her is that her recent trackwork in Pune suggests that she has made some improvement and hence she can be considered for the minor places but winning looks tough and she is up against it.
SHIVALIK QUEEN :- Speedy looking Saamid filly trained by Faisal Abbas, she is a half sister to the well performed Hyderabad sprinter Breezeofthesouth who won 7 and finished 2nd on 5 occasions in his 20 starts. She has run thrice previously, all in Mumbai and after finishing unplaced on debut over 1200M she finished a length and a half runner up to Steppenwolf over 1200M and then dropped to this trip last time out, she finished 3rd to Charles Bridge and Enchanted. She is making her seasonal reappearance and A. Sandesh has been booked to ride but she seems a little short on prep work and may just need this. Can win if fit and ready to go though.
CONCLUSION :- This race appears to be mainly between Stormy Atlantic and Retained Asset. The latter appears to have run in better company but the Shroff ward had a good lung opener and is just preferred with the fitness advantage. Whitewalkerhas been showing tremendous speed in the morning gallops and can upset if he has come right
Race No. 4 :_ The Midori Plate – Div. II – Class IV & V – Distance :- 1000M
ART DECO :- 5 year old mare trained by Dallas Todywalla, she began her career in promising fashion and was a fluent maiden winner over course and distance on just her 2nd career start. However, she was an expensive failure the next twice and seemed to lose her way since then with a string of poor efforts. Her win came off a mark of 27 and she is now rated 29 so she seems to have been brought down to an attractive mark and had a lung opener earlier in the season to blow away the cobwebs. She has been showing good speed in her morning work and appears to have found a weak field in which to try and regain her confidence and get back to winning ways. P.S. Chouhan is clearly the strongest rider in this field as well and if reproducing her good track work, she looks a very strong contender to score.
ABRAXAS :- This 4 year old filly from the Lagad stable appears to be the form horse here although she has already had plenty of racing for her age and looks quite exposed. Still a maiden after 14 attempts she has gone close on a number of occasions and ran well when runner up to Malavika a couple of weeks ago. She should strip fitter for that run, has been showing out well in the morning trials and is likely to attempt to make all again today. However, inexperienced apprentice P.S. Kaviraj has been booked to ride and she has a wide draw in 9, both of which are slight negatives. However, she is the only runner with current form and must be respected.
CHOO MANTAR :- Unexposed and another potential improver who has been working well this 4 year old filly from the Faisal Abbas yard has only run twice till date and made her seasonal debut in the same race as Abraxas finishing up 6th about 6 lengths behind Abraxas. She is likely to improve for that run and strip fitter and G. Amit now takes over in the saddle from K. Nazil. However, she still looks out handicapped with Abraxas on the scale and although she is likely to run much better today, she looks to have more of a place chance and may find it difficult to reverse the form on worse terms today.
JULIO CESARO :- 3 year old gelding trained by Narendra Lagad he has run 5 times till date without a win so far, racing exclusively over 1000M till date and showing good speed on a couple of occasions but being unable to see out his races so far and weakening close home. The short Pune straight is likely to be to his advantage and he has been working well and has a good draw in Stall 2. Another inexperienced 5 kilo claimer Aniket Karande has been booked to ride though and he is having his first run of the season so may just need this. Does entertain each way hopes though and can be involved.
KOMODO DRAGON :- 5 year old gelding from the stable of Hormuz Antia, he is an 11 race maiden who has dropped significantly in the weights with a string of poor efforts. However, he did appear to be coming to hand in his last couple of starts, finishing 3rd to Golden Horde before ending a faraway 2nd to Isinit both over 1200M in the lower class. He does not appear to have had any preparatory work but is given an each way shout with N Nadeem in the saddle if he has managed to unlock some more improvement over the summer.
CONCLUSION :- A weak looking field and Art Deco looks to have a good opportunity to get back to winning ways with the forceful P.S. Chouhan astride. The speedy Abraxas seems to be the main danger while Choo Mantar and Julio Cesaro also merit consideration
Race No. 5 :- The Eve Champion Trophy (Grade 3) – Terms – 4 Years Old & Over – Distance :- 2000M
AGGREGATED :- Sparingly raced half brother to Columbiana who still looks to be coming to hand and has raced just 4 times till date in his limited career. Making his debut on this track last September he finished on nicely to be runner up to Cosa Nostra over 7 furlongs and was taken to Kolkotta after that. He appeared to be a special horse when only the 2nd start of his career, he upset the odds on favourite Shaman to win the Kolkotta 2000 Guineas and went on to claim the Kolkotta Derby next time out, upsetting the wonder filly Sana. He was brought back to Mumbai for the Indian Derby and ace rider S.A. De Souza was flown down especially to ride. However, he was one of the first ones off the bridle and fell away to finish 2nd last and has been put away after that. He has been working quite well in the build up to this event and moved quite well in a Mock Race a couple of weeks ago. He appears to be the only one in this field who still has scope to improve and C.S. Jodha has been booked to ride. He is only rated 94 compared to the 116 rating of B Fifty Two so he has plenty to do on the scale but if unlocking some more improvement, he could prove to be a danger.
WHOMAKESTHERULES :- Stable companion of Aggregated and the mount of Yash Narredu, this 5 year old Multidimensional gelding looked one of the best of his generation as a juvenile, winning his first 3 races in a row before finishing a creditable 3rd to Serjeant At Arms and Supreme General in the Colts Championship Stakes in Bangalore and 4th in the Derby. He went on to win the Kolkotta Monsoon Derby easily and put in a great performance to claim the Kolkotta 2000 Guineas from the odds on favourite Accolade. A setback sadly cut short his Classic season but he has been performing with credit in Group Races since his return, finishing a ¾ length second to Temerity in the JiwajiraoScindia where he had B Fifty Two and Winter Renaissance well held. He went back to Kolkotta to score a memorable win in the Super Mile but has run poorly in 3 starts since then and seems to be at his best on the Kolkotta track. He has raced just once on the Pune track previously when finishing 3rd to Mathaiyus in the Indian St. Leger and is the 2nd highest rated runner here.
B FIFTY TWO :- The highest rated horse in the field and clearly the one with the best credentials to win this, the 6 year old gelding trained by Imtiaz Sait is already a multiple Group Race winner and excels over this 2000M trip. Winner of 8 of his 32 starts, he is usually at his best when dominating in small fields as he showed when out witting Temerity in a 2 horse race to win The Eclipse Stakes of India. He has been well prepared for his seasonal reappearance and is partnered by P. Trevor who gets on with him well and his ridden him to most of his Group Race successes. On form and on rating he looks quite outstanding and appears to be the most likely winner in this field.
WINTER RENAISSANCE :- 5 year old mare who is a stable companion to B Fifty Two and has run 17 times till date. She has managed to win just twice – a maiden victory over 2400M in Class IV and more recently, scored in the Queen Elizabeth Cup in Kolkotta (Gr. 3) over 2800M. Some of her best performances have been in defeat though, finishing 4th in the Indian Oaks and Derby and runner up in the Indian St. Leger. She has been working well and A. Sandesh is an encouraging Jockey booking but she is clearly at her best over longer distances and may find things happening too quickly over this 2000M trip. This could possibly be a warm up for distance events in the future but she could run into a place.
SELFIE STAR :- The other 4 year old in the field trained by Dallas Todywalla, this half sister to Silver Beauty has acquitted herself well so far winning 4 of her 12 starts till date although she is now taking a big step up in Class. After finishing a career best 3rd in the Indian Oaks but well beaten in the Bangalore Derby, she continued down the handicap route and most recently finished a faraway 2nd to Auburn over 1800M in a Class II event. She is rated only 80 and has plenty to find on official ratings but does have a fitness advantage over most of these and should stay the 2000 trip. Neeraj Rawal has been booked to ride but she looks likely to place at best and will struggle to trouble the principals.
CONCLUSION :- B Fifty Two looks the stand out on form and rating and is the confident selection here to add another Group Race to his collection. Whomakestherules has questions surrounding him so the main danger could be the lightly raced Aggregated who looks very progressive if you discount his poor Indian Derby run
Race No. 6 :- The Unicorn Plate – Class III & IV, 5 Years Old & Over – Distance :- 1200M
MASTEROFBALANTRAE:-Fashionably bred 5 year old gelding trained by Vishal Gaikwad who’s career has been cut short by injury but has still proved himself to be a class act and is yet to be beaten in his 3 career starts till date. All his wins have come well spaced out, scoring twice during the 2016-17 Mumbai season and coming back after a year off the track to score over 1400M in Class III. He has not raced since that run back in February so returns from another long break and may be needing an outing as Kishore Kadam has been booked rather than A. Sandesh. However, he has to be respected as he is still unbeaten and although probably a shade underdone and conceding weight all around, he looks the class horse in this field and would be very dangerous to ignore in spite of top weight. Respected.
CHARGING TIGRESS :- 6 year old mare trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha she is a winner of 3 of her 28 starts and has also placed on 11 occasions showing versatility between 1000 and 1400M trips. Her last win was way back in December 2016 so she has been battling with the handicapper for some time now but she did finish a good 3rd over 1000M on her penultimate run in Mumbai with the same rider up and looks to have come back down to a reasonable mark. She has been working with the very highly regarded Columbianaprincess and should be fit and ready to go and must be feared in this older horses contest. D.R. Shubham takes the ride and she looks an each way player.
FLAG FLYING :- Another well bred and consistent 5 year old colt, trained by H.J. Antia, Flag Flying is at his best when dictating the pace right from the start. He has won twice from his 17 starts but has also placed on 7 occasions and has been slowly working his way up the handicap scale. Convincing winner over this trip back in January on the Mumbai track, he has warmed up for this with a nice lung opener when finishing a good 3rd to Wild Fire and that run should put him spot on for this. N Nadeem gets on with him well and claims a valuable 5 kilos in the saddle and with the benefit of the run, he looks a leading contender to score now.
VISTANA :- Enigmatic but unreliable 7 year old mare trained by Bezan Chenoy, she is a winner of 3 of her 20 starts winning over course and distance last season and then finishing a close 3rd to Chaplin back in February. She seems to lack consistency though which tempers enthusiasm somewhat and her good runs are interspersed with some very ordinary efforts. On the plus side, she has been working very well of late and the booking of P. Trevor catches the eye. She must be given a strong each way chance in this field and is likely to be involved in the finish.
GREY FLANNEL :- Tough and consistent 5 year old handicapper from the Dallas Todywalla yard, she is a winner of 3 of her 21 starts and has also placed on 7 occasions and appears to be most effective over sprint trips. She comes into this race fresh off a gutsy victory last time out in the lower class, showing good determination to hold on by a long neck from Astral Flare and she has not been too harshly penalized for the win. P.S. Chouhan who rode her last time out, retains the ride and she has a good draw so must be feared and should try hard to repeat.
ARABIAN STORM :- Another last time out winner in the lower grade, this son of Admiralofthefleet is bred to want distance but his 2 career wins have come over 1400 and 1200M respectively. He scored over XoXo in Class V last time out so he takes a big step up in grade now running in a Class III and IV contest but comes into this race at a feather weight. He seems to have maintained his form and fitness since the win, Dashrath Singh takes the ride and he should make a brave attempt to repeat in this tougher company.
CONCLUSION :-A competitive handicap. It may still be tempting to side with the unbeaten Masterofbalantrae as he will likely be available at an attractive price. He has shown he has the ability to tackle long lay offs and is still unbeaten. Flag Flying appears to be the form choice after his good 3rd over 1000M while Vistana with P. Trevor up and Grey Flannel are also respected
Race No. 7 :- The Midori Plate – Div. I - Class IV & V – Distance :- 1000M
GLORIOUS LAND :- Speedy 5 year old mare who began her career with Dallas Todywalla with whom she scored her 3 career wins but moved a few starts ago to Adil Dajee and is yet to shine for her new connections. Winner thrice from her 17 starts, she excels at this trip and probably needed the lung opener when turned out on the opening day after a long absence. She finished 5th behind Columbianaprincess but has now been eased in grade and should be fitter and sharper for the run. Good apprentice D.S. Daman has been booked to ride claiming 1 ½ kilos and although drawn wide in Stall 9 she does have early speed and must be feared.
FINE TUNE :- Progressive 4 year old filly from the Mansoor Shah yard, she was in rousing form for most of the Mumbai season and is likely to have made some more improvement over the break. Her form figures in Mumbai read 3-1-3-1-2, both her wins coming over this trip and last time out she finished an excellent close 2nd to Wind Craft with Malavika back in 3rd. She looks better placed than both her rivals on the scale for that run with useful 5 kilo claimer S. Joseph taking the ride and a good draw in Stall 3. Fitness may be a slight concern on her seasonal reappearance but she seems to be progressing nicely right now and could find some further improvement.
MALAVIKA:-Altaf Hussain trained 4 year old filly who finally managed to gain an overdue maiden success last time out when she was a decisive winner over Abraxas over course and distance although penalty will make life a little more difficult. She appears to be out handicapped with Fine Tune on their previous meeting so although C.S. Jodha retains the ride and she should gain confidence from the win, she may struggle to repeat in this company and looks to have more of a place chance today.
KINGSTON HEATH :- Lightly raced 5 year old gelding trained by BezanChenoy, he has run 9 times till date and has managed 1 career win, an impressive effort over this trip in Mumbai back in March 2016. He has had setbacks since then and has been sparingly raced but looked like rediscovering form on his penultimate run when finishing on to be 3rd to Sereno back in January. However, he ran poorly when well fancied last time out and is having his first start since then. He has been working well on the Pune track and good apprentice Santosh G has been booked to ride. A paddock check is advised to ascertain his condition and if looking well, he is capable of causing an upset.
GODSWORD :- 3 year old filly trained by Narendra Lagad who has had 4 runs till date and did score a decisive maiden win over this trip on her 2nd start. She had a lung opener over 1200M just last week and ran a forward race before kicking on to finish 3rd to Eden Rock and should be fitter and sharper and will relish the drop back to the minimum trip. Dashrath Singh retains the ride, she is likely to give a much better account of herself today and taking on mainly exposed handicappers, she looks to have found a good opportunity to return to the winner’s circle.
CONCLUSION :-Godswordis the selection in a tricky finale and should be able to hold the well handicapped Fine Tune and Kingston Heath
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same)
