From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Sunday, 8th December, 2019 - By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 07 Dec 2019
From the Horses Mouth - Race form Analysis Guide for Sunday, 8th December, 2019
- By Cyrus Naterwalla
Race No. 1:- The Venus Arising Plate – Class IV & V, 4 Years Old & Over – Distance :- 1000M
SHARAREH :- Speedy and sparingly raced 4 year old filly trained by Rehanullah Khan who has won 2 of her 9 starts till date and has also placed on 6 occasions, having finished off board just once previously. She was in top form during the last Mumbai season, winning twice over this trip and going down narrowly to True Grit in between. She had a long 6 month break after Mumbai, reappearing only in September in Pune over 1200M where she ran a respectable 3rd to Lesrel. Her last run back down at this trip was the first time that she finished outside the frame, ending up 5th behind Dandi March but now drops in grade into the lower class. She should be back to full fitness after those 2 runs, Bhawani Singh has won on her before and in this easier company, she stands an excellent chance to bounce back.
STEPPENWOLF :- 4 year old colt from the Nosher Cama stable who has a similar profile to Sharareh having won twice from 10 starts but he has never raced over this trip before and is trying it for the first time. Both his previous wins have been over 6 furlongs and he too returned from a long break for a solitary run in Pune, running a cracker over 6 furlongs leading almost throughout and being collared by Dancing Lances right on the post. He did not run again so is again coming back from a 3 ½ month absence but has been showing out well in the morning trials and P.S. Chouhan takes the ride. He has bagged the plum rail draw as well so is likely to attempt to make all the running and looks a leading contender to earn himself another bracket.
GODSWORD :- Also a 4 year old but has had a much busier time that the others, having run 24 times already and won on 3 occasions. She has already had 2 runs this season and her last one resulted in her most recent victory when she took advantage of the drop in grade to score a battling victory in a 3 way finish over Majestical and Be Frank. She is penalized 5 kilos for that win and is turned out again quickly with Dashrath Singh retaining the ride. She is attempting to exploit her fitness advantage over the rest of these but takes on tougher opposition so although she does come into consideration, she may find one or two of these too strong. Each way player and should finish in the frame.
HIGHLAND WOODS :- Well bred and lightly raced 5 year old in the care of Nazak Chenoy, he was off the track for 17 months after scoring his maiden victory back in March 2018 on this track and has slowly been working his way back into form during the Pune season. He needed a couple of runs to get back to racing fitness but showed signs of returning to form on his 3rd start over 1200M when finishing on to be just outside the frame behind En Sabah Nur. He built on that next time out when dropped to this trip, again finishing on well under a 5 kilo claimer to be runner up to Ebony. However, he made a poor start to this season on the opening day when finishing well down the field and has a bit to prove after that. The booking of A. Sandesh certainly catches the eye and he cannot be left out of consideration but does not seem to be a reliable sort who can strike if in a galloping mood. Interesting outsider.
ISINIT :- The elder stateswoman in this field at age 7, this 52 race veteran from the yard of S.N. Joshi has managed to win on 3 previous occasions but seemed to find form in the latter half of her career and has been running consistently well in similar contests throughout the season albeit mainly in older horses races. She did manage a win on her penultimate run and finished just behind Godsword on the opening day when 5th to Tasch but is likely to find it much harder against the 4 year olds in spite of K. Pranil claiming 5 kilos in the saddle. She is likely to give it a good go again as she has been quite consistent but looks a rank outsider today and is only given a very small chance to upset.
MAESTRO :- 5 year old gelding who is a stable companion to Highland Woods and has run 14 times till date, knocking at the door virtually throughout the Pune season and finally being rewarded last time out when scoring a convincing 1 ¼ length victory over Romantic Eyes in the lower class and over an extra furlong. He has only been penalized 4 kilos for that win which seems fair but is now upped in grade into the higher class and also drops down to the minimum trip which should not trouble him too much. However, he too has been racing mainly in his own age group and may struggle to tackle the younger horses. He should have gained confidence from his maiden victory though and is dangerous to ignore with the forceful Neeraj Rawal in the saddle.
CONCLUSION :- A competitive opener but is likely to be fought out by the two 4 year olds at the top of the scale – Steppenwolf and Sharareh. The former is just marginally preferred as he ran a very forward race when last seen and should have the speed to tackle this shorter trip which he attempts for the first time. Sharareh looks a very real danger if running upto her best although she has to bounce back from a poor effort last time out. The NazakChenoy trained duo of Highland Woods and Maestro both have good riders booked and look the danger among the older lot.
Race No. 2 :- The Sardar Harcharan Singh Brar Memorial Trophy – Class III & IV – Distance :- 1200M
AUSPICIOUS :- Highly progressive 4 year old trained by Malesh Narredu who is quickly developing into a Champion Sprinter and seems to be just be keeping himself ahead of the handicapper. Making his racing debut on the 3rd of August over 1200M in Pune, he finished runner up to Highland Lass and since then has rattled off 3 wins in a row, alternating between 5 and 6 furlongs and does not seem to have stopped improving just yet. Shedding his maiden tag on his next start dropped to 5 furlongs when beating subsequent winners Warrior Clan and Revelator in a race which has worked out well, he went on to score over this trip next time out, comfortably beating Night Hunt by 1 ¼ lengths and completed his hattrick on the opening day of the season when getting up late to beat Wild Fire again dropped down to 1000M. He has struck up a good partnership with Suraj Narredu who has been on board for all his 3 wins and flies down to ride him again today. He is up a further 5 kilos but looks to be in great shape at present and could very well complete the four timer today and must be greatly respected as a frontline contender.
DANDI MARCH :- Up and coming 3 year old gelding from the stable of S.K. Sunderji who did very well in his juvenile season and after a lacklustre start to his Pune campaign, looked back on track last time out when completing a smooth victory over Namaqua over 1000M and he should do better over this additional furlong. He has been penalized 4 ½ kilos for his last win and will have the services of Nicky Mackay making his first visit to India. Winner of the Usha Stud Million and the Longchamp Million as a juvenile, both over this trip he looks to have improved again judging from his recent workouts and should make a very determined bid to repeat and shapes as a danger to all.
TANJO :- Lightly raced and well performed 5 year old mare trained by Nosher Cama, she is a winner of 2 races from only 8 starts but is returning from an extended absence and looks likely to need this lung opener. She did gain her maiden victory over 6 furlongs but has performed better over 1400M since then and was last seen early in the Pune season when she finished on to be a distant 3rd to Intense Stylist over this trip. P.S. Chouhan takes over in the saddle from Yash Narredu today and while she cannot be left out of consideration on her earlier form, she is likely to be a bit rusty after the long absence and should fight it out for minor honours today.
MZILIKAZI :- Another very interesting 3 year old gelding from the powerful Pesi Shroff yard this half brother to Bateleur has run 6 times till date and has a decent level of form to his name but needs to bounce back from a below par performance last time out when finishing last of the 6 runners in the S.A. Poonawalla Million. His maiden victory came over this trip in Bangalore and prior to that run, he had run well twice over 1400M, going down narrowly to Princess Annabel before finishing runner up to Golden Guest in the F.D. Wadia Trophy. He is likely to have been freshened up since that poor last run and may have also found the mile trip to be stretching him that day. He appears to have been well prepared for this seasonal reappearance and must be respected with Leigh Roche on board for the first time today. Dark horse who can spring a surprise.
TURMERIC TOWER :- Improving 3 year old filly who appears to be the more fancied of the Narendra Lagad pair with Dashrath Singh in the saddle but has raced largely over 1000M till date and ran poorly on her first attempt at this trip last time out. She was coming into that run on a hattrick, having scored 2 fluent back to back victories in Pune, and likes to come from off the pace so should not be troubled by the additional distance. However, she has taken a big step up in grade against much tougher opposition so she might need to unlock some more improvement over this new trip before she can continue her progression. Rank outsider.
CONCLUSION :-This again looks likely to be a close fight between the Malesh Narredu trained Auspicious who has been going from strength to strength with every run and is likely to have more improvement left in him and the 3 year old Dandi March who looked back in form last time out when scoring comfortably over 1000M. I would possibly give a slight edge to Auspicious but is should be very close. Mzilikazi also looks interesting dropped back in trip now and must be respected.
Race No. 3 :- The Lady In Lace Plate – Class III & IV – Distance :- 1800M
DADDY’S PRIDE :- 3 year old colt who comes from the small stable of Subhag Singh but has already performed admirably in his limited career and is a credit to his Trainer. Winner of 2 of his 5 starts till date, he got off the mark at the 2nd attempt when upsetting Golden Guest over 1000M but showed an improved level of form once stepping up to longer distances. After needing a lung opener in the August Handicap, he bounced back to winning ways on his handicap debut in Class IV over a mile, staying on strongly to get the better of My Precious with whom he should confirm the form with again today and his last run was an even better one when he stayed on late in the day to finish a commendable 3rd in the Pune Derby behind Trouvaille and Wizard of Stocks. He finished 3 ½ lengths ahead of Rhapsody that day giving the standard weight allowance and concedes 3 ½ kilos today so it should be quite close between the two and the Shroff filly may be able to improve past him. However, he looks a leading contender on that Derby run and is likely to run a mighty race with P.S. Chouhan back in the saddle. Strong fancy.
GDANSK :- Exposed 5 year old handicapper trained by S. Waheed who has performed well in his career, winning 3 of his 22 starts so far and also placing on 8 occasions. He is coming into this race off the back of a 2000M win last time out in Class IV, getting the better of Gold Medalist by 1 ½ lengths. He is a strong staying sort who looks to have maintained his form since the win and has been working quite well and Neeraj Rawal who rode him last time out retains the ride. However, he looks to have less scope to improve than the 3 year olds so although he merits each way consideration and is likely to be involved, he looks to be more of a place contender and winning in this company looks tough.
RHAPSODY :- Improving 3 year old filly from the powerful Pesi Shroff yard who may not have yet come fully into her own but has performed well in her limited career so far and looks likely to make further improvement. She has won 2 of her 4 races till date and her two defeats have come in Group races so she does have excuses for those runs. She looks likely to have the measure of Hokkaido whom she beat most convincingly when they met in Pune over a mile and she only has a length and a half to make up on Daddy’s Pride in the Pune Derby with the slightly shorter trip in her favour. The switch from S. Zervan to Leigh Roche also looks a positive and she appears to be a leading contender to take this and should be the one to beat.
HOKKAIDO :- Used to be an owner mate of Rhapsody but was sold after her penultimate run and now runs in different colours although still trained by Vishal Gaikwad. Runner up in 3 of her 5 runs till date, she was comfortably beaten by Rhapsody a couple of runs ago and also finished a distant 2nd to Alexei on her penultimate run before finally getting off the mark on the opening day of this season when she surged past Seventh Mile to win convincingly. She tends to carry her head a little high and also has lugged out under pressure in her last couple of starts so may still be improving and might be suited by more galloping ground. A. Sandesh who rode her last time out keeps the ride and she definitely has a strong each way chance but it looks hard for her to turn the tables on Rhapsody unless she has improved out of sight. Each way player.
CONCLUSION :- The well bred Rhapsody will not have to improve much to reverse the placings with Daddy’s Pride and is selected to get back to winning ways on her return to handicap company. Daddy’s Pride looks the obvious danger on his excellent 3rd in the Pune Derby and the race is unlikely to go outside this pair.
Race No. 4 :- The Municipal Commissioners’ Trophy – Class IV & V – Distance :- 1400M
GOLDEN ERA:- Improving 3 year old colt from the in form stable of Adhirajsingh Jodha who has run 4 times till date, securing his maiden victory on his penultimate start when scoring a comfortable 3 ½ length win over Splash over 1200M. He was upped to this trip in open company last time out and just failed to reel in My Precious, going down by ¾ length. He looks to have maintained himself quite well since that last run and looks entitled to improve again but is conceding weight all around here against some promising types. A. Sandesh as usual takes the ride and while he definitely merits consideration and is likely to be involved in the finish, there are some that appear to have stronger chances than him today and it is hard to fancy him from a win perspective in this company.
PULVERIZE :- 4 year old gelding trained by Karthik G. who seems to have just come to hand in his last few starts and is likely to be better than his overall record of 2 wins from 16 starts suggests. Doing nothing of note in his first several starts, he dropped down in the scales but scored his maiden success in Mumbai back in March, beating Ebony by a length over 1200M in the lower class. He had 4 runs during the Pune season, finishing just outside the frame on the first 3 occasions but looked vastly improved last time out up at this trip when he literally pulverized the opposition, beating She’s a Tiger by 5 ½ lengths. He has accordingly been penalized 5 ½ kilos for the win but looks to be progressing now and Colm O’ Donoghue takes over in the saddle today which is a huge positive. It is possible that he is just coming into his own now is very dangerous to ignore in spite of tougher opposition and is expected to make a bold bid to repeat.
FREE GOLD :- Well bred and promising 3 year old filly trained by Imtiaz Sait who is a daughter of Indian 1000 Guineas winner Free Radical and is a half sister to Perfect Star but has not quite gone on from her terrific maiden success in the Gool S. Poonawalla Million on her debut where she beat the likes of Dandi March and Arabesque. She was quietly fancied in her next start the Poonawalla Breeders’ Multimillion but missed the kick and could only finish mid division thereafter. However, she was most disappointing in her final start of the season – The Forbes Breeders Juvenile Fillies Championship where she could never land a serious blow and trailed in 5th of the 6 runners behind Kariega. She was given time to improve and come back to form, reappearing only in the latter half of the Pune season, possibly needing her opening run over 6 furlongs and looked to be returning back to form last time out over this trip when finishing 4th to Mystic Bay. She has been working quite well since that run so may have improved again and David Egan is an encouraging Jockey booking. She still seems to have plenty of questions to answer but looks quite capable of bouncing back and is worth keeping an eye on.
MEMORABLE EYES :- Stable companion of Free Gold who has raced just once before, making her debut in The Southern Command Gold Trophy back in September and running most promisingly when runner up to Sultan Suleiman who has gone on to give plenty of substance to the form. Both Revelator and Cliffs of Capri who finished 3rd and 4th that day have gone on to win impressively so the form looks strong and he has been brought along steadily since that run. His subsequent workouts indicate that he has definitely made the required progression from first run to second and with P. Trevor taking over in the saddle for A. Imran Khan and making his handicap debut over what looks a realistic mark, he looks to be the one to beat in this company and is a leading contender to emerge from the maiden ranks today.
TUDOR HALL :- Promising looking 3 year old filly from the stable of Vishal Gaikwad who is held in high regard by her trainer and has run thrice so far but has not looked completely straightforward. She was well fancied on her debut over 1000M but was in the rear in the early stages and finished on very late to be 3rd behind Guarnerius and Knight Superior. She was expected to improve in her next outing upped to 6 furlongs and was well fancied in the Villoo Poonawalla Million but was a touch disappointing when only 4th to Copper Queen, once again finishing behind Knight Superior. She was upped to 7 furlongs for her final run of the season and ran at about the same level, finishing a fair 3rd to Sunrise Ruby in a race which seems to be working out well. She looks to have improved from 2nd run to 3rd and should be capable of unlocking further improvement over this trip and S. Zervan has been booked to ride today. Having just her 4th run, she looks to be a good each way prospect and definitely merits consideration in this field.
MARTINI :- Well bred debutant from the powerful Pesi Shroff yard who looks a promising sort on paper, being a daughter of Astral Flash and a half sister to Astral Flare who was also trained by Pesi Shroff and was a winner over a mile and a quarter. She appears to have had enough prep work to be fit and ready to go first time out and has also been given a Mock Race in mid November after which she appears to have improved. A paddock check is advised to ascertain her condition but she has Leigh Roche in the saddle first time out and if looking the part in the preliminaries, she could prove to be a danger to all and is expected to give a good account of herself first time out.
CONCLUSION :- Memorable Eyes did enough on debut to suggest that he is an above average type and he appears to have been well prepared with this event in view. He is selected to win this en route to better things. Martini also looks an interesting prospect and should be respected on debut for her powerful yard while Tudor Hall is also expected to improve and could make the finish an exciting one
Race No. 5 :- The Hall of Famer Trophy – Class I & II – Distance :- 1200M
AWESOME ONE :- Classy and well performed 4 year old colt trained by Deepesh Narredu who has an excellent overall record of 5 wins from his 10 starts for a commendable 50% strike rate although he has run below expectations the last twice. 4th in both the Indian 2000 Guineas and the Ruia where he appeared a non-stayer, he went on to win 3 races on the trot, culminating with an impressive win in the Turf Club Trophy on his first run in Pune. He was a hot favourite in the Pune City Gold Cup next time out over a mile but possibly raced too keenly and ran well below par to finish 4th behind La Rondine. Returning on the opening day of the season in a 7 furlong handicap, he finished a close 3rd to Governor General but again had an excuse as he was forced wide throughout and lost plenty of ground, ending the race almost on the stands rail but still only a nose behind Excellent. That run is best ignored, he should be fitter and sharper today and Suraj Narredu takes the ride replacing Yash Narredu. He has been working well since the run, the drop to 6 furlongs may suit him and he looks to have a very good chance of bouncing back and return to winning ways.
INTENSE STYLIST :- Similarly well performed 4 year old, this one from the S.K. Sunderji yard who has also won 5 of his 10 starts and has recently dropped to sprinting since the last Pune season after having performed with credit over 7 furlongs early in his career. He was convincingly beaten by Awesome One over 1400M when the pair met last season in a handicap but since then has gone from strength to strength, winning 2 races over sprints in the Pune season and then finishing a creditable 3rd to Iron Age in the Noshir& Dolly Dhunjibhoy Sprint Million where he finished alongside Clymene. He has been working superbly since the last run, will have the services of top U.K. rider Nicky Mackay which is a big positive and looks primed to run a very big race and appears to be a frontline contender.
CLYMENE :- Tough and consistent 5 year old mare trained by Faisal Abbas who appears to be ideally suited by this trip at present and has been acquitting herself well in Group Race company Winner of 5 of her 18 starts overall and also runner up on 4 occasions, she finished a creditable 2nd to Iron Age last time out but seems to be more exposed than the younger horses and may not be able to improve past them. She has been working well as she always does and P. Trevor takes the ride today so she looks to be an each way contender but is more likely to fight it out for minor honours and is given just a small chance to win.
EXCELLENT :- Another solid 4 year old handicapper, this one from the Dallas Todywalla yard, he has run 13 times till date, winning 5 races and finishing runner up on 4 for a fine overall record. Winner of the F.D. Wadia and the S.A. Poonawalla Million in his juvenile season, he ran poorly in the Indian 2000 Guineas but seemed to recover his form in the latter half of the Mumbai season winning back to back races over a mile and then six furlongs showing his versatility. He comes out much worse off with Clymene on that 6 furlong win as he won by a short head receiving 9 kilos and now only receives two. He ran just once on the opening day of the Pune season, finishing 4th to Iron Age over this trip and did not race for the rest of the season. Returning on the opening day of the Mumbai campaign, he again ran a solid race, surprised by Governor General in the closing stages and finishing a close 2nd but he was benefitted by Awesome One racing wide throughout and may not be able to confirm the form today over this shorter trip. He appears to be well within himself, Nathan Evans takes over in the saddle from A. Sandesh and he is expected to give it a good go again and is capable of being involved.
LA MAGNIFIQUE :- Well bred and progressive 5 year old sprinter who has won 4 of her 12 starts in a sparingly raced career and struck a rich vein of form last year winning 3 sprint races on the trot, beating Gazino by a neck on her final win. She seemed to go off the boil after that last victory, running just once after that in February where she travelled to Hyderabad to finish 4th to Corfe Castle in the Kakatiya Million (Gr. 3) and still looked out of sorts on her last run which was on the opening day of the Pune season where she trailed in last behind Clymene and Excellent. She has been rested and given time to recover form since then and her recent workouts have been encouraging. However, she is likely to need this first run in 5 months so in spite of being bottom weight and having Neeraj Rawal in the saddle, she will be better off for the run and looks an outsider here.
CONCLUSION :- This promises to be quite competitive in spite of the small field but I will side with Awesome One who’s last run is best ignored as he was forced to travel wide throughout, lost ground going wide rounding the bend and finished the race on the outer rail but was still a nose behind Excellent with whom he should reverse the form. He convincingly beat Intense Stylistover 7 furlongs on this track last season and looks set to return to the winner’s circle with Suraj Narredu just 2 winners short of a huge milestone. Intense Stylist looks to be the obvious danger while the consistent Excellent also cannot be ruled out.
Race No. 6 :- The Dashmesh – Win Legend Futurity – Terms, 2 Years Old Only – Distance :- 1200M
INTENSE APPROACH:- Well bred and forward looking 2 year old gelding who appears to be the more fancied of the S.K. Sunderji trained duo and will be ridden by Nicky Mackay. He is a sibling to some useful types the best of which was Fashion High who was a crack sprinter in Hyderabad winning 6 of her 19 starts including the Godolphin Barb Million (Gr. 3) and finished 3rd in the Byerly Turk Million (Gr.3). His preparatory work has been quite encouraging and he appears to be fit and ready to go first time out. As with all of these, a paddock check is clearly required to ascertain his condition but on paper he appears to be one of the main contenders and looks primed to run a big race first time out.
MAJOR GENERAL :- Air Support gelding who is trained by M.K Jadhav and is a half brother to the likes of Victoriana, Zinfandelle, Sun Moon and Stars and Unico Corazon. The last named was also trained by M.K. Jadhav but did not amount to much and the others too did not perform in Western India and only began winning when they moved to other centres so there is not much support on the pedigree side. However, he does have the advantage of prior experience, running a good race on debut over 1000M to finish runner up to Flameoftheforest in Pune. He should appreciate the additional furlong and the experience will stand him in good stead. He looks to have improved judging from his subsequent workouts and with A. Sandesh in the saddle and a good draw in Stall 5, he should take advantage of his experience and looks a strong each way contender.
TAIMUR :- Another well bred debutant from a leading yard, this son of Multidimensional trained by Karthik G is a full brother to the highly regarded Memorable Eyes who runs earlier in the card and will be ridden by Irish ace Colm O’ Donoghue. His 3 workouts till date have been just modest alongside Class IV handicapper Lambretta so he looks likely to need this outing and may be one to remember for the future in due course. However, he looks an interesting sort on paper and should not be discounted especially if looking well in the preliminaries.
WIND WHISTLER :- Another promising looking debutant from the S.K. Sunderji yard who is a half brother to Prince Valiant who is a very promising looking 3 year old from Hyderabad and is also a half brother to the decent handicapper Collegium. He appears to be the lesser fancied of the S.K. Sunderji duo and will be ridden by Neeraj Rawal and the draw has not been kind to him in Stall 11. He looks likely to be going in for an educative run today but should not be ignored and is worthy of each way consideration.
IMMORTALITY :- Warrants respect as coming from the powerful Pesi Shroff yard and looks the part on paper, being a full sister to Psychic Force, winner of 6 of his 17 starts, winning the South Indian Derby(Gr.1) and finishing runner up in the Karnataka Mile Championship (Gr.2), the South India St. Leger (Gr.2) and the Maharaja’s Cup (Gr.3) and also Steinlight winner of 5 of his 18 starts. The pedigree appears to be a staying one though so she is likely to come into her own over distance trips in due course but she will be ridden by Leigh Roche today, has a good draw in Stall 3 and cannot be left out of consideration and could very well be involved.
LADY LANETTE :- Once raced 2 year old filly trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha who made a very suggestive debut over 1000M a couple of weeks ago, running a cracker and just failing to catch the odds on favourite Recall of You. She was running on strongly that day so looks likely to be suited by the additional furlong and has bagged the plum rail draw today so should attempt pillar to post tactics. Dashrath Singh who rode her last time out keeps the ride, she is likely to put her experience to good use and looks a frontline contender in this large field and stands an excellent chance to go one better today.
ROYALTY :- The second runner from the Pesi Shroff yard and a half sister to Harbour Sunrise, she too has made a very eye catching debut behind Lady Lanette, looking soft that day and running green and in the rear until turning for home, but picking up readily in the closing stages once the penny dropped and finishing on under kind handling to be a close 4th just 2 ¼ lengths away. She is expected to improve appreciably for that run and seems to have done so judging from her subsequent work outs. P. Trevor takes over in the saddle from S. Zervan today, the yard’s runners make significant improvement from 1st run to 2nd and hence she looks a leading fancy to run much better today and stands a very good chance to reverse the form with Lady Lanette.
SUCCESSOR :- Another well bred debutant, this one from the yard of Dallas Todywalla, she is a daughter of Indian Oaks winner Sweeping Success and has been showing good speed in the morning gallops. Her full brother Daring Prince has finished runner up in his only start till date and her half sister Sweeping Star (by Arazan) won 4 of her 9 starts albeit over longer trips. She too looks an interesting sort on pedigree and the yard generally has them quite fit and ready to go first time out. Nathan Evans has been booked to ride, she is worth a second look in the paddock and looks capable of having a say first time out and must come into consideration.
CONCLUSION :- With the benefit of a run often a decisive factor in the early 2 year old races, Royalty is selected to reverse the form with Lady Lanette over this extra furlong. She finished on strongly in the closing stages last time out and should be suited by more galloping ground. Lady Lanettelooks the obvious danger while the other experienced runner Major General also must be feared. Of the debutants, Intense Approach looks the most forward while Immortality and Successor are also respected
Race No. 7 :- The A. Geddis Plate – Class V, 4 Years Old & Over – Distance :- 1600M
DRAGONMOSS :- Exposed 5 year old gelding trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha who has won 2 of his 28 starts overall and has looked in good form in his last few attempts in similar company. Runner up narrowly to Gandalf on his penultimate start, he built on that performance to claim an overdue 2nd career victory last time out, drawing away at the finish to easily beat Nusrat and Whispering Queen. He has been penalized 5 kilos for the win but the handicapper has given him a chance by leaving him in the same class and stable apprentice Santosh G keeps the ride. He looks to be in good form at present and should make a bold bid to repeat.
DIBABA :- Out of form 6 year old mare from the stable of Sanjay Kolse who has slipped down to a very attractive handicap mark and is effective over this sort of trip. She has won 2 of her 29 starts, both wins coming in this grade off a similar mark but she has been hopelessly out of form in her last several starts and needs to show that she still retains her ability. She dropped into this grade on her last run and M.Ayyar now takes over in the saddle so if she is able to rediscover her old form and is in a galloping mood then she stands a chance to upset in this company and could prove a good outsider.
SHAPATH:- Improving 4 year old gelding from the small stable of Subhag Singh who has looked to be coming to hand in his last few starts and seems to be progressing the right way. After showing no form in his first 10-12 starts, he looked to be coming to hand during the last Pune season, finishing 3rd to Westeros over 1200M where he was a length ahead of Dragonmoss. He duly built on that, claiming his maiden success over 1400M on his penultimate start when a wide margin winner over Highland Wind. He ran well last time out under his penalty, finishing on late to be runner up to Revelator albeit no match for the winner and looks to have held his form since that run. The booking of P.S. Chouhan today catches the eye and in this field comprising mainly of older horses, he looks to have an excellent chance to revert to winning ways.
SADDLE THE WIND :- 4 year old filly from the stable of Karthik G who is quite lightly raced having had just 10 starts so far and scored her maiden success over 2000M on her penultimate start, beating Eternal Dancer by a neck. She is still unexposed over this trip and should have scope for further improvement although she could only finish 4th last time out under a penalty behind His Masters Vice. A. Sandesh who rode her to victory returns to ride her, replacing Neeraj Rawal who rode last time out, she has the scope to improve further and is dangerous to ignore.
HIGHLAND WIND :- Maiden 5 year old gelding who is owned and trained by Mansoor Shah and in spite of finishing runner up on a couple of occasions in his last few starts, still finds that maiden win eluding him and his losing run has now stretched to 23. He was disappointing on his opening run this season when finishing well behind Dragonmoss and Whispering Queen and now seems to have a bit to prove.
ZEEMO :- Another 5 year old maiden, this one from the stable of S. Waheed, she has a nice pedigree and has been largely untried in her 13 starts so could conceivably be quite well handicapped. She showed signs of ability for the first time on her penultimate run when finishing 3rd to She’s A Tiger over this trip and was given a lung opener earlier this season to blow away the cobwebs. Amyn Merchant is replaced by K. Nazil today suggesting that connections fancy their chances, she has been working quite well and if she has her galloping shoes on today then she could very well earn her maiden success.
CONCLUSION :- A difficult finale and Shapath is selected to continue his recent progression and earn another victory for the Subhag Singh stable. Dragonmoss looks to be in form and should be the main danger while Zeemo could prove to be a value outsider. Probably best avoided from a betting stand point.
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same).
