Race went exactly the way we wanted: Jockey Suraj - By Shailendra Awasthi | TOI
Posted on - 04 Feb 2019
Race went exactly the way we wanted: Jockey Suraj
By Shailendra Awasthi | TOI
Mumbai: Suraj Narredu, one of the top jockeys in the country today, who guided Star Superior to a thumping victory at the Mahalaxmi racecourse on Sunday, said that he managed to win the second Indian Derby crown of his career because things fell in place for him.
“The race went exactly the way we had wanted,” Suraj told TOI. “The pace of the race was perfectly suited to my mount and when I asked him for the final effort, he responded magnificently,”added the 33-year-old rider who had earlier won the blue riband event of Indian turf with Be Safe in 2015.
Star Superior’s trainer Rajesh Narredu, who is the younger brother of Suraj, said he did not need to give any instruction to Suraj.
“I have faith in him, he has won this race before apart from winning many other classics across the country,” Rajesh said after the race. “Suraj knows what is to be done in a given situation and I never felt the need to give him any instruction about how to ride Star Superior.
Cyrus Poonawalla gets it right
While rumours doubting the fitness of prerace hot favourite Sir Cecil had been floating in the racing circle since the last few weeks, no one had the confidence to crane his neck and claim that the mighty galloper was not fit and that the second best horse in the field, Star Superior, would beat him. No one except Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, co-owner of the champion who landed the spoils on Sunday.
“I was sure that all was not well with Sir Cecil and Star Superior will beat him,” Poonawalla told TOI on Sunday. “I did not say that because I am the owner of the ultimate winner because I have been long enough in racing and understand its nuances very well,” added the top breeder. Dr Poonawalla had also instructed Suraj on how to go about it. “I had told Suraj to have faith in his mount’s ability and just keep him in striking position and pounce on the opportunity as I knew Sir Cecil will find it hard to produce the magical gallop because of his poor fitness,” he claimed.
