From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Saturday, 6th October 2018- By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 05 Oct 2018
From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Saturday, 6th October 2018
-By Cyrus Naterwalla
Race No.1 :- The K. Ragunath Plate – Maiden 3 Year Olds – Distance :- 1000M
JULIO CESARO :- Speedy looking 3 year old gelding from the Narendra Lagad stable who has had 6 runs so far so is already quite exposed and has raced exclusively over this 1000M trip. He has not quite been able to see out his races thus far and appears to retire after displaying some early speed. He has had 5 of his runs in Mumbai, his best effort coming on debut when 3rd to Divine Power but he failed to progress from there and although finishing in or just outside the frame, he does not seem to be progressing. He has had only one run this term, a lung opener 2 months ago with feeble 5 kilo claimer up and he finished 5th behind stable companion Abraxas. He appears to be an average sort but the positives in his favour are that his recent trackwork has indicated some improvement and P. Trevor has been booked to ride today replacing Aniket Karande and he has also bagged the rail draw. He could just be coming to hand and in this ordinary maiden, he looks to have each way claims if making some improvement.
RUN HAPPY :- Once raced gelding trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha who made his racing debut about 2 weeks ago with Kavraj Singh up and was clearly in need of that run when finishing 5th to Falconette and a long way behind Whitewalker. He will no doubt improve for the experience and will have learnt from that run but it looks very difficult for him to improve enough to reverse the placings with Whitewalker. The booking of Dashrath Singh is encouraging and although most likely still needing more time, he is expected to run better today and could sneak into the frame. The mare comes from a good American family, by Lemondrop Kid out of a Graustark mare and the progeny in the US have shown speed over sprints.
WHITEWALKER :- Maiden 3 year old gelding trained by Dallas Todywalla, who has a similar profile to Julio Cesaro, having run 6 times so far, all but the debut run being over this trip and although he has been working extremely well for some time now, has failed to reproduce on the race grass. He has had 2 runs this season, showing a little improvement last time out although well held by stable mate of Julio Cesaro but finishing 2nd and well clear of the rest including Run Happy who was making his debut. However, P.S. Chouhan jumps ship to ride Joplin and the booking of Sandeep Jadhav who has a practically non existent win record is discouraging. However, he has been working well and must be considered in this company.
HIGHLAND EMPRESS:-Excellent Art filly from the yard of Rehanullah Khan who comes from a modest Indian family, being a half sister to Lancashire, Night Fury and Surprise, all of whom turned out to be maidens with King of Kings and Natural View, the other relations managing to win a couple of races apiece. She has had 3 runs so far, getting an educative run in Mumbai where she finished 5th behind Columbianaprincess which was quite a strong race and then after a lung opener in Pune, showed some ability when finishing 3rd of 4 behind Riquewihr and Kilkarry Bridge last time out over this trip. She appears to have the scope to improve further and the booking of A. Sandesh who has a good record for the yard is encouraging. She looks to have a good chance in this field and must be seriously considered.
JOPLIN :- Probably the most exciting runner in the field and clearly the one with the best form as also the maximum scope to improve, this owner mate of Whitewalker is trained by NosherCama and is the pick of retained rider P.S. Chouhan who favours her over the more exposed Whitewalker. A full sister to the well performed Double Nine, she made an impressive debut early in the season when finishing on late to be runner up behind Bernice although the form of that race has taken some knocks since. That being her first run, she will no doubt improve considerably although her not having run for almost 2 months is a slight concern. Her lead up work has been quite excellent so she may just have been given time to strengthen and improve further and she clearly appears to be the one to beat in this field.
SKY BEAUTY :- Win Legend filly who makes her racing debut from the small yard of C. Rajendra and is the first foal of dam Trrust In Me who is out of the well performed Trustworthy. She appears to have been well prepared for her debut run and although a paddock check is clearly advised, she should be fit enough to be ready to go first time out. S.A. Amit has been booked to ride and she looks very capable of being involved and adding a little spice to the finish.
CONCLUSION :- Joplin is confidently selected to go one better than her eye catching debut run and with P.S. Chouhan selecting her, she looks set to shed her maiden tag. Highland Empress could be the main danger here while the debutant Sky Beauty also looks interesting.
Race No. 2 :- The Kejriwal Trophy – Class III & IV – Distance :- 1200M
WISE CHILD :- Consistent sprinting 4 year old from the yard of M.K. Jadhav, he has been mainly campaigned over 5 furlongs for most of his career, winning twice and finishing runner up on as many as 5 occasions in his 11 race career so far. He finished 6th the only other time that he tried over 6 furlongs but that was on only his 2nd career start and in a tough race like the Gool S. Poonawalla and he is now older and more mature. His come from behind style suggests that he may appreciate the extra furlong and he is coming into this race, fresh off his 2nd career victory when he wore down Impala close home to score by a length. He broke a blood vessel that day and that fact coupled with the booking of inexperienced claimer Aniket Karande suggests that he is out for an airing today but he seldom runs a bad race and could prove dangerous to ignore.
FLAG FLYING :- Front running 5 year old gelding trained by H.J. Antia, he has run 20 times so far over varying trips and although he has managed to place on 8 occasions, he has only managed to win twice so far, his last win coming over this trip in January where he won fluently by 3 lengths from Triple Threat conceding 1 ½ kilos. He is winless this term, having run 4 times and was favourite in a 5 year old and over contest after making a promising seasonal reappearance but finished well beaten that day. However, he ran a cracker last time out over 1400M where he made Costa Brava pull out all the stops before weakening late on and a similar performance over this 200M shorter trip could see him pull off an end to end win. M. Ayyar who rode him last time out keeps the ride and he looks to have a good chance to succeed if running upto the same level.
IMPALA :- One of two 3 year olds in the field, this one is trained by Narendra Lagad and will be ridden by stable Jockey Dashrath Singh. He has also proved that he has ability in his 2 runs this season, winning a 5 furlong maiden emphatically on seasonal debut and following that up with a good close 2nd to Wise Child over 1000M on his penultimate start. He dropped the rider shortly after jump out last time out so that run can safely be ignored and he appeared to be progressing nicely before that. His overall record is 2 wins from 6 starts and he too ran below par the only other time he attempted 6 furlongs but that was in a much stronger race and he is likely to get it now. He looks to have strong each way claims and appears to be one of the chief contenders.
TRIPLE THREAT:-Experienced and speedy 5 year old mare trained by Mansoor Shah, she is a seasoned handicapper who has been threatening to strike in her last couple of starts and may get the opportunity to do so today. Her overall record is not inspiring as she has managed just 1 win from her 16 starts but she has been placing consistently right from the end of the last Pune season and has run creditably in her last 6 starts. She began the season with an excellent forward run over 1400M ending up a good 3rd behind Pioneer and Bottega Louie and last time out back at this trip, she ended up a good 3rd again to Beshiktash and Gallant Knight. She has been working extremely well since that run, appears to be in good form at present and stands a good chance to strike with P.S. Chouhan on board.
FRIEZE :- Lightly raced and potentially smart 3 year old trained by Altaf Hussain who has won 2 of her 3 starts and last time out, took on top company in the F.D. Wadia Trophy so she can be forgiven a below par effort that day, finishing last of the 7 runners behind Excellent. Prior to that she had won both her previous races, a 5 furlong maiden in Mumbai and a 7 furlong handicap on this track where she comfortably held off Jetfire and Hope and Glory to score over 1400M. She has been given over a month to rest and improve since that last run and returning to handicap company, she looks set to resume her upward curve. Neeraj Rawal who has been in rousing form this season takes over in the saddle from Suraj Narredu, she has been working well and off a low weight, looks to have an excellent chance to regain her confidence.
CONCLUSION :- Frieze looked very progressive before coming up short in the F.D. Wadia last time out and looks well prepared to resume her progress with Neeraj Rawal in the saddle. The other 3 year old in the field Impala appears to be the main danger while the speedy Flag Flying can prove very dangerous if allowed an easy lead up front.
Race No. 3 :- The Capriole Plate – Div. II – Class V – Distance :- 1400M
JIGAR :- 4 year old filly trained by Faisal Abbas who has run 5 times so far and after failing to show any form in her first 3 runs, appears to be progressing the last twice. She gave the first signs of some ability on her last run of the Mumbai season when finishing on late over 1200M to be 3rd to Collegium and again ran promisingly very early this season over what appeared to be a sharp 1000M, ending up a close 3rd again behind Malavika. She has not run again since then which seems to be a slight concern but now steps up to what should be a more suitable trip and the booking of A. Sandesh suggests that connections are fancying their chances today. A paddock check is indicated to see if she is fit and well but if she is ready to go, then she looks a strong contender in this weak field and must be respected.
EMOTIONLESS :- Nicely bred 4 year old filly who began her career with C.D. Katrak before moving to her current yard with Nosher Cama, is still a maiden after 13 starts and one suspects that she is better than she has shown so far. She did run one promising race over 1000M on the final weekend of the last Pune season but ran only once during the Mumbai season and has had 3 unplaced runs this term. She appears to have come down to a very favourable mark at present but her ideal distance is yet to be determined. She has no obvious form to recommend her chances but could spring a surprise with P.S. Chouhan up and looks a good outsider.
SAFFRON FLOWER :- Another maiden 4 year old this one from the yard of Adhirajsingh Jodha, she has run 13 times so far without earning a bracket but is another who is beginning to look well handicapped and she has shown some form over this trip in the past, finishing runner up to Sia over this trip back in Mumbai. She has had 2 runs this season so should have managed to gain some fitness and S.A. Amit replaces Kavraj Singh in the saddle today. She too appears an unpredictable sort but could be involved if putting her best foot forward and is worth considering each way in this large field.
MASTER OF STUDIES :- Very highly regarded got abroad who began his career with Altamash Ahmed but failed to show any spark and was sold to S.A. Waheed a couple of starts ago. He has run 7 times in all over varied trips without much success but his new trainer seemed to have unlocked some improvement as he ran with some promise over this trip last time out, making headway from midfield to finish just outside the frame behind Cray Cray and Aquarius who reopposes today. That run was a step in the right direction and further progress could see him do even better. He may just be a late maturing type who is starting to come to hand, H. Zeeshan takes over from S.G. Prasad and claims a useful 2 ½ kilos in the saddle and if building on that last effort and unlocking some more improvement, he could be involved and figure in the finish.
AQUARIUS :- Fully exposed maiden 5 year old trained by M.K. Jadhav who is starting to become frustrating to follow with his losing run having stretched to 22 now but he did run with some promise last time out. Having already had 3 runs this season without much success, he was well backed with C.S. Jodha up over this trip last time out and finished on strongly finding only Cray Cray to be too strong and ending up a good 2nd. He does not appear to be reliable and is not certain to progress from that run but if he is able to build on that last effort then he could finally gain an overdue success. C.S. Jodha keeps the ride and he looks one of the form choices if running upto that level again.
SMOKY HAZE :- 5 year old maiden mare in the care of Adhirajsingh Jodha who is winless after 17 starts and has tumbled down in the weights with a string of poor efforts but looked like she might be able to strike off her current mark when making late headway on her seasonal reappearance to finish a close 3rd to I Am The Way and Brave over this trip. She finished 6th over a mile last time out but should be suited by the return to this trip and after S.S. Baria having ridden her on the first 2 occasions, Dashrath Singh has been booked to ride today which could be significant. She again does not appear to be reliable but cannot go much lower in the scale and could prove to be an interesting each way contender.
CONCLUSION :- The 4 year old filly Jigar is relatively unexposed compared to some of these seasoned handicappers and if finding some improvement, she could prove to be better than her current mark with A. Sandesh in the saddle. Aquarius ran with some promise last time out and looks the form choice and those seeking more value could be profited by taking a chance on the bottom weighted Smoky Haze with Dashrath Singh in the saddle.
Race No. 4 :- The Threptin Fillies’ & Mares’ Stakes (Grade 3) – Fillies & Mares, 3 Years Old & Over – Distance :- 1800M
LADY IN LACE :- Easiest the Classiest filly of this lot, this Multi Classic winner annihilated the opposition in the Pune Derby the last time that she was on this track and should easily tackle these rivals if at her best but she was turned over at long odds on last time out at her home centre which brings about a slight concern. Winner of 11 of her 21 starts which include the Indian 1000 Guineas and more recently, the Group 2 Karnataka Mile Challenge Cup where she convincingly beat Watchmyscript by 2 ¼ lengths conceding 7 kilos. However, her last run in the Nizam’s Cup remains something of a mystery where Kangra beat her convincingly over 2000M and she could not even hold off Captain Morgan for the runner’s up berth which is a way below par run for her and a bit of a concern. That run was over a month ago so she has had time to recover for her exertions and she has been brilliant over a mile recently so the drop to 9 furlongs should help. She is way ahead of most of these on official ratings and if she is in peak form, then she looks very hard to beat. However, that last run did set off some alarm bells so at the forecast miserly odds, she may not prove to be value
WINTER RENAISSANCE :- Is the next highest rated in this field after Lady In Lace and this 5 year old mare trained by Imtiaz Sait has run some creditable races in defeat finishing a close 4th in both the Indian Oaks and the Indian Derby in her Classic year but she appears to be better over longer trips and may be found wanting for speed over this 9 furlongs. She has already had 4 runs this season, 2 of them in Group company where she was found wanting, finishing 5th to Selfie Star in the Eve Champion Trophy and then a close 4th to Sana in The Idar Gold Trophy but she was a fluent winner of a handicap over 2400M last time out, easily beating stable companion Raees by a large margin. She looks well within herself and T.S. Jodha has been booked to ride as P. Trevor rides Lady In Lace so she could run into a place but may struggle to win over this distance.
AUBURN :-4 year old got abroad filly trained by Vishal Gaikwad, she clearly still appears to have plenty of potential and appears to be still coming into her own after 9 starts. She has an excellent record of 4 wins already and was a dark horse for the Pune Derby last year but was well beaten by Lady In Lace although she was much more inexperienced than she is at present. She appears to have blossomed over the summer and scored a cracking victory over a mile on her reappearance here, easily beating Selfie Star and Turning Point by a wide margin. She was stepped up to Group Company last time out, taking on the colts in the Pune City Gold Cup over a mile and running creditably to finish a close 4th behind Cambridge. She has been working very well since the run and now receiving 10 kilos from Lady In Lace she does have a chance to upset ‘The Lady’ if she is not at the top of her game. S. Zervan takes the ride and she looks a live danger.
WATCHMYSCRIPT :- The 2nd out station challenger, this 5 year old mare trained by Irfan Ghatala has a very creditable record in her own right having won 6 and placed 2nd on 5 occasions in her 19 starts. She has played 2nd fiddle to Lady In Lace twice already over a mile and is closely matched with her at the weights. This 9 furlong trip should not be a bother for her, A. Sandesh takes the ride today and provided that he does not overcarry, she too looks capable of troubling Lady In Lace if she not at her best and hence is respected as a potential danger
CONCLUSION :- While this should have been a proverbial canter for Lady In Lace in her best form, the contest has been made interesting after her mysteriously poor run in the Nizam’s Cup at her home centre where she went down tamely to Kangra and Captain Morgan over 2000M. Whether that was just a one-off poor run or whether she has gone off the boil remains to be seen but it gives hope to the likes of Auburn who still seems to be peaking and the consistent Watchmyscript to create an upset. In receipt of 10 kilos, either of the two may be worth chancing as Lady in Lace is likely to start a short priced favourite
Race No. 5 :- The Pune Cantonment Board Trophy – Maiden 3 Year Olds – Distance :- 1400M
GRAND SINATRA :- Once raced Dean’s Kitten colt from the strong stable of Malesh Narredu, he made his debut over course and distance about a month ago, finishing a faraway 5th to Intense Stylist and is expected to have learnt from that run and gained invaluable experience. His trackwork since the run has been decent suggesting that he has improved and he is expected to give a better account of himself today. His siblings are quite well performed with his half sister Fast Lady spending most of her career in Western India before moving to Delhi and winning 5 times and placing 12 times in her 36 starts and the other sibling Poll Promise also a solid performer in Hyderabad winning 4 times and placing 11 times. He looks to have a decent each way chance and should run well today.
NIGHT HUNT :- Comes from the stable of Vishal Gaikwad, this son of Net Whizz was also given an easy run on debut, running a forward race before tiring to finish 6th behind Bushtops over 1400M about 2 weeks ago. He should strip fitter for that run but the booking of M.A. Roushan who does not have a very good win percentage is a bit puzzling. He is a half brother to Dysnomia who finished runner up in the Calcutta Monsoon Derby and won 4 of her 14 starts while his other siblings Montenegro and Super Strong were also winners over mainly 7 furlongs. He may still be requiring some more time to come fully to hand but bears watching nonetheless and is respected.
VALEGRO :- The form choice in this field, he is another got abroad, the son of the Mighty Canford Cliffs and is trained by Pesi Shroff. Very well backed on his racing debut over 1400M, he looked totally clueless and ran a wretched race, ending up 7th of the 8 runners behind Merlot. However, he showed that he had improved substantially for that run last time out when making his handicap debut over a mile and running a strong race before being pegged back late on by Till End of Time, ending up a good 2nd. He should be able to progress further on his 3rd career start, will appreciate the drop back to 7 furlongs and should be fancied to win this with normal progression. S. Zervan who rode him last time out keeps the ride and he looks a leading contender to make it 3rd time lucky.
WESTERN STYLE :- Makes his debut from the yard of S.S. Shah and has been doing some pleasing pieces of work with Flying Dragon who is a good Class III handicapper from the yard. His half brother Handsome Boy is a winner of 1 race over a mile in Hyderabad and he has been given enough work to be fit and ready to go on debut. A paddock check is advised to see his condition and he looks to be an each way contender with S.A. Amit in the saddle if looking fit and well.
CONCLUSION :-Valegrois the obvious form choice and is fancied to make it 3rd time lucky with nothing of apparent quality or current form in the field. Grand Sinatra and Night Hunt both look promising types and could trouble him if at all.
Race No. 6:- The Dakshin Maharashtra Sub-Area Trophy – Class IV & V – Distance :- 1200M
KILKARRY BRIDGE :- Well bred and attractive 3 year old gelding trained by S.K. Sunderji who made a very favourable impression on debut when scoring a wide margin victory over this trip and may have been outwitted by Riquewihr last time out when dropped to 1000M and finishing on late to just be denied. The return to 6 furlongs is clearly in his favour and he makes his handicap debut off a reasonable opening mark. He is expected to make further progress on just his 3rd career start, looks an exciting prospect and should resume his progression and win this easily with C.S.Jodha in the saddle.
TIMELESS DEEDS :-4 year old filly trained by Narendra Lagad who has won 2 of her 21 starts so far and has been running well this season without winning. She has run well all 3 starts this term, looking to have come back to a favourable handicap mark and narrowly being beaten by Golden Weaver when well fancied on her reappearance, going down fighting by a neck. She was no match for Anatevka next time out, ending up a well held 2nd and last time out ran a forward race before finishing a good 3rd to Arashi and Bronx who have gone on to frank the form since. She looks to be well within herself at present, Raghuveer Singh now takes over in the saddle from T.S. Jodha and she appears to have strong each way claims with the slight drop in trip unlikely to trouble her.
QUEENS BEST :- well bred 4 year old from the in form stable of Karthik G who has been knocking on the door for a while now, finishing in the first three on 7 of her 8 starts, runner up on 4 occasions but still searching for that elusive first success. A half sister to Dandified she has been beaten by Sassy Lass on both her runs this season, finishing runner up over this trip on the opening day and then again 3rd when tried over 1400M for the first time on her last run. The switch from A. Imran Khan who rode her the previous 2 occasions back to Bhawani Singh is a slight negative but she appears to be in good form this season and is expected to appreciate the return to 1200M. She looks in good form and must be respected.
RIO DE JANEIRO :- 5 year old mare who is one of 3 runners for the Faisal Abbas yard in this contest and seems to be working the best of the lot. Unreliable in the early part of her career, she has run 20 times so far but gained her maiden success only as recently as April when scoring over this trip in Class V, easily beating Adam’s Beginning by 3 ¾ lengths. She has had 2 runs this season to get her fit and after being ridden by apprentice’s so far, Amyn Merchant takes over in the saddle today. She has been tracking extremely well of late and if returning to her winning form, could trouble them all.
XOXO :- 4 year old gelding trained by S.S. Shah, he too took his time to come to hand but has been wonderfully consistent this season and gained a deserved maiden success on his penultimate run. Having raced 12 times in all and not having much to show for in his earlier runs, he showed signs on reappearance that he had improved over the summer, when finishing runner up to Arabian Storm over this trip. He duly went one better next time out when scoring a decisive maiden win over WabiSabi and showed that he had held his form well when running a good close 2nd to Enchanted last time out. He appears to have maintained his form and fitness well over the season and H. Zeeshan takes over in the saddle today and claims a valuable 2.5 kilos. He looks quite capable of progressing further and is almost certain to be in the placings again today although beating Kilkarry Bridge looks tough.
GRAND ARCHITECT :- Unexposed 3 year old gelding trained by Bezan Chenoy, he has run thrice so far without creating much of an impression although his 2 runs in Mumbai were quite modest. Making his debut over 7 furlongs back in March, he only beat one home when finishing 4th of 5 to Augustus Caesar and made a little improvement dropped to this trip next time out when finishing just outside the frame, 5th to Run Forest Run. He became eligible for a handicap mark and ran a promising first race this season about 3 weeks ago when making good late headway from the rear of the field to come and finish 6th to Enchanted, around 6 lengths behind Xoxo. He should improve for that run and strip fitter and still looks capable of plenty of improvement. Santosh G, who rode him last time is up again today, and if building on that last effort, he looks an interesting outsider who could be involved.
CONCLUSION :-Kilkarry Bridge is the confident selection to return to the winner’s circle after a minor blip last time out although he is likely to be a short price. The race for the places appears more interesting with the form horses Queens Best and Xoxo and an interesting alternative in the unexposed Grand Architect who could run a big race at a price.
Race No. 7 :- The Capriole Plate – Div. I – Class V – Distance :- 1400M
ROYAL ACE :- 5 year old gelding from the yard of Faisal Abbas who is still winless after 15 starts but has finished runner up on 3 occasions. His placed efforts have all come over sprint trips but he has run modestly both starts this term and may appreciate being tried over a middle distance. He has run twice this season, finishing 5th to Arabian Storm over 1200M on reappearance and then again 5th last time out when upped to this trip with the same rider on, running a forward race and kicking on to finish 5th to Arashi. He is still searching for that elusive first success and may need a little more help from the handicapper before he can strike. He is likely to run a forward race again and be in the firing line and could be involved in the frame but needs to find some improvement before he can be fancied to score.
AURORA AUSTRALIS :- 5 year old mare trained by Hosidar Daji who pulled off a smart coup when returning from an extended absence last time out and scored a fluent maiden success over this trip last time out. She was having her first start in a long while but put in a strong run in the straight to beat hot favourite Mystic Flame with Cristo Boss a late finishing 3rd that day and Bhaktawar 4th. She has a 4 ½ kilo penalty to contend with for the win and although she is now 2 ¾ lengths worse off with Cristo Boss for the last run, she may just be coming to hand and has the scope to progress further. She may still have more to give, could be ahead of the handicapper and having bagged the rail draw today, should make a brave bid to go in again in the same grade.
NAVIGATOR :- Promising looking 3 year old gelding from the stable of Narendra Lagad he made his debut only this season, and has run 4 times so far with one good run and a few ordinary efforts on either side of that run. Getting an educative run when unplaced on the opening day, he was working well and was strongly fancied over this trip on his 2nd start but after leading for a long way, he was overwhelmed by 2 potentially smart types in Barbaresco and Oriana close home, ending up a fair 3rd. However, he took a backward step when hot favourite in this grade on his next run, never in the reckoning over 1200M and ending up a faraway 4th to the runaway winner Lesrel. He was flying too high in the S.A. Poonawalla last time out, expectedly finishing well beaten and this looks much more realistic. His inexperienced rider will probably be more confident having gained his 1st career success last week and he may attempt to make all and should be considered if bouncing back.
FENCING :- Inconsistent 5 year old mare trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha, she has managed to win 2 of her 17 starts so far and is usually effective off this sort of mark. Her last win was over 7 furlongs when coming with a strong late run to pip Lorraine close home back in March and she is not too high above that last winning mark. She likes to be held up and delivered very late so the gaps will have to appear at the right time in this large field but she is capable of scoring on her day. She has had 2 runs this season in the higher class to get her fit and is now eased into this grade and D.S. Daman takes over today from a whipless apprentice. She looks an each way prospect if running upto her best and with the yard among the winners in recent times, she must be considered.
CRISTO BOSS :- Well bred 5 year old gelding trained by Vijay Kasbekar who has threatened to strike on a number of occasions but still seems to be searching for that elusive first success having run 24 times now without a win. He has gone close on a number of occasions in the past and again ran eye catchingly last time out, finishing on late after enduring a troubled passage to be an excellent close 3rd to Aurora Australis with the same rider up. He seems to lack consistency so is not certain to run up to the same level again but if he reproduces that last effort, then he seems to have a very good chance to finally score.
BHAKTAWAR :- Bred in the purple 5 year old who began his racing career at a late stage and has run 8 times so far without a win to his name. Trained by C. Rajendra he has had 3 runs this season and last time out looked like he was coming to hand when covering a lot of ground in the straight from 2nd last position to come and finish a flying late 4th behind Aurora Australis, just a whisker behind Cristo Boss. He is closely matched with that rival on the last run but appears to have more scope to improve and the switch from S.A. Amit to Neeraj Rawal could just tilt the scales in his favour. He has proved inconsistent in the past after a good run so is not totally reliable but may just be coming to hand now and does not belong in this grade if living up to his pedigree.
KALINA :- Untried 5 year old mare from the stable of Mansoor Shah who has run 6 times so far and after doing nothing of note on her first 4 runs, showed signs of some ability the next twice. She finished 4th to Moonshine over this trip way back in December but was not seen again until reappearing 3 weeks ago where she had a good forward run which should put her spot on for this, prominent throughout and ending up a close 4th to Cray Cray. She is expected to come on for that run and strip fitter and looks a strong contender to score now with P.S. Chouhan in the saddle and more improvement expected.
CONCLUSION :- A competitive finale as always but Kalina is relatively unexposed and could just be selected to score from the well handicapped duo of Bhaktawar and Cristo Boss. Aurora Australis looked vastly improved last time out and also has the scope to win again.
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same)
