From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Thursday, 7th March 2019- By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 06 Mar 2019
From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Thursday, 7th March 2019
- By Cyrus Naterwalla
Race No. 1:- The Washington Irvine Plate – Class V – Distance :- 1600M
WESTEROS :- Twice raced Western Aristocrat 4 year old colt trained by Dallas Todywalla who is clearly better than his current mark and is open to plenty of improvement having just his 3rd start. He was held in quite high regard as a juvenile and ran a promising debut over 1200M in the Banarsidas Million last April when ending up 3rd to Run Forest Run. He was off the track for a long time after that run and reappeared only in February this season after a 10 month gap and understandably was in need of the run. He looked quite well that day and ran a forward race over 7 furlongs before retiring. He has been given enough time to improve for that lung opener and his last couple of workouts have been eye catching. The step up to a mile looks likely to suit him, P.S. Chouhan retains the ride and taking on mainly older and exposed horses, he looks to have an excellent chance to get off the mark today and is one of the main contenders.
HONOURABLE EYES :- Well bred and lightly raced 5 year old gelding trained by Imtiaz Sait, he is still a maiden after 12 starts but has looked to have found some improvement this term and has performed reasonably well all 3 starts this term. All his 3 runs this season have been in the higher class so he has now been eased in grade and his last run over this trip was quite promising when finishing 4th to Star Aligned, about 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Laburnum who ran 6th that day. He was not given the best of rides that day and he is now eased in grade and P. Trevor takes over in the saddle from S. Zervan. He has been working well for quite some time now and in this field, looks to be a strong each way contender and must be considered as he still has some scope for further improvement.
LABURNUM :- 4 year old filly from the Sanjay Kolse yard who began her racing career just 2 months ago and has run just twice so far and looks capable of improving. Making her debut over 1400M in January, she was given an educative run and last time out when upped to this trip, she finished 6th but was only 1 ¼ lengths behind Honourable Eyes and has hopes of reversing that form on slightly more favourable terms. R. Ajinkya takes over from A. Sandesh in the saddle today and has been in good form this season and among the winners so she should not be taken lightly and also dropping into this Class for the first time, must be respected and should be involved if progressing again.
FENCING :- Aged and exposed 6 year old mare who is one of three runners from the Adhirajsingh Jodha stable in this contest and appears to be the most fancied of the trio with A. Sandesh an eye catching jockey booking. Winner of 2 of her 18 starts so far, she does not appear to be completely straightforward and needs to be ridden in restraint and delivered late in the contest which is the style in which she gained her 2 previous victories, the first of those coming over this trip. Her last win was almost a year ago and she has been out of form for a while now but she has come back down to her last winning mark and showed she still had zest for racing when finishing on to be 4th in the first of her 2 runs this term. She looks a little vulnerable against the younger horses but has proven form over the trip and looks to be an each way contender with the positive jockey switch.
POWER OF THOR :- Formerly known as Eiger’s Tiger, this 6 year old veteran from the Narendra Lagad stable has run 48 times so far, winning twice and placing on 17 occasions but even though he has come down to what looks a handy mark, he appears to be struggling with his current handicap and has been unsuccessful in 7 starts this term after finishing a suggestive 3rd on his first 2 runs. He is becoming a bit frustrating to follow at present and finished 2 lengths behind the reopposing Whoopsidaisy last time out. Dashrath Singh takes over for the first time this season which is a positive and he can fight it out for the minor places but winning looks tough and he can be considered a rank outsider.
SADDLE THE WIND :- Maiden 4 year old filly from the yard of Karthik G. who has done nothing of note in her 6 runs till date but is having just her 3rd run in a handicap and looks to be on a lenient mark. 3 of her runs have come this season and she did finish 4th on her penultimate start although well behind Vintage. Apprentice Vishal Bunde takes over in the saddle for the first time today and she is being tried with blinkers so if the change of equipment brings about some improvement then she looks a dark horse who could also upset although a very long shot in the overall scenario.
WHOOPSIDAISY :- Maiden 5 year old front running mare from the Faisal Abbas stable who is quite inconsistent in her racing and her losing run has now stretched to 21 but she did show some promise in her last run over a mile with the same rider up where she attempted to make all the running and kicked on to end up a close 3rd to Sylvester over course and distance. She too appears to be vulnerable against the younger horses but is likely to try and make all the running again today and looks an each way contender.
CONCLUSION :- The promising looking Westeros is selected to improve from his lung opener earlier in the season and fulfil his potential at the expense of Honourable Eyes who seems to have improved and was not given the best ride last time out. Sparingly raced Laburnum can also improve and is respected.
Race No. 2 :- The Aziz H. Ahmedbhoy Trophy – Class II & III – Distance :- 1600M
GLORIOSUS :- Consistent and decently performed 5 year old handicapper trained by Imtiaz Sait, he has run 19 times so far and has a good record of 4 wins and 10 placed efforts from those 19 starts. He was initially most effective over a mile but has stepped upto 2000M this season, winning back to back races early on but then seems to have been in the handicappers grip, finishing 3rd in each of his last 3 starts and he may need a slight drop in the weights before he can continue to progress. He was dropped to a mile last time out when staying on to be a close 3rd behind Turning Point and has now been eased in grade but is taking on a couple of 4 year olds on the upgrade. N.S. Parmar who rode him last time out keeps the ride and he seems to be in good form but may struggle to concede weight all around here and is likely to fight it out for minor honours.
TEXAS GOLD :- Enigmatic 5 year old horse trained by Hosidar Daji who possesses a telling turn of foot when at his best but seems to be inconsistent and moody as well and often does not put his best foot forward. He has managed to win 5 of his 19 starts and placed on 6 occasions as well and does have 1 win to his name this season from 5 starts, the win coming in his penultimate run over course and distance where he got the better of Excellent by a length with Spitfire back in 4th. Both the 4 year olds have shown improvement since then so look likely to reverse the form and his last run upped to 2000M was disappointing when only 4th of 5 to Bronx. He continues to work well and will be suited by the return to a mile but looks up against it here and should fight it out for the minor places.
EXCELLENT :- Classy and well performed 4 year old gelding from the Dallas Todywalla yard he is a winner of 3 of his 9 starts till date, rattling off an impressive sequence of 3 wins on the trot after his maiden 2nd and winning two of the plum 3 year old races in Pune. He ran his heart out in the Pune Derby and finished a gutsy close 4th to Pioneer in spite of not quite getting the trip but that run seemed to take it’s toll and he has been winless in 4 starts this season. He has however shown some improvement in his last 2 starts, finishing 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Spitfire (improved since) conceding 3 ½ kilos and did not run badly dropped to 1400M last time out when a close 3rdto Turning Point and Brainstorm. He has been kept fresh since the last run, should be suited by the return to a mile and looks a strong contender at the weights with A. Sandesh in the saddle today. Best on handicap.
SPITFIRE :- Another promising looking 4 year old, this one from the powerful Pesi Shroff stable he is a winner of 3 of his 11 starts so far and comes into this race fresh off a convincing win over course and distance, scoring by 2 ¼ lengths from Flying Visit last time out. He has had a busy time this season, travelling to Kolkotta and Chennai to contest the regional classics and after coming up short there, looks to be back to his best after the last run. He is out on the scale with Excellent on their last meeting but looks to have improved considerably since then and it looks likely to be very close between the pair again today. P. Trevor retains the ride, he looks likely to progress again and should make a bold bid to follow up under his penalty.
IN IT TO WIN IT:-Well performed 5 year old gelding trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha, he appears to be on the comeback trail since finishing well beaten in the Indian St. Leger back in August and may not have gotten back to full form just yet. Winner of 4 of his 12 starts till date, he took his time to come to hand but once finding form, rattled off a sequence of 4 consecutive wins before coming up short in his Classic attempt. He has had just one run this season, a lung opener back in January over an inadequate 6 furlongs where he was clearly short on fitness and ended up 7th of the 10 runners. He has been brought along steadily since then and this longer trip is sure to suit. Dashrath Singh has been booked to ride today, he may still need a couple of more runs to get back to winning ways but is quite capable when at his best and should not be ignored. Dark horse.
CONCLUSION :- This looks to be a straight fight between the 2 classy 4 year olds Excellent and Spitfire. While Excellent has a clear handicap advantage on their last meeting and is given the edge, Spitfire has clearly improved since that run and Shroff’s wards have been known to defy the handicap on many occasions so it should be much closer today.
Race No. 3 :- The Keukenhof Plate – Maiden 3 Year Olds Only – Distance :- 1400M
GALLOPING GOLDMINE :- Well bred Arazan 3 year old from the S.K. Sunderji yard who made a promising debut in the Usha Stud Million when not fully wound up, making casual late headway to finish 4th behind fitter stable mate Dandi March and is sure to have learnt plenty from the experienced and stripped fitter. The dam Messalina has already produced some notable types, mainly half sister Isabella who did not finish out of the first 2 in 7 starts in Hyderabad winning thrice and full brother Spirited Regent who was black typed placed finishing runner up in the Grade 3 Bangalore Juvenile Million in his limited career. He is running after a gap of over 2 months but may have needed that time to progress and is sure to relish the additional furlong. P.S. Chouhan takes over in the saddle from Dashrath Singh, the yard has been in cracking form this season and he appears to set the form standard and is very strongly fancied.
GOLDEN STEAL :- Half brother to Excellent Sorrento from the Dallas Todywalla yard who appears to have been quite well prepared and is expected to give a good account of himself on debut. He has been well prepared for his first run and has been given a Mock Race and also a good gate jump so should be ready to go and his preparatory work has been quite satisfactory. J. Chinoy takes the ride today but he appears to be lesser fancied then owner mate Galloping Goldmine and may be going in for an educative run today. A paddock check is advised though and he is capable of being involved.
MYSTIC BAY :- Another Leitir Mor colt, this one trained by Malesh Narredu and looks quite an interesting prospect on paper. His siblings have not been that well performed so the pedigree has a bit to prove with Sir Desmond the only one to have raced in Western India. He appears to have been solidly prepared for his debut run though, having been given plenty of work and he seemed to move nicely in a recent Mock Race alongside Class I horses like Bateleur and Mathaiyus. Suraj Narredu flies down especially to ride this one who looks a promising sort and should have a bold show on debut.
TAARRADHIN :- Once raced son of Phoenix Tower from the all conquering Pesi Shroff yard, he looked very green and inexperienced on his debut almost 2 months ago over course and distance, racing quite wide throughout and being pushed along very early in the contest but staying on at the end to finish a modest 3rd to Makhtoob. He is sure to have learnt plenty from that run and stripped fitter and yard’s runners improve substantially from first run to 2nd. He appears to have been given very little track work since the last run which is a bit of a concern but P. Trevor retains the ride and he is sure to improve and give a much better account of himself today. His full brother Stormborn is yet to come to hand and he may be one who could be better in the long term. Considered.
STARRINGO :- One of the more experienced runners in the field but also slightly more exposed, this daughter of Arazan trained by Dallas Todywalla has already had 3 runs, finishing runner up the first twice before running 4th to Hunt for Gold when upped to this trip last time out. She too has been off for 2 months since her last run so has been given time to improve and strengthen and is blinkered for the first time today with A. Sandesh taking over for Neeraj Rawal. She looks to have a decent form level to her name and has been working well so looks to have a decent each way chance and must not be left out of calculations.
TREASON :- Interesting looking debutant from the stable of Vishal Gaikwad, this daughter of Multidimensional comes from a good family with the dam Magic Touch having produced the likes of Pugnacious who was a good handicapper with C.D. Katrak and Agnes, winner of 3 races in Madras. She was given an educative run back in Pune over 1000M and his making her seasonal debut today with N.S. Parmar in the saddle. She is entitled to need this opening run but has been working alongside Hunt for Gold so is obviously held in high regard and if looking fit and well, could prove to be the fly in the ointment here. Keep an eye.
CONCLUSION :- Galloping Goldmine made a promising debut in what looked a strong race and seems to have the form to prevail here with the benefit of experience. Taarradhin may still need more time to come to hand a greater danger could prove to be the debutant Mystic Bay who represents powerful connections and seems to have been well prepared
Race No. 4 :_ The Flareon Plate – Div. II – Class V – Distance :- 1000M
KIPLING :- Lightly raced and unexposed 4 year old who began his career with Vishal Gaikwad but was sold into Narendra Lagad’s yard after his first 3 runs and is having his 2nd start for his new connections. 4th over 1200M to Lethal Steps in his solitary run in Pune, he was given a lung opener over this trip on his seasonal reappearance and is likely to have improved for that effort. Dashrath Singh takes over in the saddle today suggesting that connections fancy their chances and although he has not shown much speed to suggest this trip will suit, he is unexposed and could potentially be much better than his current mark. He is probably best watched today but is capable of being involved.
DANCE EMPEROR :- Maiden 5 year old gelding trained by Faisal Abbas, he is winless from his 8 runs so far but has shown plenty of speed on all of his previous runs, in front rank until entering the straight before weakening and looked like he was getting ready to strike last time out, when he managed to kick on all the way to the wire over 1200M, ending up runner up to Myrcella. The drop back down to the minimum is sure to suit him much better and in form 5 kilo claimer A.S. Peter takes over in the saddle from G. Amit. And although he had not bagged the best draw in Stall 11, he seems to have plenty of speed and looks to have found a good opportunity to score if building on that last effort.
OUTSTANDING :- Exposed 5 year old mare from the S.K. Sunderji yard she is a winner of 1 race from her 20 starts and although having a speedy pedigree, has proved to be just modest until now. She had to wait 15 runs before scoring her maiden success over this trip in Pune and has been placing consistently since then barring her last run where she ran below par to end up 9th. She needs to bounce back from that disappointing effort and does not appear to have a lot of room for improvement and the booking of Parbat Singh today suggests that she may be going in for an airing to improve from the last run. She does merit each way consideration in this field though and is likely to be involved if bouncing back.
MACGYVER :- Maiden 5 year old grey gelding from the yard of S. Waheed who is winless in 14 starts so far but showed signs of some ability this season and may not have given off his best just yet. After showing nothing at all in his first several starts, he made a promising start to the season when finishing on strongly to be runner up to Fire Flame where he pipped Outstanding close home. He was well fancied upped to 1200M next time out with P. Trevor in the saddle but ran below par to finish only 4th to Felix Felicis and again ran poorly last time out where he may not have been at his best. He has been given plenty of work since his last run, drops back to the minimum trip now and the booking of P.S. Chouhan replacing K. Nazil is most encouraging. He seems to be on a handy mark at present and reproducing his opening effort of the season, has an excellent chance to finally shed his maiden tag.
PADMAKOSA:-Aged and thoroughly exposed 9 year old mare trained by Subhag Singh who has an unenviable record of 2 wins from her 43 starts and has been out of form for a very long time but has tumbled down in the weights as a result of that. She has run 2 decent races this season, finishing just outside the frame on the first occasion and last time out, making the frame when 4th to Unimaginable over this trip. This looks to be her ideal distance and the booking of K. Nazil replacing Vishal Bunde suggests that she is likely to be fancied today. The field looks weak so she may be able to run into a place but winning looks tough and she can be given a small upset chance if at all
CONCLUSION :- A weak race in spite of the grade and the speedy Dance Emperor may have found a good opportunity to get off the mark. He finished runner up over 1200M last time out and should relish the drop to the minimum. Macgyver with P.S. Chouhan booked looks to be the main danger
Race No. 5 :_ The Flareon Plate – Div. I – Class V – Distance :- 1000M
CABELLERO :- Speedylooking 4 year old colt trained by Mansoor Shah who made his debut just this season and looks open to improvement after just 2 starts. Getting an educative run over 6 furlongs on debut, he immediately showed improvement when running a forward race dropped to this trip last time out, hitting the front from the start and kicking on to finish 3rd to Mighty Warrior. That run was in the higher class, he has been eased in grade and 5 kilo claimer Malam Singh has already won a couple of races for the yard this season. He looks likely to improve again from that last run, is taking on relatively weak opposition and if building on that last effort, looks to have a strong chance to score.
GRAND SINATRA :- Twice raced 4 year old gelding from the Nosher Cama yard who has raced both times in the past over 7 furlongs, both runs towards the end of the Pune season and finishing 5thon both occasions. He has been given plenty of time to strengthen and improve since then and it is interesting that he is making his seasonal reappearance dropped down to the minimum trip as he did not show speed in his earlier starts. He may just be going out for an airing today to regain some fitness but is an unknown quantity and must be considered in this grade with P.S. Chouhan in the saddle.
FIRE FLAME :- Exposed 4 year old filly who is one of 2 runners for the Narendra Lagad stable and appears to be the more fancied of the pair having already won over course and distance earlier in the season. Winner of 2 of her 17 starts overall, both her wins have come over this minimum trip, the 2nd of them on her seasonal debut with the same rider up when holding off Macgyver and Outstanding in a close finish having made all the running. Her 3 subsequent runs were in Class IV and she was unplaced on all 3 occasions but drops back down in grade now and is not too high above her last winning mark. She has been drawn wide in Stall 11 and does have a tendency to drift out but looks to have a good each way chance back down in this class and must come into calculations.
AGRAMI :- Well bred debutant from the Faisal Abbas stable, he is a full brother to Excellent Gold and a half brother to Harvey who went to Class I at this centre for S.K. Sunderji so he looks a very interesting sort on paper and clearly has the credentials to be better than his opening mark. A paddock check is advised to ascertain his fitness and condition and G. Amit has been booked to ride. He may be a touch short on preparatory work but the field does not seem to be particularly threatening and he could very well have too much class for this lot and win at the first time of asking.
BEE QUIRKY :- 6 year old mare trained by Vijay Kasbekar, her overall record of just 1 win from her 17 starts is not particularly inspiring but she often suffers from getting a very wide draw so has a big advantage today in that she is drawn next to the rail in Stall 1. She has had just 2 runs this season and looked to be finding form last time out when in spite of a wide draw again she finished a fair 3rd to Unimaginable. A.S. Peter takes over from feeble rider last time out and is a very good 5 furlong judge so she is likely to try and blaze a trail from the front and will attempt pillar to post tactics.
CONCLUSION :- An open looking contest with not much form to go by. Cabellero ran a forward race last time out over this trip and if having unlocked some more improvement looks capable of scoring here. The well bred debutant Agrami could be too classy for this lot if fit and ready to go and looks an obvious danger along with the speedy Bee Quirky who has bagged the plum rail draw
Race No. 6 :- The Amateur Riders’ Club Trophy – Class III & IV – Distance :- 1200M
LESREL :- Well bred and lightly raced got abroad 5 year old from the stable of Vishal Gaikwad who is returning from a 3 month break but looked to be at the top of his game earlier in the season. Sparingly raced so far, he has won 2 of his 6 starts so far, scoring a runaway maiden victory over this trip in Pune with the same rider up and repeating the dose on his seasonal reappearance, winning comfortably from Safdar. He came unstuck in his hattrick bid when collared close home by Beshiktash and has not run since then. He is likely to have been freshened up by the break, moved well in his only recent gallop and with Akshay in good form this season and having won on him before, he seems to be a danger to all and must be feared in spite of top weight.
EL COMMANDANTE :- 4 year old gelding trained by Altaf Hussain who has looked vastly improved this season and currently appears to have hit a purple patch. Winner of 2 of his 7 starts so far, he was tried over longer distances earlier in his career but seems to have found his calling dropped to 6 furlongs this season, winning 2 of his 3 starts over the trip and going down narrowly by ¾ length to Anatevka on the other occasion. He was a most authoritative winner over Run Forest Run last time out and may have still more to give so the 5 ½ kilo penalty may not be enough to stop him. He has been drawn wide in Stall 13 but has A. Sandesh in the saddle who has been in top form of late and he looks a leading fancy to continue his progression and go in again.
FLOWER DUST :- In form 6 year old mare trained by Nosher Cama, she has won 3 of her 17 starts till date and took advantage of her lenient handicap mark to score a runaway 4 ¾ length win over Bounty Queen on her first run of the season, proving far too good for that opposition. She is likely to have improved for that run and stripped fitter and is now upped in grade and penalized 6 kilos. She appears to have maintained her form and fitness since that run and with P.S. Chouhan in the saddle, is likely to make a bold bid to repeat.
SASSY LASS :- 5 year old mare from the small stable of Asad Siddiqui who is small in stature but clearly has ability and was in rousing form during the recent Pune season, scoring consecutive wins in her first 2 starts before finishing 3rd to two above average types in the form of Desperado and Barbaresco. She has performed modestly in her 2 starts this season, finishing 3rd to Grand Tenton on her opening run over 7 furlongs before running 5th to Truly Epic over a mile last time out. 7 furlongs appears to be her ideal trip so she may find this to be slightly sharp but whipless apprentice A.S. Peter has been booked to ride and she is capable of springing a surprise if reverting to her earlier form.
ADELINE :- Now 6 years of age, this well bred mare who was earlier trained by Zadmal Singh is now in the care of S. K. Sunderji and has been very sparingly raced since her last good run about a year ago when runner up over 1000M to Priceless Girl. She was off the track for 4 months after that and has had 3 well spaced out runs since, the last of those a lung opener on this track back in January. Both her previous wins have been over this trip, she should be fitter and sharper for the run and looks an each way player with Neeraj Rawal booked to ride today.
EPIPHANY :- Well performed and lightly raced 5 year old mare trained by young Nazak Chenoy, she has won 2 of her 9 starts so far and has also placed on 4 occasions for a good overall record. Her last win was over this trip back in Pune in August where she won a thrilling 3 way duel with Polyneices and La Magnifique and her 2 subsequent efforts in the higher grade were also promising, finishing a close 3rd to La Magnifique and Kaneez. She began the season on a good note over 1000M in January, finishing on fast and late to be a very close 3rd to Hudson in a blanket finish with 5 kilo claimer up and has been given time to gain fitness and improve since that run and has been working very well of late. M. Ayyar now takes over in the saddle, but she comes into this race off a low weight and back up to her favoured 6 furlong distance, she looks a danger to all from the foot of the weights.
CONCLUSION :- A competitive affair with several chances but El Commndante has been making excellent progress this season and is fancied to continue his upward trend and go in again. Impressive last outing winner Flower Dust looks an obvious danger along with the returning duo of Lesrel and Epiphany, both of whom look capable of scoring.
Race No. 7 :- The Monet Plate – Class IV & V – Distance :- 1000M
LORD COMMANDER :- 5 year old grey gelding trained by Bezan Chenoy who has finished in the first two in 5 of his 11 starts, winning on 2 previous occasions, the last of those on his final run of the Pune season when he got up on the line under an inspired ride from P. Trevor to pip Loire by a nose. He was given a lung opener to start off his current campaign and was well backed over this trip last time out but could only end up 4th behind Highland Empress, beaten about 2 lengths. The switch back to stable apprentice Santosh G from A. Sandesh does not seem to be a positive and he has also bagged a very wide draw in Stall 14 so he looks vulnerable off top weight in this large field. He looks to have an each way chance but may possibly find one or two too good and is more likely to fight it out for a minor berth.
BENEFACTOR :- Lightly raced and very highly regarded 5 year old gelding who has returned after a long lay off under new connections, having begun his career in the colours of Jaydev Mody and trained by Malesh Narredu. Twice raced as a juvenile, he was a promising runner up to Awesome Hooves in the B.K. Rattonsey Multi Million and went on to shed his maiden tag without a fuss next time out, easily accounting for Forest Fairy and Gazino both of whom are currently close a Class I rating. However, he must have had a serious setback and has been off the track for almost 2 years before returning in his new colours a month ago where he was understandably rusty and finished in the ruck. He was found to have bled after that run so has had the stipulated 4 weeks off and now returns with Akshay in the saddle. He has been working extremely well in the interim period and clearly is a quality horse so although he has plenty of things against him and is likely best watched today, he cannot be ignored and does have the scope to upset.
SLAM DUNK :- Consistent 6 year old gelding trained by H.J. Antia who is a veteran of 30 races and has won twice before but managed to place on 10 occasions also. He has been working his way back into form this season and after 2 lung openers in his first 2 starts, ran well the last twice, kicking on to finish a good 4th over 1200M in the higher grade before finding stable companion too hot last time out when eased into this class but still kicking on to finish a good 3rd. Stable apprentice now takes over in the saddle from S. Zervan which looks a negative switch but he claims 5 kilos in the saddle and from a decent draw in Stall 6 cannot be ruled out.
CHARLES BRIDGE :- Interesting looking4 year old colt trained by Sanjay Kolse who scored an upset maiden win over this trip on debut last season and returns to it now after 3 unsuccessful runs over further. Runner up to Mount Olympus on his belated return in Pune over 7 furlongs, he ran a shocker dropped to 6 furlongs next time out and was promptly put away after that. He made his seasonal reappearance over 6 furlongs back in January and finished 5th to Flaming Martini not given an unduly hard time by P. Trevor and is likely to improve for that effort. It is interesting that he drops back down to the minimum trip now, but has been working well, has bagged the rail draw and has A. S. Peter booked to ride. He looks open to improvement on just his 5th start and could very well bounce back if suited by this return to the minimum.
SHARAREH :- Improving 4 year old filly from the stable of Rehanullah Khan she has raced 5 times till date exclusively over sprints and has yet to finish outside the frame. She showed good improvement to score her maiden win on her penultimate run over this trip and last time out looked a shade unlucky when finishing a flying late 2nd to True Grit on Derby Day, getting going late and going down by half a length. She looks to have maintained her form and fitness since the run and P.S. Chouhan retains the ride. She seems to be progressing nicely at present and stands a very good chance of returning to the winner’s circle.
DANCING LANCES :- Sparingly raced and potentially very speedy 4 year old gelding trained by Altaf Hussain who has run just twice till date. He was very strongly fancied as a juvenile and was a very short priced favourite on his racing debut but drifted right onto the outer rail and finished last of the 7 runners. He was then off the track for an extended period, returning after 15 months in mid February over this trip where he ran a promising race, not drifting out under today’s rider and ending up a good 3rd to Highland Empress. He is sure to improve for that run and strip fitter and has been working extremely well for some time now. Amyn Merchant keeps the ride, he is open to significant improvement on just his 3rd start and if he can build on that last effort, then he looks a very big danger to all and must be respected.
CONCLUSION :- Some lightly raced and potentially smart types on display here but Shararehseems to be progressing nicely with her races, has no injury worries and looked a shade unlucky last time out. She is selected to get the better of Dancing Lances with Charles Bridge also coming into consideration.
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same)
