PAST THE POST - A Review of the Akkasaheb Maharaj Trophy (Grade 3) - By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 10 Sep 2019
PAST THE POST – A Review of the Akkasaheb Maharaj Trophy (Grade 3)
- By Cyrus Naterwalla
The Akkasaheb Maharaj Trophy is the first of 3 Premier Sprint races which take place during the Pune season and has been won by many great horses in the past including a record 3 times in a row by Dancing Prances. It is also one of the first occasions where the younger and up-and-coming sprinters are pitted against their more established rivals and often attracts plenty of interest. This year’s renewal looked particularly competitive on paper with no clear favourite amongst the 11 runners who lined up to face the starter with an even mix of 3 fillies, 3 colts and 5 geldings. The more favoured runners appeared to be amongst the 4 year old crop with 2 strong out station challengers in the form of the Lady Legend from the yard of S. S. Attaollahi, who had made many a successful foray into Western India in the past and Star Baron sporting the famous gold and brown silks of Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy. The two had finished first and second in the Bangalore City Sprint Championship Gold Cup – a similar Grade 3 contest held in Bangalore.
Heading the local challenge was the progressive 4 year old gelding Iron Age trained by Imtiaz Sait who had beaten several of these in a 6 furlong contest earlier in the season. Excellent Gold (2nd) Clymene (3rd) and Gazino (5th) had all finished behind him that day and while he appeared to have the measure of the 2 colts on that running, Clymene appeared to be greatly favoured by the Terms of today’s contest as she had finished 1 ¾ lengths behind Iron Age conceding 7 ½ kilos and today she was in receipt of 1.5 kgs. Flying the flag for the older horses was the 6 year old St. Andrews who had yet to claim a Group Race success in a sprint in spite of having run many admirable races in defeat.
The bookmakers installed Clymene the 4/1 favourite with Iron Age and Lady Legend both attracting support at 11/2 and Star Baron also having his followers at 6/1.
The field broke to a lovely even dispatch from the gates except for the Indian Oaks runner up Eyes For You who was away sluggishly losing a couple of lengths. Star Baron broke well from the No.5 gate and was in front for a few strides but was soon joined and passed by Iron Age coming in well from the outside draw to take over the running with Lady Legend quickly moving up in the centre to take a prominent position as well and just shade Star Baron on the fence. Clymene who is usually ridden well off the pace was up with the front runners today racing a close 4th with St. Andrews settling into midfield tracking the early pace makers. Gazino came next a little wide on the track followed by Governor General and Perfect Star who were also midbunch. Kilkarry Bridge who normally likes to dominate could not do so today and was 3rd last with Excellent Gold as usual ridden well off the pace and Eyes For You catching up the group to be a close last. Iron Age was still at the head of affairs and travelling well turning for home with Lady Legend in hot pursuit, Clymene being pulled to the outside to make her challenge, Star Baron looking for a gap along the inside and St. Andrews and Gazino both poised to strike as well. Iron Age kept up the gallop, maintaining a length and a half lead over Clymene trying hard to bridge the gap, with Gazino also challenging on the wider out and Star Baron rallying on the rails as Lady Legend began to weaken and drop away. Iron Age was still a length and a half in front at the furlong pole and with P. Trevor asking for everything in the final 100M, the son of Strong Suit responded gamely and never looked like being reeled in by the closers, winning decisively by that same 1 ½ length margin in the end. They were spread right across the track in practically a blanket finish for the minor places with the next 6 horses separated by less than a length and it was the veteran St. Andrews who finished on the best to take 2nd ensuring a 1-2 for the claret and gold colours of the Manjri Stud farm. Gazino just managed to snatch the 3rd spot from the top weighted Star Baron, a short head separating the pair with Excellent Gold motoring home down the stands side to finish 5th by a nose, just a short head in front of Governor General who spared a short neck to Perfect Star. The well handicapped Clymene dropped right out of contention in the closing stages and finished in the ruck.
With this showing Iron Age has taken his career record to a brilliant 7 wins from his 11 starts and while for the major part of the last year he had looked a 5 furlong speedster and had struggled when upped to 6 furlongs, this season he has shown that he has matured and gets the 6 furlong well at least on the Pune course. He in all likelihood will now be targeted at the Pune City Gold Cup in a couple of week’s time before contesting the Noshir and Dolly Dhunjibhoy Sprint Championship on Derby Day. We will probably meet many of the same rivals but will be hard to overturn.
St. Andrews ran his usual game race in defeat but that first Group Race success seems to be still eluding him. Gazino gave it his best, considering he is taking a step up from handicaps and was not disgraced nor was Star Baron who ran as well as could be expected under the heavy impost. Clymene may not have been suited by being ridden so aggressively and may possibly do better next time out when more patient tactics are employed.
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same)
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