From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Thursday, 24th January 2019- By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 23 Jan 2019
From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Thursday, 24th January 2019
- By Cyrus Naterwalla
Race No. 1 :- The Rao Saheb D.K. Parkar Trophy Class IV & V Distance :- 1400M
KANCHENJUNGA :- Half sister to Caprisca and full sister to Mariska who is trained by Pesi Shroff and has raced just thrice so far and is returning from a long absence. 5th on debut in a 7 furlong maiden on last year's Derby weekend, she came out to score a pillar to post victory over 7 furlongs beating Nobleman convincingly by 5 lengths. She was an odds on favourite in her only start in Pune in Class IV over a mile but packed up once into the straight and ended a faraway 3rd to Raise A Grand. She has not raced since but has been well prepared for her reappearance and has had 2 Mock Races, the last of which was quite impressive. The booking of Leigh Roche suggests that connections fancy their chances and she has plenty of scope to improve on just her 4th start and could very well get back to winning ways. However, at the likely cramped odds, she is better watched today.
IT'S A DEAL :- Exposed 6 year old gelding from the Faisal Abbas yard who has won 2 of his 22 starts so far and took advantage of his lenient mark on his penultimate start to score an upset win over 1400M in the lower class last time out, beating Arrecife by Ύ length. He finished a faraway 4th last time out over a mile when upped to this grade and looks to be in decent form at the moment. He is taking on some decent younger horses though so looks up against it and with Amyn Merchant again in the saddle, could fight it out for minor honours and may make the frame but winning looks tough.
JETFIRE :- 4 year old Total Gallery colt who is in the care of A.M. Jadhav and is still a maiden after 10 starts although he has finished runner up on 4 occasions. He was out of his depth in the Indian 2000 Guineas last time out but had looked like he was knocking at the door before that, finishing 3rd to Intense Stylist and Merlot in the Morvi and was runner up to Sacred Roman the time before that, both of which seem to be very strong form. He has been given enough time to recover from his Guineas exertions and with Neeraj Rawal taking over in the saddle, he looks a strong contender on form and must be very seriously considered.
SULLIVAN :- Well bred and lightly raced 4 year old gelding who is a stable companion of Kanchenjunga and has had just 2 runs so far so looks open to plenty of improvement. He made his debut back in December 2017 over 1400M finishing a distant 3rd to Mozart and Oomph and presumably had a setback after that and was off the track for over a year, returning a couple of weeks ago and putting in a promising performance to finish a good 3rd to Findlerhof again over 1400M. He will no doubt have improved significantly for that performance and with S. Zervan taking over in the saddle from M.A. Roushan, looks a strong contender to shed his maiden tag at the 3rd time of asking.
ANGEL'S HARMONY :- Inconsistent 5 year old mare trained by Altaf Hussain who has managed to win just 1 of her 20 starts so far but has run some decent races over this trip in the past and does not appear to be too high above her last winning mark. She had a couple of decent placed efforts over this trip in Pune and has had 3 runs already this season so should be fit enough. After Akshay Gaikwad riding her for the last 3 starts, she gets a positive jockey switch with S.J. Sunil taking over and although it looks tough to defeat the younger horses, she could run into a place and looks an interesting outsider. Can front run as well.
CONCLUSION :- An interesting opener and it might be worth taking a chance on the unexposed Sullivan who finished on pleasingly on his return from a long absence last time out and is likely to improve. He is preferred over the more exposed Jetfire who's form is beginning to look very strong and shapes as the main danger while Kanchenjunga who is also coming back from a long lay off is also respected
Race No. 2 :- The Royal Calcutta Turf Club Trophy Class I & II Distance :- 1200M
CLYMENE :- Speedy 5 year old mare from the Faisal Abbas yard who has an excellent 50% strike rate, winning 5 of her 10 starts so far and comes into this in top form after a fluent win over St. Andrews last time out. She has top weight to defy in this contest and a point of caution is that she steps up to 6 furlongs whereas all her wins so far have come over the minimum trip. She finished 4th, 1 Ύ lengths behind Holy Smoke the only previous time that she attempted 6 furlongs and she was receiving plenty of weight that day so looks tough to beat Holy Smoke on the terms. She does appear to be in great form at present though and with Dashrath Singh retaining the ride, can be given a small upset chance.
HOLY SMOKE :- Stablemate of Clymene who has been a loyal servant to connections over the years but is starting to get on in years now although he looks very well placed on the scale. He has a creditable record of 7 wins from his 24 starts and has been campaigning mainly in Group contests for a while now, so this drop to a handicap looks easier. He has had 2 runs this season, last time out finishing behind Clymene when 4th to Ruffina over 1000M but that trip was too sharp for him and over this extra furlong, he stands a very good chance to reverse that form. S. Zervan takes the ride again today, and if running close to his best form, he looks to have a very strong chance to return to winning ways.
BATELEUR :- Lightly raced and very highly regarded 5 year old gelding who is trained by Vishal Gaikwad and has won 2 of his 7 starts till date and is yet to finish outside the frame. He was the Classic hopeful for connections in that season, finishing runner up to Pure Zinc in the S.A Poonawalla Million on just his 2nd start and went on to lift the General Rajendrasinhji Million over a mile and finish 4th in the 2000 Guineas. He was returning from a long absence last time out but showed good speed to finish runner up to Iron Age over an inadequate 1000M and is sure to improve and strip fitter. The extra furlong should be to his advantage, Neeraj Rawal takes over in the saddle today from Akshay and with improvement anticipated, he looks a leading fancy to win this and gain his 3rd career success.
WISE CHILD :- Speedy and progressive 5 year old gelding from the yard of M.K. Jadhav who is also most effective over 1000M but comes from well off the pace and should not be troubled by the additional furlong too much. He too has a good overall record, having finished outside the frame just once in his 14 starts to date, with 3 wins and 5 2nd placed finishes to his name. He began the season in good form, coming with a late run to score over 1000M beating Charging Tigress and Clymene and was finishing on again when 3rd to Clymene last time out. He comes into this race at practically a feather weight and must be given an upset chance at the weights.
CONCLUSION :- Bateleur made an eye catching return over a sharp 1000M last time out and if building on that last effort, should be hard to beat with improvement expected and a stronger rider up today. Holy Smoke is tackling a handicap after a while over the right trip and can trouble him if running upto his best while the feather weighted Wise Child cannot be ignored.
Race No. 3 :- The Marchetta Plate Class II & III Distance :- 1600M
TURNING POINT :- Consistent 5 year old mare from the in form yard of S.K. Sunderji who has a good record of 4 wins and 4 seconds from her 16 starts till date and looked like she was coming back to form last time out when finishing a close 2nd to Forest Fairy over 1400M. She does have a tendency to get left at the start and also tends to idle in front so usually wins her races by a small margin. She has top weight to defy against some very promising and upcoming younger horses so winning looks tough in these field and although she is expected to run well with C.S. Jodha up, she looks more of a minor berth contender.
ARABIA :- 4 year old filly who seems to be progressing with every start and scored a stylish win in the South India 2000 Guineas last time out making all the run and keeping on to win well. Beautifully bred being a full sister to Myrtlewood and also to Amelia, she is trained by Pesi Shroff and will be ridden by leading jockey Leigh Roche. Runner up to La Rondine in the 1000 Guineas on just her 3rd career start, she looks to be open to plenty of further improvement and although she is taking on a classy colt in Excellent, she looks to be the more progressive of the pair and is a leading contender to continue on her winning spree.
EXCELLENT :- Quality 4 year old colt trained by Dallas Todywalla who has looked a little jaded in his last couple of starts and probably needed this break just to freshen him up. One of the leading 3 year olds during the Pune season, he ran his heart out in the Pune Derby and probably was just sapped of stamina in the final 100M but was disappointing when easily beaten by Costa Brava on his seasonal debut and looked flat in the 2000 Guineas. The short break seems to have done him some good too as his recent track work has been very encouraging and with regular rider Neeraj Rawal in the saddle and over a trip which should suit him to a tee, he looks a very live danger to Arabia and could make it a close contest in receipt of weight. Not to be ignored.
SPITFIRE :- Another lightly raced and progressive sort from the Pesi Shroff yard he has 2 wins from his 9 starts so far and has been kept very busy travelling around the country and has been mainly campaigned in all the Regional Classics, running respectably but without managing to claim any of them. He began the season with a 7 furlong win in Class III on the opening day of the season and was taken to Kolkotta where he was no match for Adjudicate in the 2000 Guineas. He was well beaten by Arabia in the South India 2000 Guineas but he is now in receipt of 6 kilos so theoretically has a 1 Ό length advantage over her. S. Zervan takes the ride and he must be given an upset chance at the weights although the other 4 year olds have the scope to improve past him.
CONCLUSION :- A very interesting contest but Arabia seems to be progressing with every run and could improve enough to tackle the two classy colts. Excellent who seems to have been freshened up by the break shapes as a very live danger and stands a strong chance to upset the filly while Spitfire is also dangerous to ignore at the weights.
Race No. 4 :- The Smashing Plate Div. II Class IV & V, 5 Years & Over Distance :- 1200M
ROYSTON ROCK :- In form 6 year old from the yard of S.N. Joshi, she is relatively lightly raced for her age having had just 14 starts and after taking her time to find form, has been very consistent over the last several runs. After making steady progress throughout the Pune season, she finally gained a deserved maiden success over this trip in a no whip race, decisively beating Bay of Love by 2 ½ lengths and repeated the dose on her first run here, holding off Golden Horde with a couple of todays rivals behind her. She went on to finish a good 4th over a sharp 1000M next time out and will be better suited by the return to this trip. The draw has not been kind to her in Stall 14 and 5 kilo claimer Malam Singh takes over for the first time today. However, she looks in great heart at present and must still be given a strong each way chance in spite of top weight.
DEMOCRAT :- Well handicapped 6 year old gelding trained by M.K. Jadhav he is a winner of 3of his 19 starts till date and over the past few seasons the practice has been to bring him down to a workable mark and then scoring which he has done the last 2 years. He has again come back down to an attractive mark since his last win about 13 months ago and gave signs that he was coming to hand when finishing on to be 4th behind Steppenwolf last time out. C.S. Jodha now takes over in the saddle from T.S. Jodha which is a positive, he is one of the few fancied horses who has bagged a good draw in Stall 4 and if building on that last effort, looks to have an excellent chance to earn himself another bracket.
WE BREAK THE RULES :- 5 year old gelding from the Dallas Todywalla yard who has a lovely pedigree but has not quite run upto expectations, having won just 1 of his 17 starts and is likely to find this 6 furlong trip on the sharp side. He has managed to place on 8 occasions so usually manages to make the frame although he has been totally out of form since the end of the last Mumbai season and needs to bounce back. He has come down in the scales as a result though and should be fit enough after 2 lung openers this season. His last couple of workouts have been quite encouraging though and P.S. Chouhan gets back in the saddle which is a positive so if he is able to return to something like his best form, then he looks an each way player and could spring a surprise at a good price.
MAKE IT SHINE :- Now 8 years of age but still seemingly having zest for racing, this ward of Vijay Kasbekar has been running well over this trip in the past, winning 3 of her 37 races and her last win coming towards the end of the last Mumbai season over this trip with the same rider up. She had a quiet Pune campaign running down the field in 4 starts but has showed signs of a revival on her last 2 starts, finishing 4th on both occasions. The 1000M trip may have been on the sharp side last time out when she finished a close 4th to True Grit and back up at this trip and with Raghuveer Singh back in the saddle for 5 kilo claimer, she looks to have a good chance although she too is drawn very wide in Stall 13.
CHOO MANTAR :- Unexposed, untried and lightly raced 5 year old mare who appears to be the more fancied of the 2 runners from the Faisal Abbas yard and has been working very well of late. She has been unplaced in her 6 starts till date but ran a forward race over 1000M last time out and put in a burst to be prominent briefly in the straight before fading and although finishing 8th she was only 2 lengths behind the winner. The booking of A. Sandesh today suggests that connections will be trying her for the first time now and being an unknown quantity she could prove to be better than this lot and clearly has possibilities of shedding her maiden tag so should not be left out of calculations.
ETERNAL DANCER :- 6 year old mare trained by Rehanullah Khan who hit good form during the recent Pune campaign scoring back to back wins the first of those over this trip but has been struggling with the handicapper since then. She finished 5th behind Make It Shine and Royston Rock last time out with a feeble rider up and Nirmal Jodha now takes over in the saddle so she can be expected to improve. She does not seem to be too high above her last winning mark and is another who merits each way consideration in this competitive contest.
NAME OF THE GAME :- Speedy 7 year old mare trained by C. Rajendra who recently had a winner last week, she has won 2of her 30 starts till date and looked like she was on a handy mark on her penultimate run over 1000M where she finished a close 4th behind Fire Flame in a weak class V contest. She was not as good last time out when upped to this trip with Neeraj Rawal up and K. Nazil now takes over in the saddle. She does not appear to be a reliable sort but could spring a surprise if she has her galloping shoes on.
CONCLUSION :- Like most of these older horses contests, this is probably best left alone from a betting perspective but the two to focus on here appear to be Democrat and Choo Mantar. The former looks to have come down to a handy mark and ran promisingly last time out while the latter is an unknown quantity who appears to be tried for the first time with A. Sandesh an eye catching booking. Royston Rock has been in top form and is also respected
Race No. 5 :- The Isn't She Special Plate Class V Distance :- 1800M
ARRECIFE :- 5 year old mare from the small stable of Zadmal Singh who is well bred and also lightly raced for her age but is still a maiden after 10 starts. She has managed to place on half of those starts though and has been quite consistent in her last 3 runs, placing on each occasion. She went very close over a mile in Pune when just failing to catch Aberlour in a 3 way photo and again ran well on her seasonal reappearance when a Ύ length runner up to It's A Deal although both those races were in her own age group and she struggled against the younger horses last time out, finishing a distant 3rd behind Golden Hind. She seems to be well within herself at present and should not be troubled by the additional furlong with A.S. Peter, who has ridden her in her last few starts again booked to ride. However, she is conceding weight all around has to tackle some of the 4 year olds so place looks a safer option and she may have to wait to gain that elusive first success.
SAVAGE KINGDOM :- Lightly raced and steadily improving 4 year old grey from the powerful Pesi Shroff yard who seems to be crying out for more galloping ground and seems to have made a little progress with each of his starts. Having his first couple of starts over shorter trips, he nearly pulled if off when upped to this trip for the first time, going down narrowly to stable companion Cavarozzi. He had one prior run this season over 1800M when again no match for Bluebell but was in a fight for the minor placings, ultimately ending up a close 4th. He is expected to strip fitter for that run today and Leigh Roche takes over for the first time replacing S. Zervan. He has been working well since that run, is expected to progress further and in this lowest grade must be respected and looks capable of scoring.
ROGUE ONE :- Another maiden 4 year old gelding, this one from the yard of Narendra Lagad, he is a bit more exposed having run 9 times so far without success, but looks to have found some improvement in his 2 starts this term. His last run was particularly encouraging when he ran a forward race over a mile and came back with a 2nd run to finish a good 2nd to Western Front. That was his best run till date and if he can build on that last effort and find some more improvement, then he stands a very strong chance to go one better here. Dashrath Singh who rode last time out retains the ride, he is working well and looks a strong each way player in this company.
SYLVESTER :- 5 year old maiden from the Adhirajsingh Jodha yard who also seems to be finding some form and has run suggestively in his last couple of starts. Winless from 8 starts so far, he has finished runner up in each of his last 3 races and should go one better before too long. He finished on to be a good 2nd to Eagleinthesky last time out over a mile with Sandesh up for the first time and should probably be suited by the slight step up in trip. The 3rd placed Bhaktawar has gone on to frank the form, Sandesh keeps the ride and he is likely to be in the thick of things again and has hopes of finally gaining his maiden success.
FANFARE:-Well bred and lightly raced maiden 4 year old from the in form yard of S.K. Sunderji, she has run 7 times so far mainly over middle distance trips and ran a forward race over 2000M last time out before retiring to finish a distant 3rd behind Kennedy. That was her first run of the season so she is entitled to improve for it and strip fitter and her recent trackwork has been quite good. It is possible that she could just be coming to hand now, the yard is in fine form at present and with C.S. Jodha in the saddle, she is another who can be involved in the finish.
DAZZLING EYES:-5 year old mare from the stable of Imtiaz Sait who has been working well for quite a while now but is still winless after 9 attempts and will be having her first start of the current campaign. She was quite consistent in her last 4 starts over this sort of trip, and in fact ended up a close 4th just behind Arrecife over a mile on her penultimate run but was then a faraway 3rd to Emotionless last time out although the winner has gone on to frank the form. She has been given plenty of prep work so should be fit and ready to go and Robbie Downey takes over in the saddle for the first time. She is another 4 year old in this field with each way claims and is capable of being involved.
FOREVER FREE :- 6 year old mare from the stable of Adil Dajee who finished on well to be a late finishing 4th to Alsace over 1400M last time out and appears to be worth trying over this longer trip. Her losing run has now stretched to 20 and she lacks the scope of improvement of some of the 4 year olds but she has run decently over a mile in the past and may find some improvement over this 1800M trip with S.A. Amit keeping the ride. Her trainer is not known for having too many winners so she looks a good outsider at best but could be a long priced fluke who could spring a surprise.
CONCLUSION :- A very open looking contest with many of the 4 year olds capable of improvement. Savage Kingdom is respected being a Pesi Shroff ward running in this grade and should improve from his run last time out. Rogue One's last effort was promising and bring him into contention while Sylvester and Dazzling Eyes also hold claims. Tough to sort out
Race No. 6 :- The Smashing Plate Div. I Class IV & V, 5 Years & Over Distance :- 1200M
BOUNTY QUEEN :- Well bred 6 year old got abroad trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha who began her career in very bright fashion but then seemed to lose her way and seems to be slowly coming back to form of late, having been quite consistent in her recent efforts. Winner of 3 of her 21 starts overall, all her 3 wins came early on in her career but she seemed to go right off the boil since then and was out of form for a long time , reappearing from a long break in Pune and looking to have improved. She was runner up to Lethal Steps over this trip when returning from a 6month absence and finished 3rd on her first 2 starts this term, both over 1200M before running disappointingly when upped to 7 furlongs last time finishing 7th to Safdar. She has been eased in grade now, returns to the 6 furlong trip and 5 kilo claimer Malam Singh now takes over in the saddle. She is likely to be involved and should figure in the finish but needs to find a little more improvement to get back to winning ways. Considered.
RIDGEWOOD STAR :- Speedy 6 year old gelding trained by Dallas Todywalla who has won 2 of his 23 starts so far and began this season with a good showing when scoring a decisive win over this trip beating Rare Silver by 3 lengths. He did not appreciate the drop to the minimum last time out but still ended 6th in a closely bunched finish and was just about a length off the winner. He has been working very well since the start of the season so seems to have maintained his form and fitness and back up at 6 furlongs and with Neeraj Rawal booked to ride, he looks to have strong claims and is seriously considered to go in again.
FLOWER DUST :- 6 year old mare trained by NosherCama who has won 2 of her 16 starts till date and has been unplaced on every other occasion winning back to back races over 1400M towards the end of last Mumbai season, beating Arashi by 2 lengths on her last win before seemingly having a setback and being off the track for 4 months. She has been steadily working her way back to form through the 2nd half of the Pune campaign and seems to have been judiciously prepared with this event in view. She has come back down to a handy mark, is having her first start this season and the booking of P.S. Chouhan is encouraging. She looks set to begin this campaign on a winning note and is a serious player in this field.
ARABIAN STORM :- Exposed 6 year old handicapper from the Narendra Lagad yard who has done well over this trip in the past and has won 3 of his 25 starts so far, finishing 2nd on 1 occasion. He has been mainly out of form since his last win back in August but looked like he may be coming back to form last time out when finishing 4th behind Hodson's Horse and has been working well of late. Improving 3 ½ kilo apprentice N.B. Kuldeep takes over in the saddle from P.S. Kaviraj, he likes to front run when on song and may try and dictate terms from end to end.
ADELE :- 6 year old mare trained by Nazak Chenoy, she has run 14 times till date and has been quite consistent since scoring her maiden win on her 11th start over 1000M in Pune. She has consistently hit the board since the win, finishing a close runner up to Nextstar next time out and began this season in good form as well when finishing 3rd behind Philadelphia over course and distance last time out. The booking of Amyn Merchant replacing N.B. Kuldeep is a bit surprising as he is not a regular rider for the yard but she seems to be in good heart at present and is capable of being involved here.
RARE SILVER :- Aged 7 year old gelding from the stable of Imtiaz Sait who has won 2 of his 29 starts, adding his 2nd win just this season on his penultimate run when getting up late to collar Smoky Haze close home. He ran poorly last time out behind Kingsman over 1400M and maybe the return to this shorter trip will suit. He seems to lack consistency but will have the services of C.S. Jodha in the saddle replacing Neeraj Rawal and he has a chance to be in the thick of things if he is in a galloping mood. Keep an eye.
AQUARIUS :- 6 year old gelding from the M.K. Jadhav yard who finally seemed to come to hand towards the end of the Pune season and after scoring a long overdue maiden success over 1400M in October, made it back to back victories next time out, scoring narrowly over a mile. He has had 2 runs this season, both over 1400M, finishing 3rd and 5th respectively and now drops to a trip which he may find on the sharp side. A. Sandesh who rode last time out keeps the ride, he has done well over this trip in the past and could add some spice to the finish.
CONCLUSION :- Flower Dust appears to have been well prepared to make a winning start to this season and is selected in this open looking contest. Ridgewood Star looks to be in good form and shapes as the main danger.
