From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Monday, 17th September 2018 - By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 16 Sep 2018
From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Monday, 17th September 2018
- By Cyrus Naterwalla
Race No. 1 :- The Yogender Singh Trophy – Div. II – Class IV & V , 4 Years & Over – Distance :- 1400M
BRONX :- Well bred and unexposed 4 year old gelding trained by Nosher Cama, he began his racing career at a late stage and looks to have plenty of scope to improve still. Missing his entire 3 year old season, he made a belated debut at age 4 in February where he was given an educative run over an inadequate 1000M finishing mid division. He showed the benefit of that run as also his potential next time out when upped to this trip and scoring an impressive maiden win over hot favourite Grand Tenton, powering clear to win decisively in a smart time. He is having his first start since then so has fitness to prove after the long lay off but appears to have been painstakingly prepared by his trainer and given plenty of work and a good Mock Race so he should be fit. He is potentially much better than his current mark and if he is fully wound up then he looks the most likely winner with P.S. Chouhan in the saddle again.
KNIGHT'S QUEST :- 5 year old gelding who is one of two runners from the Narendra Lagad yard and appears to be the lesser fancied of the two although good apprentice D.S. Daman has been booked to ride. An exposed handicapper, he is usually effective over this sort of trip and has 2 wins and 3 seconds to his name from 27 starts. His last win came over a year ago over 1400M on this track off a mark of 27 and he has struggled since then to progress. However, he did go very close over this trip a couple of starts ago in an older horses contest in Mumbai, going down by half a length to Rain Dance. He has had one run this season to gain some fitness but looks to be more of a minor berth contender at best and may need some more time to get back to his best.
TIMELESS DEEDS :- The more fancied of the Narendra Lagad duo, she has been in good form currently, finishing 2nd on both starts this term and is looking to make it 3rd time lucky. She has dropped back down to close to her last winning mark and narrowly failed to earn a bracket on reappearance when pipped close home by Golden Weaver. She was no match for the 3 year old Anatevka last time out but still finished up 2nd and appears to have maintained her form and fitness. Her regular saddle partner T.S. Jodha is up again today and she is expected to be in the thick of things and is quite capable of scoring.
ARASHI :- 4 year old filly trained by Vishal Gaikwad who has had 8 runs so far and has a win and a 2nd place finish to her name. She looked to be coming to hand in the latter part of the Mumbai season, scoring a runaway maiden victory over Royal Éclair and Highland Wind back in January and then backed that up with a good 2nd to the odds on favourite Flower Dust when returning from a short break. She has had 2 runs already this season so should be fit enough and showed a little improvement from her reappearance run when making late headway to be 4th to Sassy Lass over 1400M last time out. She is likely to progress again and S. Zervan now replaces N.S. Parmar in the saddle. Her recent track work has been good and if building on that last run, she looks to have a strong chance to succeed and be in the firing line.
ETERNAL DANCER :- 5 year old mare in the care of Rehanullah Khan she appears to be a transformed filly this term and comes into this race bidding for a hattrick after scoring back to back wins already this season, narrowly over 1200M on reappearance and then much more convincingly upped to this trip last time out, scoring by 3 ¾ lengths from Solo Mission who runs later in the card. She is up a further 6 ½ kilos now but looks to be blossoming at present and could clearly have some more improvement left in her. N.S. Parmar who rode her last time is up again today and she is clearly in the form of her life at present and would be very dangerous to ignore.
DUSKY SIREN :- 5 year old mare who comes from the small stable of trainer Subhag Singh and is still a maiden after 13 starts in spite of having threatened to strike on a couple of occasions. She was favourite for her seasonal reappearance over a mile in Class V last time out but could not land a blow at any stage and ended up 6th behind Aloha with T.S. Jodha on board. The point to note is that P. Trevor takes over in the saddle today and she ran one of her best races the only other time he was on board, finishing a close 3rd to Fribourg over this trip. She should be fitter from her opening run and Trevor may be able to conjure up a little bit extra out of her so she definitely merits consideration and could be involved
CONCLUSION :- A tough contest to get things underway but Bronx appears to have the potential to be much better than his current mark and won most impressively last time out. His preparation looks rock solid and he is the clear selection. Arashi also has scope to improve and looks to be the main danger while the in form Eternal Dancer must also be respected
Race No. 2 :- The Mysore Race Club Trophy – Class I & II – Distance :- 2400M
PALATIAL :- Dickey legged 7 year old gelding now trained by S.A. Waheed who was a force to reckon with in the last couple of seasons but may just be finding age catching up with him now. He has an excellent overall record of 6 wins from 27 starts and was effective over this trip in his prime. He was an impressive winner of the Byculla Club Cup in Mumbai back in January but has been woefully out of form since then and there have been no signs that a revival is in the offing. He also looks a little high in the weights compared to some of his rivals and may struggle in this small field. K. Nazil claims a useful 2 ½ kilos in the saddle and he has had a lung opener to blow away the cobwebs but looks up against it and needs to show some more spark before he can be considered. Rank outsider.
WINTER RENAISSANCE :- Sprightly 5 year old mare who is one of 2 runners for the Imtiaz Sait yard and will be ridden by P. Trevor. Overall a winner of 2 of her 20 starts but having run some creditable races in defeat in the Indian Classics, she appears to be much better the longer the distance and will be suited by this 2400M trip. She has already had 3 runs this season so chances of improvement are limited on that score and although she did finish just ahead of Raees over 2000M on her penultimate run, she had a fitness advantage that day and may struggle to confirm the form. She finished a modest 4th last time out in the Idar Gold Trophy behind Sana and although she does look to have a good chance, she clearly has to beat Raees to win.
RAEES :- Game galloping 5 year old who quickly developed into a formidable stayer and looks to have found a great opportunity to get back to winning ways. Winner of 5 of his 18 starts he was in cracking form towards the end of the last Pune season but did not seem to be suited by the Kolkotta track, beaten by Winter Renaissance in the QE2 Cup and finishing a poor 5th in the Stayers Cup again behind his stable mate. He made his seasonal reappearance over 2000M and ran a forward race to finish 3rd behind stable mate Caprisca with Winter Renaissance just ahead of him but with the benefit of that run, he looks likely to reverse the placings over this longer trip. He seems to be returning to his best and on these terms looks a near certainty and is strongly fancied to return to winning ways with C.S. Jodha in the saddle.
SQUARE MOON :- Solid competitor even at age 7 and could be the likely front runner in this small field as he does stay the trip well but he is completely out handicapped with Raees on their earlier meetings and if Raees is back to somewhere near his best then it looks very tough to beat him. He has had 2 runs this season and did finish behind Raees last time out and the only hope is that he will be allowed to control the pace from the front in this small field. S.A. Amit who rode him last time is up again today but he looks to have a small chance to upset at best
CONCLUSION :- This race appears to be at the mercy of Imtiaz Sait and Raees looks to be the proverbial good thing here. Winter Renaissance looks next best with the other two probably in it to earn some valuable stake money
Race No. 3 :- The Eloise Plate – Div. II – Class V- Distance :- 1400M
OSPREY ARROW :- 4 year old filly who began her career as Tessa for trainer P. Shroff but was recently sold into the yard of S.N. Joshi. She has run just 5 times so far so does have scope to improve and is still a maiden, her best performance being a 3rd place finish behind Star of Thea and Ebony over this trip back in Mumbai. She has had 2 runs for her new connections this season, ending up a late finishing 4th over 1000M behind Malavika early in the season and last time out again making a little late headway to finish 5th behind Yutaka over 1200M. She should be fit enough after those 2 runs and the step up to this trip looks likely to suit. C. Umesh returns to ride her today and she looks to have a good each way chance if progressing again and does merit some thought.
HUZZAH'S PHOENIX :- 4 year old gelding from the stables of Imtiaz Sait, he is winless in 8 starts so far and does not appear to be a totally straightforward sort but has run promisingly on a couple of occasions and just failed to get off the mark over 1200M in Mumbai when failing to catch Highland Woods by a neck. He made a satisfactory start to the season when finishing 3rd behind Aloha over a mile but seemed to take a backward step last time out when only 5th behind Questionable back down to this trip. His most recent workouts have been encouraging and the booking of P. Trevor today catches the eye so he definitely has the capability of scoring off his current marks but comes with plenty of risks attached.
CRAY CRAY :- Nicely bred Chinese Whisper 4 year old from the yard of young A.M. Jadhav, she too has been sparingly raced having had just 6 starts so far and she was untried over the first 4 of them before being seriously tried for the first time when upped to 1800M and given a decent rider and she went on to run a forward race and finish a decent 3rd to Pathan. She too was a bit of a disappointment when dropped to this trip last time out but only managing to finish 7th to Lorraine and now has a bit to prove. She is another who has been working well of late and K. Nazil now takes over in the saddle from N.S. Parmar. She has the scope to make further improvement and should be considered but again does not look to be a reliable option.
KALINA :- Maiden 5 year old mare trained by Mansoor Shah, who has largely been untried in her 5 starts so far and is returning after a long break having last raced in Mid December. She showed signs of ability for the first time that day when making late headway from the rear to come and finish up 4th behind Moonshine over this trip and she has been off the track since then. She appears to have been painstakingly prepared for her comeback run and it is significant to note that retained Jockey P.S. Chouhan takes over in the saddle for the first time today. She is an unexposed sort who could very well be much better than her current mark and looks to have an excellent chance to make a comeback win and is likely to be the medium of a smart gamble.
SOLO MISSION :- 4 year old gelding from the in form yard of Karthik G who is still a maiden after 13 starts but may not have given off his best just yet and could be better than he has shown so far. However, his last run was perhaps his best performance yet when he made good late headway over course and distance to finish runner up to Eternal Dancer although having no chance with the winner. That run may have showed that he is just coming to hand so it is a bit discouraging that A. Imran Khan has not been booked and Bhawani Singh has been persisted with. That being said, he is likely to improve for that effort and looks to have strong each way claims if finding some more improvement.
ALLEGRIA :- Owned and trained by Zadmal Singh this 5 year old mare is a 14 race maiden and has slipped down significantly in the scales with a string of poor efforts. She did hint at finding some sort on form on her last run of the Mumbai season when she finished on to be 3rd to Gnostic Eyes over 1400M and after having a lung opener over 1800M this season, she again ran with some promise last time out over this trip to end up 4th behind Eternal Dancer and 3 ½ lengths behind Solo Mission. She has work to do to reverse the form with Solo Mission today and N.S. Parmar has been booked to ride. She looks another who could fight it out for the minor places but may find it difficult to win just yet.
CONCLUSION :- A trappy looking event with no solid form pointers but the relatively unexposed Kalina seems to have been well prepared by the shrewd Mansoor Shah and if she is well backed, then she could land the spoils today. The rest of the field looks comparatively exposed and Osprey Arrow, Huzzah's Phoenix and Solo Mission head the list of challengers
Race No. 4 :- The Jefferson Plate – Maiden 3 Year Olds – Distance :- 2000M
LAMBRETTA :- Dean's Kitten gelding from the stable of Karthik G, he has run 4 times till date and was untried in his first 3 starts but almost pulled off a smart coup last time out when upped to 1800M. He travelled well for a long way that day and seemed to have the field stretched turning for home but packed up in the final 100M and was overwhelmed by Cavarozzi and Savage Kingdom, who reopposes today. He should strip fitter for that run and is still very unexposed over this trip although the extra 200M are not certain to suit him. He does appear to have scope for further improvement though and A. Imran Khan keeps the ride but whether he will be able to reverse the form with Savage Kingdom is a big question mark. Considered.
SAVAGE KINGDOM :- 3 year old gelding who is one of 2 runners for the Pesi Shroff yard and has been making steady progress with his racing while not looking extra special at any stage. Totally outpaced over 6 furlongs on his debut in Mumbai, he showed some improvement when staying on late over 1400M on his seasonal debut here and then last time out upped to 1800M, he was under pressure round the bend but began to stay on strongly in the closing stages and was just pipped by stablemate Cavarozzi close home. His pedigree suggests that the further the better so this extra furlong is bound to suit him and he has been working well since the run. S. Zervan who rode him the last twice keeps the ride today and with further progress anticipated he looks a leading contender to score today.
WHO'S YOURDADDY :- Interesting once raced Multidimensional gelding from the Malesh Narredu stable, he made his debut in a hot mile maiden in Bangalore about 2 months ago and understandably finished well down the field but should improve for that run and this looks decidedly easier. He has been given a decent amount of work since returning to Pune and also had a Mock Race where he finished mid division. However, he will need to improve substantially to reverse the form with Roberta who finished well ahead of him on debut. P.S. Chouhan has been booked to ride and a much better run is expected today but he is more likely to battle it out for the minor places.
NON PLUS ULTRA :- Fashionably bred daughter of Dawn Approach from the stable of Altamash Ahmed, she is held in very high regard by her connections and while she has managed to place in each of her 3 runs so far, she has been a shade disappointing on every occasion. Making her debut over 1200M back in Mumbai, she finished on pleasingly to be a late finishing 3rd behind Steppenwolf hinting at better to come. She was no match for Truly Epic when upped to 1400M next time out but did kick on to finish 2nd. Making her reappearance run over 1400M here in Pune, she was again well fancied but was thrashed by Intense Stylist and ended up a dismal 3rd, 8 lengths behind the 2nd horse. Given that this was her first run, she is given some leeway to strip fitter and hopes are now pinned that her true colours will be seen on this significant step up in trip. She has been working well since the run and is worth giving one more chance to but may have some questions to answer now with Neeraj Rawal in the saddle.
ROBERTA :- Has a flashy pedigree by Multidimensional out of Oaks and Derby winner Moonlight Romance and made a satisfactory debut in a tough race over a mile in Bangalore when finishing up a decent 4th to Indian Pharoah, finishing on strongly from the rear suggesting that this longer trip will be right up her street. She is likely to have improved substantially for that run and moved impressively in a Mock Race. P. Trevor has been booked to ride and she looks to be a classy sort who should be better than this bunch of potential handicappers and if building on that last effort and progressing, she looks a leading contender to win this and is greatly respected.
CONCLUSION :- Roberta has a lovely pedigree and made an eye catching debut over a mile in Bangalore. She appears to have improved judging from her recent workouts and could be too classy for this lot. Non Plus Ultra has a formidable reputation and may be seen in better light over this trip while Savage Kingdom looks to be the form pick.
Race No. 5 :- The Yogender Singh Trophy – Div. I – Class IV & V, 4 Years Old & Over – Distance :- 1400M
ORION'S BELT :- Consistent 4 year old handicapper trained by Narendra Lagad who has been performing well this season in similar contests but does not seem to be progressing much. Winner of 2 of her 17 starts, she has finished 2nd in 3 of her 4 starts this term, last time out ending ¾ length behind Wabi Sabi over 1200M. Her first run of the season came over 1400M and while her last 3 have been down at 6 furlongs, she steps back up to 1400M today and Dashrath Singh returns to ride her. This trip might be stretching her stamina slightly but she is likely to make a bold bid from the front again and could be dangerous if she is allowed to control the gallop on her Terms.
GOLDEN ECLIPSE :- 5 year old mare who is trained by young A.M. Jadhav and after going through a stint in the wilderness midway through her career appears to be staging a revival in the hands of her new trainer. She seemed to completely off the boil after scoring back to back 6 furlong wins early in her career but after a string of poor efforts suddenly returned to winning form over this trip on her last start in Mumbai, coming with a powerful late run to pip Cosimo in an older horses contest. She showed that she had maintained her ability over the summer when again making late headway on her reappearance to finish a flying 3rd to Angels Touch over 1200M, just a short neck behind Orion's Belt and she is expected to reverse that form now with the benefit of the run. Talented apprentice K. Nazil takes over in the saddle from N.S. Parmar and with the extra furlong likely to suit, she looks a strong contender to get back to winning ways.
GRAND TENTON :- Well bred and improving 4 year old gelding trained by Vishal Gaikwad, he has had 5 runs till date with a win and two seconds to his name and has the scope to improve further. After running unplaced on debut, he gave signs of his ability when finishing on strongly to be runner up to Untitled over 1200M and caught a tartar in the shape of Bronx next time out over this trip when finishing runner up again. He duly obliged next time out over this trip, scoring decisively over Hopeilicious. He had a run early in the season when finishing 5th to Mount Mckinley, only 2 ½ lengths behind Orion's Belt with Dibaba a neck away in 6th so they are all closely matched on form. He has been working well since that run suggesting that he has improved further, J. Chinoy takes over in the saddle from Kishore Kadam and he looks another who has strong each way claims and should be involved in the finish.
DIBABA :- 5 year old mare trained by Sanjay Kolse who is a winner of 2 of her 21 starts and usually scores when she drops back to this type of mark. After having a lung opener early in the season where she finished just behind Grand Tenton, she went very close last time out in a similar contest when a close 2nd to Arabian Storm over course and distance and she seems to have maintained her form and fitness. P. Trevor is up in the saddle today replacing A. Sandesh and she is expected to run well again and fight it out for supremacy.
YUTAKA :- 4 year old gelding from the S.K. Sunderji yard who is another who suddenly bounced back to form last time out, coming with a strong late run to convincingly beat Bay of Love over 1200M and he now has a 5 ½ kilo penalty to contend with for that win. That was only his 2nd win in 15 starts so far and he has raced exclusively over sprints till date and steps up to a middle distance for the first time today. His style of racing suggests that he is likely to get this far and with C.S. Jodha in the saddle, he should make a bold bid to repeat.
CONCLUSION :- Most of the form principals appear to be closely matched with each other but Golden Eclipse made a promising start to the season and is selected to provide a winner for young upcoming trainer A.M. Jadhav. Grand Tenton appears to be the main danger while Yutaka could also prove a threat attempting this trip for the first time
Race No. 6 :- The Eloise Plate – Div. I – Class V – Distance :- 1400M
MYSTIC FLAME :- 3 year old gelding from the powerful Pesi Shroff yard who made his debut over 1400M back in Mumbai and was not given a hard time when trailing in last of the 8 runners behind Truly Epic. He has been rested and well prepared since then and is now making his handicap debut in the lowest grade. His track work and mock race have both been encouraging and it is interesting that Y.S. Srinath will be flying down just for this ride . He is likely to give a much better account of himself today and should be a leading fancy in spite of shouldering a heavy weight.
DANCING HOOVES :- Improving 3 year old gelding from the yard of Dallas Todywalla he has been making steady progress with his racing and has been working well for some time now. He had a lung opener early in the Mumbai season and was in need of the run on his seasonal debut here when finishing 6th to Enchanted over 1000M on the opening day. He showed that he had progressed from that run when upped to this trip last time out and kicking on well to finish 3rd to Merlot after running a forward race. He too enters handicaps of what looks a decent mark, S. Zervan who rode him last time out keeps the ride and with the yard in good form at the moment, he looks to have a good chance to do even better.
EBONY :- 4 year old filly trained by Altamash Ahmed she is still a maiden after 7 starts and appears to be making her way back from a setback. She looked very promising in the early part of her career finishing runner up in 3 of her first 5 starts but then seemed to lose her way and has raced just twice since. Reappearing after a short break towards the end of Mumbai she finished midfield over this trip and was again in need of the lung opener on her first run here and is now eased in grade into the lower class. She should strip fitter for the run, K. Nazil takes over in the saddle claiming a useful 2 ½ kilos and if able to return to her best form, then she could prove to be a threat.
RED CARNATION :- 3 year old gelding trained by Narendra Lagad, he has run 4 times till date over varying trips and his trainer still seems to be experimenting as to which trip suits him the most. Impressing on his debut in Mumbai where he finished on to be runner up over 5 furlongs, he was tried over 7 furlongs on his reappearance and ended up a faraway 3rd to Awesome One. Dropped to 1200M next time out, he ran poorly to finish up 7th and was tried over 1800M last time out, ending up a close 4th to Cavarozzi in a bunched finish and he now returns to 1400M for his handicap debut. He does not appear to be progressing with his racing and with a wide draw and T.S. Jodha up, he could run into a place but still seems to be looking for his ideal trip.
SHE IS A SPY :- Nicely bred 3 year old Phoenix Tower filly who is probably yet to come into her own but seems to have improved over the summer after having been given 2 easy runs in Mumbai. She ran a forward race over this trip on her reappearance, leading till the bend before retiring and should be fitter and sharper for the run. She has been working reasonably well, N.S. Parmar who was up last time retains the ride and if showing further improvement, she looks an interesting outsider and could provide each way value at a price.
CRISTO BOSS :- 5 year old gelding who has been threatening to strike for some time now but is still a maiden after 22 attempts and is becoming frustrating to follow. He seems to be effective over middle distances and has finished 2nd on a number of occasions including on his reappearance when a good 2nd to Angels Harmony over a mile. However, he has run twice since then making the frame without looking like winning, last time out ending a faraway 4th to Questionable. He may not have been completely serious that day though and S.G. Prasad takes over in the saddle from N.S. Parmar. The yard already had a good winner yesterday with Smart Choice and he should not be ignored and may finally gain a long overdue success.
CONCLUSION :- The once raced Mystic Flame is potentially better than a Class V animal and with Y.S. Srinath flying down just for the one ride, he is selected to make a winning first appearance on this track. If he comes up short, Cristo Boss and Dancing Hooves appear to be the main threats while She's A Spy looks an interesting outsider.
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same)
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same)
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same)
