From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Friday, 26th July 2019 - By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 25 Jul 2019
From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Friday, 26th July 2019
- By Cyrus Naterwalla
Race No. 1 :- The Jamshed Dalal Trophy – Class IV & V – Distance:- 1600M
ARROWFIELD:- 4 year old brother to some well performed types like Dramarama and Dragon and trained by Pesi Shroff, this son of Phoenix Tower was thought good enough to contest the Hyderabad Classics after his Class IV maiden success on this track last October and ran with credit to finish 5th in both the Golconda 2000 Guineas and Derby, finishing less than 5 lengths behind the winner on both occasions. Returning to handicaps in Mumbai back in March, he was an odds on favourite to prevail in Class III but ran well below par to finish a poor 3rd to Excellent Sorrento and Bhaktawar. He has been rested and freshened up since then and has been given only one easy piece of work recently so he may be found wanting on fitness. He clearly looks the standout on his best form and with P. Trevor in the saddle, could have the class to upset the rest if he is fit and ready to go. Leading contender in spite of being under prepared.
ASTOUNDING BAY :- Half brother to Another Rainbow who won 2 starts in Bangalore over 6 and 7 furlongs, this ward of MaleshNarredu has run 5 times so far and after not making any impression over sprints in his first 3 starts, showed good improvement when stepped up to a mile the last twice. He scored a hard fought maiden success over Silver King over this trip back in Mumbai, prevailing by a short head at level weights and is now 4 kilos worse off at the weights so needs to find further improvement if he is to confirm the form. He ran a good 3rd to Mishka's Pride over a mile last time out and has been working well in his lead up work. Yash Narredu, who won on him in Mumbai is back in the saddle and he looks one of the main contenders although he has to improve to beat Silver King at the weights.
GOLD MEDALIST :- 4 year old gelding who appears to be the more fancied of the stable pair trained by S.K. Sunderji and will be ridden by C.S.Jodha. He is more experienced than some of the other younger horses having run 12 times already and has developed into a modest middle distance handicapper having placed on 6 of those runs. He managed to get off the mark on his penultimate start over this when beating Rogue One and Master of Studies in Mumbai and followed that up with a good close 3rd to Bhaktawar last time out. He too appears to have been given enough prep work to be fit and ready and looks an each way contender although place appears to be a more realistic opportunity.
SILVER KING :- 3 year old maiden from the Imtiaz Sait yard who has run 4 times in Mumbai without much success and although working extremely well on the sand, has yet to reproduce the same form on the race grass. He needs to be made plenty of use off before finding his stride and has put in 1 decent performance on his 2nd start, going down by a whisker to Astounding Bay and is 4 kilos better off for that run. However, he ran poorly in his next 2 starts so does not look completely straightforward and it is a touch disconcerting that the 4 previous foals of his dam Connivance all failed to win a race. He has been working well in the build up to this race and may have improved over the break so looks well placed on handicap and merits consideration with S. Zervan in the saddle.
CONCLUSION :- Although Silver King looks to be the choice on handicap, if available at a decent price it is tempting to side with the Pesi Shroff trained Arrowfield. He has run in far better company when running with credit in the Hyderabad Classics and his last run can be taken with pinch of salt. In spite of not being fully wound up, he can win if running upto his best. Astounding Bay also looks to have improved and completes the short list.
Race No. 2 :- The Classic Talk Plate – Maiden 3 Year Olds – Distance :- 1400M
BAIT AND SWITCH :- Twice raced Varenar gelding from the S.K. Sunderji yard who has run twice in Mumbai, both times over 6 furlongs and managed to place on both occasions. He made a promising debut in March when finishing runner up to Castilian and was an odds on favourite to go one better a month later in a similar contest but ran below par to end up a poor 3rd to Golden Guest. This being just his 3rd start, he looks likely to have improved further and he has been working quite well in his morning work. His full brother Madiba won 3 races over a mile in Hyderabad so the step up to 7 furlongs is likely to suit him and with C.S. Jodha booked to ride and blinkers slapped on, he looks to be a strong contender to get off the mark and is also the highest rated amongst these.
BLAZING BAY :- Trained by Karthik G, this son of Saamidd has already had plenty of racing for his age and is unplaced in 7 starts having been tried over a variety of trips ranging from 1000 – 1800M. There is no form at all to recommend his chances and his best trip is also still uncertain and the only reason he merits consideration at all is his good recent track work which suggests he may have improved. He still looks a total outsider at present but is capable of springing a surprise with Bhawani Singh taking the ride. Long shot.
HER EMINENCE :- Stable companion of Blazing Bay but with a much more impressive pedigree, being a full sister to Star Councillor and Bold Command so she warrants consideration on that score alone. She was tailed off on her debut and only run in Mumbai but she was probably out for an educative run that day and the 5 furlong trip was way too short. K. Nazil is an interesting booking for the yard, the step up to 7 furlongs is sure to suit and she looks another interesting contender and is worth a look at in the paddock and is capable of shocking at a long price.
PEERLESS :- Trained by M.K. Jadhav and owned by the Shirke-Dhunjibhoy partnership, this daughter of Poet's Voice has run twice during the Mumbai season and was fancied on both occasions but failed to make an impression. She was in fact sent off favourite over 1200M on her racing debut but was prominent till the bend before retiring to finish 6th about 2 ½ lengths behind Starringo. She was then tried over 1400M where she again raced prominently till the bend before retiring to finish 7th again some way behind Starringo. She has been showing good speed in the morning gallops of late so should have improved but her style of racing suggests that the 7 furlong trip may not suit her. The booking of Akshay too suggests she may be out for an airing.
SASAKWA:-Nicely bred filly from the all conquering Pesi Shroff yard who clearly catches the eye on pedigree being a half sister to Bangalore 1000 Guineas winner and Indian 1000 Guineas 3rd placed Oomph and Mozambique who won 5 of her 9 races in Hyderabad. She made her racing debut over 1200M a month ago in Bangalore and ran promisingly to finish runner up to Rosina. She is sure to have improved for that run and stripped fitter and should appreciate the additional furlong. P. Trevor takes the ride today and she looks an exciting prospect and should be able to tackle this opposition quite comfortably. Leading contender.
STARRINGO :- Relatively exposed 3 year old filly from the Dallas Todywalla yard who has run 5 times already and after beginning her career in promising fashion, also seemed to go off the boil and needs to bounce back now. Runner up to Namaqua on her racing debut over 1000M, she went on to finish a decent 2nd to Kariega next time out but was further stepped up to middle distances, racing the next twice over 7 furlongs before her final run over 1800M and not making much of an impression. She has been working pleasingly since coming to Pune so could have made some progress and looks an each way player with S. Zervan in the saddle.
CONCLUSION :- Sasakwa did enough on her racing debut in Bangalore to suggest that she is good enough to tackle this lot and is selected to score with P. Trevor to guide her. Bait and Switch looks to be the best of the local contingent and shapes as the main danger.
Race No. 3 :- The Dr. S. R. Captain Trophy – Class II & III – Distance :- 1000M
RIQUEWIHR :- Speedy 4 year old filly trained by Pesi Shroff who excels over this trip and has won 4 of her 9 starts. She usually goes well fresh and twice before has won on her first run of the season. She ran thrice very quickly in the early part of the Mumbai season winning her first 2 starts readily but then running poorly in her hattrick bid and finishing only 6th to Iron Age. She was rested and put away after that so has not run since January which is a slight concern and also has to concede weight all around here. However, the booking of P. Trevor is an encouraging one and in spite of being short of trackwork and possibly not fully wound up, she cannot be ignored and must be considered.
FLAMING MARTINI :- Another progressive and well performed 4 year old filly, this one from the yard of Dallas Todywalla, she is yet to finish out of the first three in her 7 race career, winning 3 races on the trot and succumbing just narrowly last time out when she went down fighting to Awesome One. 6 furlongs is definitely her trip so she is likely to find this on the sharp side against some veritable speedsters but she appears to be progressing and improving with every run and has impressed on her recent workouts. S. Zervan has been booked to ride and she is another who should be finishing on late and can strike.
KING KHALIL :- Well bred, well performed and extremely speedy 4 year old gelding trained by Malesh Narredu who likes to dominate proceedings from the outset and is a confirmed front runner. He made all to score over 1400M on his debut and was thought good enough to contest the Hyderabad 2000 Guineas but found his stamina running out in the final 2 furlongs and finished down the field. Resuming in handicaps, he scored a narrow win back at 6 furlongs on his home track just holding off Frieze by ½ a length but really relished the drop to this trip last time out when running the opposition off their feet and shattering the course record in the process. He has been handed a very stiff 7 kilo penalty for that win but looks open to plenty of improvement on just his 5th start and with Yash Narredu in the saddle and with terrific prep work, he looks the one to beat and can go in again.
JOPLIN :- Has a similar profile to King Khalil and has looked very classy and progressive but seems to have her quirks and is raced very sparingly. Making her debut on this track almost a year ago, she caught the eye when making late headway to be runner up to Bernice over 1200M and since then has gone unbeaten winning three 5 furlong contests stylishly and looking ahead of the handicapper on each occasion. She followed up a bloodless maiden victory last October with handicap wins in Class IV and then Class III, comfortably beating Between The Waters last time out. Rather than the 5 ½ kilo penalty which she should be able to tackle, it is the 7 month absence which is a concern although her workouts have been quite smooth of late. In the absence of regular saddle partner P.S. Chouhan, K. Nazil takes the ride and she looks a big threat to King Khalil.
CONCLUSION :- This should be fought out by the 2 classy and progressive sprinters King Khalil and Joplin and if both are at their best then it should be a very close contest. Returning from a long lay off and absence of her regular rider are slight setbacks for Joplin and hence tilt the nod ever so slightly in favour of the MaleshNarredu gelding
Race No. 4 :- The Ismail Khan Plate – Class V, 4 Years Old & Over – Distance :- 1400M
STAR SILVER :- 4 year old gelding trained by Deepesh Narredu who looks an interesting sort on paper but is possibly recovering from a setback and has had a solitary run so far. That run was over 1200M way back in October 2018 where he finished well down the field. He is clearly likely to need this run after such a long lay off, but is running in the lowest grade and could be potentially better than his current mark. The booking of talented apprentice A.S. Peter suggests that connections fancy their chances so a paddock check is advised and he may be one to chance at a long price if looking well.
ROMANESQUE :- Maiden 4 year old gelding in the care of Imtiaz Sait who has run 7 times so far without success but seemed to be finding some form in his last few starts. He showed signs of coming to hand when upped to 2000M, finishing a close ¾ length 2nd to Fanfare but failed to take advantage of what looked a straightforward opportunity last time out when easily beaten by His Masters Vice in a weak field. He went on to finish a faraway 3rd to Kimberella last time out over a mile and there is a suspicion that this 1400M trip will be on the sharp side. However, he is tackling a field which lacks strength in depth and with S. Zervan to partner him, looks to have an excellent chance to get off the mark today.
FLYING DRAGON :- Aged but well handicapped 7 year old gelding from the dwindling yard of S.S. Shah who has been a loyal servant to connections, winning twice but placing on 15 occasions in his 42 starts till date. He was rated much higher in his younger days but has come down considerably in the scale and can still raise a gallop in this grade as he showed in Mumbai when just headed by Sylvester over a mile. M. Ayyar who takes the ride claims a valuable 3 ½ kilos in the saddle, his track work has been satisfactory and he looks to have a good each way chance in this company and should be involved in the frame.
GRAND CHIEFTAIN :- Maiden 4 year old gelding who is winless in 10 starts and has been out of form in his 2 runs in Mumbai but hinted at some ability during the last Pune season, running one promising race over a mile when runner up to Shivalik Skies in a thrilling 3 way photo. He has failed to reproduce that sort of effort since so does not appear to be a reliable sort but is starting to look extremely well handicapped and with stable jockey Bhawani Singh to guide him, looks another who is worthy of each way consideration in this field.
CUPIDO :- Maiden 5 year old gelding who began his career with Faisal Abbas before recently moving to the stable of Mansoor Shah and is yet to score in 13 starts till date but has shown some promise on a couple of occasions. He made the frame a couple of times in his limited stint in the recent Mumbai season and his last effort was particularly eye catching over a sharp 1200M when he was putting in excellent late work from the rear to finish up a flying 3rd to Dance The Dream. That run hinted that he was ready to strike soon and with H. Zeeshan in the saddle again today, he could be in the thick of things if he has his galloping shoes on.
RETAINED ASSET :- Quirky 4 year old gelding trained by AdhirajsinghJodha who has looked to possess ability and often worked superbly on the sand but failed to reproduce it on the race grass. He likes to be held up and delivered late from off the pace and showed some improvement when upped to 1800M and beyond, finishing runner up on a couple of occasions and has been fairly consistent in his last few starts so it is uncertain if this drop to 1400M will be in his favour. Sold by his old connections, he now runs in the colours of his trainer's family and is another who is worth keeping an eye on and could spring a surprise if he has unlocked some improvement.
POWER OF THOR :- Thoroughly exposed 6 year old gelding from the stable of Narendra Lagad who has run 52 times so far, managing to win twice. He has not won a race in almost 2 years but has placed on a number of occasions in similar contests and has dropped down considerably in the weights. He looks more of a place prospect but with K. Nazil in the saddle, looks to have possibilities and may be one to include in the Jackpot Pool.
CONCLUSION :- A trappy contest and one that is probably best left alone from a betting standpoint. For those looking to make a small wager at a big price, the unexposed Star Silver is put forward if he is looking well in the preliminaries. He could be conceivably better than his current mark and has tremendous scope for improvement. Romanesque looked to be coming to hand towards the end of Mumbai and is also expected to run well.
Race No. 5 :- The Hawke Bay Plate – Div. II – Class IV & V – Distance :- 1000M
NAMAQUA :- Speedy looking 3 year old gelding trained by M.K. Jadhav who raced twice in his juvenile season and acquitted himself well on both occasions. He was a winner over 1000M on debut, showing good speed and making every post a winning one to score over Starringo. He was turned out once more in mid February in a strong 6 furlong race where he again was prominent until late on and weakened to finish 3rd to Dandi March and Thailand which looks strong form. He has been showing good speed in the morning gallops and although an inexperienced 5 kilo claimer in the form of K. Pranil has been declared to ride, he has bagged the No. 1 rail draw and if his rider can get him out of the gates properly, he is likely to win this from end to end.
BELENUS :- Promising and progressive 3 year old filly from the stable of Dallas Todywalla who has won thrice till date and showed good resilience to score a battling maiden winner over this trip last time out. Showing good early speed when finishing runner up to Gallantry on her racing debut over 1200M, she was hot favourite next time out but ran like something was clearly amiss and finished well beaten behind Castilian. Returning over 5 furlongs a month later, she showed that previous run to be all wrong and battled on admirably to hold off Majestic Warrior and score by a neck. She is likely to have improved over the break, has been blazing the track in her morning workouts and although Namaqua seems to have the better form, she looks a live danger with S. Zervan booked to ride.
CHOSEN ONE :- Maiden 4 year old gelding from the stable of S.K. Sunderji who has gone close on a number of occasions but has kept finding one too good, resulting in his having 5 second placed finishes but still being a maiden after 13 starts. Starting from the 16th of September 2018, he has had a string of 4 consecutive 2nd placed finishes and again went very close on his penultimate run when going down narrowly to Highland Empress. He looks to be fit and ready to go judging from his preparatory work and with C.S. Jodha to guide him, looks to have strong each way claims and should be the biggest threat from among the older horses.
ANTARCTICA :- Lightly raced and improving 4 year old filly trained by Altamash Ahmed who is a winner of 1 of her 6 starts till date and has appeared to be on the upgrade in her last couple of starts. After taking a few runs to come to hand, she showed a smart turn of foot to score a runaway maiden win over 1200M on her penultimate run, scoring with ease by 4 ½ lengths from Romantic Eyes who has gone on to frank the form. She did well when upped in grade under a penalty again to finish 4th behind Dance The Dream and looks to be going the right way at present. The 5 furlong trip is likely to be on the sharp side as she likes to come from off the pace and lack of recent trackwork also tempers enthusiasm. Bhawani Singh who rode her to victory takes the ride again today and she looks an interesting outsider who could spring a surprise.
BLACK CHERRY :- One of 3 runners from the Narendra Lagad stable and looks to be the most fancied of the trio with talented apprentice P.S. Kaviraj booked to ride. She ran 4 times in Mumbai and showed good speed to lead till the bend on every occasion before weakening to finish in the ruck. This stiff 5 furlong and the short straight look likely to suit her and with the yard's horses in forward condition, she is another who is worth giving a second look to although she needs to improve considerably on the bare form. Rank outsider.
CONCLUSION :- The 2 promising 3 year olds at the top of the scale, Namaqua and Belenus should fight this out amongst themselves with preference for the former who seems to have the better form and has also bagged the rail draw.
Race No. 6 :- The Alley Cat Plate – Class III & IV – Distance :- 1200M
INTENSE STYLIST :- Strapping 4 year old gelding from the S.K. Sunderji yard who has performed with credit till date, winning 3 of his 7 starts so far and performing with credit on every occasion. He scored two wide margin successes on his first 2 starts on this track last season before ending a good 2nd to Truly Epic in the Rajendrasinghji Million where he may have found the mile stretching him. Convincing winner of the Morvi on his first run in Mumbai he went on to finish 6th in the Indian 2000 Guineas but was no match for Awesome One last time out although he and Mozart finished right alongside each other and he has to concede 6 kilos today with the rider's allowance. He looks like he has been refreshed by the break, has been working extremely well back on his favourite Pune track and in spite of conceding weight all around, looks to have an excellent chance to get back to winning ways with C.S. Jodha in the saddle although the draw has not been kind to him in Stall 15. Strong fancy.
MOZART :- One time Classic contender from the powerful Pesi Shroff stable, this grey son of Dream Ahead suffered a setback after winning the Nilgiris 2000 Guineas on just his 3rd start and he was off the track for 7 months before reappearing in the Mumbai season. He had 3 runs during the Mumbai campaign, needing the lung opener when 3rd over 7 furlongs in January but then finishing runner up in his next 2 starts, just failing to catch Flaming Martini over this trip before chasing home Awesome One last time out where he finished dead level with Intense Stylist. He too looks to be fit and well after the break, has bagged a good draw in Stall 1 and with P.S. Kaviraj claiming a valuable 5 kilos in the saddle, looks to have the better of Intense Stylist on handicap. Leading contender.
TANJO :- Sparingly raced but classy looking 5 year old mare trained by Nosher Cama, she has been vary cautiously raced over the last few seasons but has a smart record of 2 wins and 2 seconds from her last 5 starts. She ran just once during the last Pune season finishing down the field and again had only one appearance in Mumbai where she looked like returning to her best when finishing a good 2nd to Valegro with Mozart back in 3rd. She has not run again since then which is a further 6 month gap so clearly she has fitness to prove and is entitled to need this first run back. However, Yash Narredu has been booked to ride, she clearly has plenty of ability and if able to build on that last promising effort, she could very well be a factor although place seems a safer option today.
EPIPHANY :- Well performed 5 year old mare from the stable of Nazak Chenoy who has developed into quite a consistent sprint handicapper, winning 2 of her 12 starts till date and also placing on 6 occasions. She ran 4 times during the recent Mumbai campaign and although she was unable to win, she placed on 3 occasions, last time out ending a flying close 3rd to El Commandante and Kilkarry Bridge which looks strong form. She has moved impressively in her preparatory gallops although the switch from P. Trevor to 5 kilo claimer N. Nadeem is a negative. She does come in at a low weight however and is likely to add some spice to the finish.
SAFDAR :- 6 year old gelding from the Rehanullah Khan stable who looks up against it with the younger horses but has a decent overall record of 3wins and 6 places in his 29 starts. He has struggled with his handicap mark since scoring his last win back in December over 1200M and would probably stand more of a chance in an older horses contest. That being said he appears to be fit and working well and with A.S.Peter in the saddle, is another who can battle it out for minor honours.
CONCLUSION :- Mozart is just the selection to get his career back on track as he has a big draw advantage over his main rival Intense Stylist and is also better placed on the scales due to his rider's claim. Intense Stylist shapes as the main danger and is expected to run him close nonetheless while the lightly weighted Epiphany is one who could spoil the party
Race No. 7 :- The Hawke Bay Plate – Div. I – Class IV & V – Distance :- 1000M
HIGHLAND EMPRESS :- Another rare early season runner for Trainer Rehanullah Khan who usually takes his time with his string in Pune, She has been making steady improvement with her racing and while her overall record is 2 wins from 9 starts, both of those wins have been in her last 3 runs, finishing a good 3rd on the other occasion. Shedding her maiden tag with an impressive 4 length win over Fundamental Right back in December, she went on to finish a good 3rd to stable companion Sharareh where her rider appeared disinterested for much of the contest. She went on to duly make amends next time out, just about holding off Chosen One and is likely to have come on again over the summer. She has top weight to defy in this large field but seems to be progressing with every run and is expected to give a good account of herself with S. Zervan in the saddle.
GOLDEN GUEST :- Progressive and smart looking 3 year old colt from the Dallas Todywalla stable, this half brother to Juno's Guest has run impressively on both his starts in Mumbai and seems to have improved further judging from his recent track work. He was well fancied over this trip on debut and came with a strong run to take charge but caught a tartar in Daddy's Pride who flew to pip him late on. He made no mistake when upped to 6 furlongs next time out, travelling strongly throughout and scoring a decisive 2 ½ length win over The Cheetah. He is making his handicap debut off a decent mark, has gotten a good draw in Stall 3 and P. Trevor has been booked to ride. He looks an exciting sprinter in the making and looks of the main contenders in this field.
THOMAS HARDY :- Another exciting looking 4 year old prospect, this one from the stable of Vishal Gaikwad, he made a promising start to his career when scoring a fluent upset victory over Shivalik Queen coming with a strong late run over 6 furlongs to get up and score close home. He was expected to improve for the experience and was one of the shortest priced runners of the day when tried over 7 furlongs last time out but ran out of gas in the closing stages to surrender quite meekly to Gentillesse who went on to frank the form. The fact that Trevor has chosen to ride Golden Guest instead of him suggests that he is out for an airing over what looks an inadequate 5 furlong trip but he looks a classy individual who has been working well and is capable of bouncing back with a win.
CABELLERO :- Speedy 4 year old colt trained by Mansoor Shah he has had just 3 starts so far and has showed improvement with every outing. Unplaced on his racing debut, he showed good improvement when dropped to this trip on his penultimate run, leading for a long way and ending up a good 3rd to Mighty Warrior. He duly built on that effort last time out to score a smooth maiden victory over Orion's Belt and looking value for more than the official margin. He is up just 4 ½ kilos for that win which he should be able to take in his stride and with H. Zeeshan in the saddle, is likely to make a bold bid to repeat against this tougher opposition.
OUI SAVAGE :- Has a fine sprinting pedigree being a half brother to the speedy Columbianaprincess and has already shown good form over this minimum trip although he could not last out over 6 furlongs last time out. A late finishing 3rd to Ms Boss over 1000M on debut he showed good resilience to win a fierce battle with Storm Breaker and shed his maiden tag next time out again over 1000M but failed upped to 6 furlongs on his last start where he finished well beaten. He has been given time to rest and improve over the break and the return to the minimum trip is sure to suit. C.S. Jodha takes over in the saddle today replacing A. Sandesh, he appears to be working well and is likely to prove to be a big danger to all.
CONCLUSION :- Golden Guest and Oui Savage are expected to fight out the finish in the finale with a slight preference for the former who looks to have the better form.
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same).
