FROM THE HORSES MOUTH - Article for Thursday, 12th March 2020 - By Cyrus Naterwalla
Posted on - 12 Mar 2020
FROM THE HORSES MOUTH - Article for Thursday, 12th March 2020
- By Cyrus Naterwalla
Race No. 1 :- The Six Speed Plate – Div. II – Class V – Distance :- 1200M
AIRMAX :-Well bred and unexposed 4 year old gelding from the stable of Hosidar Daji who his making his seasonal debut after a gap of almost 5 months having last raced on the 12th of October in Pune. He has had 5 runs so far and on his 3rd start, showed some promise when running a forward race and finishing a close 3rd to Star Comrade in the higher class, a long neck behind Principessa who reopposes today. He ran poorly in his 2 subsequent starts in maiden company and has now been dropped into this grade. He has been given time to improve for the last few months and there is no recorded track work so his fitness will have to be taken on trust and a paddock check is a must to see his condition. He is likely to need this opening run and the booking of Akshay today reiterates that fact but he does merit consideration in this weak field and could be capable of making a winning reappearance if he has attained enough fitness.
SANDRA’S SECRET :- Another maiden 4 year old this one from the yard of Imtiaz Sait, like Airmax she is winless from 5 starts, two of those runs coming this season and she has not really done too much so far to recommend her chances today. She was well beaten in 3 runs in maiden company in Pune and this season, has performed a little better, finishing 6th over this trip on reappearance behind Direwolf and tried over 7 furlongs last time out, again ran modestly to finish 5th behind Regal Shot. R. Ajinkya takes the ride today, she drops back down to 6 furlongs and being a lightly raced 4 year old, she does have the scope to improve. She looks a possible outsider in this field and could be involved in the frame if finding some improvement.
ADAM’S BEGINNING :- Now 7 years of age but can still raise an effective gallop and looks to be on a handy mark at present. Trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha who has been having an excellent season, she is a winner of 2 races from her 40 starts, having also placed on 10 occasions. Both her previous wins have come over this trip off marks of 26 and 29 and she is now rated 19 so she looks well placed on that score. She has already had 4 runs this season and has run well on all 4 occasions, finishing a close 3rd to Antarctica on her 2nd run and although she was 5th behind Golden Steal last time out, she was only 4 lengths behind the winner. The booking of Dashrath Singh today taking over Santosh G. suggests that connections are fancying their chances and she looks to have a very good chance to earn another bracket in this company.
SOLO MISSION :-Fully exposed 6 year old gelding from the stable of Karthik G. who gained his maiden success last time out after 27 runs, going on a pillar to post mission over 1400M and holding on to beat Nusrat by a length in an older horses contest. That was his first win so he is sure to have gained confidence from it but he has not run since then so returns from a 2 month break. Stable jockey Bhawani Singh takes the ride today, replacing 5kilo claimer A. Prakash, he has only been penalized 4 kilos for the win and if he turns up in the same mood, he looks quite capable of repeating over this shorter trip and should make a bold bid to go in again.
PRINCIPESSA :-Maiden 4 year old filly from the Narendra Lagad yard who is winless in 14 starts so far, having finished runner up on 1 occasion but for the most part, she has been quite inconsistent with her racing. She has had 4 runs this season and after not making an impression in her first 4 runs, she looked like she was finding some form over 1400M last time out when running a forward race and kicking on to finish 4th to Éclair. P.S. Kaviraj who rode her that day keeps the ride again, she looks capable of building on that last effort and if she is able to unlock some improvement, then she is capable of finally getting off the mark in this company.
CONCLUSION :-A messy opener and probably best left alone from a betting perspective. ADAM’S BEGINNING is a tentative selection as she looks to be on a handy mark and has been performing well all season without winning. Solo Mission scored his maiden success last time out and can repeat if turning up in the same mood while the 4 year olds Principessaand Airmaxalso look capable of striking.
Race No. 2 :- The Gold Star Plate – Class III & IV – Distance :- 1600M
REVELATOR :- Smoothly progressive 4 year old trained by S.K. Sunderji who has indeed been a revelation this season, unbeaten in 3 runs over 1400M and looks to be in the pink of condition at present. He did have to fight hard though to gain his last win, holding off Gallantry by half a length in a fighting finish. He has gone up considerably in the weights and that last effort suggested that the handicapper is finally beginning to catch up with him and he is up a further 4 kilos now and is conceding weight all around. Nicky Mackay who has struck up a good partnership with him keeps the ride, he seems to have maintained his condition and in spite of looking out on the scale with Gallantry and taking on some other good 4 year olds, he may not have stopped improving and could prove very dangerous to ignore now upped to a mile.
RHAPSODY :- One of 2 runners for Pesi Shroff in this race and the mount of P. Trevor, she has a 50% strike rate to far having won 3 of her 6 runs till date and seems to be quite useful over this mile trip. Unbeaten in her first 2 starts, she was a dark horse for the Pune Derby but found that to be too high a level so early in her career and ended up 5th to Trouvaille. She made a winning start to this season as well, fighting hard to get the better of Daddy’s Pride by ¾ length in a 9 furlong contest and was taken to Bangalore to contest the Oaks where she proved no match for Anjeze and ended a faraway 3rd. Dropped back to a mile last time out, she got going very late in the day and finished on to be a close 3rd to Van Dyke. She may have needed that run to sharpen her up a bit after stepping back from 2400M and with P. Trevor replacing Y.S. Srinath in the saddle, she looks set to resume her progress and must be seriously respected today.
NEKHBET :-Stable companion of Rhapsody and in the same mould, winning 3 of her 6 starts so far although she has only been taken up the handicap route. She too is unbeaten this season, having won both her starts in Western India over a mile, in between travelling to Hyderabad for the Golconda Oaks where she too ended a distant 3rd to Paso Robles and may not have stayed the trip. Her form over a mile looks quite encouraging though and she did get up in the last stride to pip Mishka’s Pride last time out and is upped in grade into tougher company. She looks to be progressing quite well with her racing, Neeraj Rawal takes the ride today replacing P.S. Kaviraj and she is likely to give a good account of herself in this grade and merits each way consideration although she will need to improve on the bare form.
GALLANTRY :- Another promising looking 4 year old colt, trained by Malesh Narredu, he appears to be making his way back from a setback, returning from a lengthy absence this season and has made gradual progress with his 2 runs this term. Off the track since finishing tailed off in the Colts Trial Stakes in Kolkotta in September, he reappeared over 1200M in January and finished on to be a flying late 3rd to Mozart. He was well fancied over 1400M last time out but took ages to get going and was staying on at the end to finish a close 2nd to Revelator with whom he is weighted to gain revenge. The step up to a mile looks likely to suit him and P.S. Chouhan has been booked to ride today taking over from C.S. Jodha. He looks to be gradually coming back to his best and is another who has the potential to take this and get back to winning ways.
SUNRISE RUBY :-Sparingly raced and improving filly from the stable of Hosidar Daji who has impressed in her limited career, winning 2 of her 4 starts and running well on every occasion. Finishing on late to be 3rd behind Kildare on her racing debut last Mumbai, she was given plenty of time to come to hand and reappeared after a gap of 7 months on the final day of the Pune season where she duly got off the mark at the 2nd attempt holding off Notoriety by a length and a half to score her maiden success. Turned out again quickly early in the Mumbai season over a mile, she added her 2nd success, showing a good attitude to hold off Majestic Warrior and prevail by a little over a length. Her next start was presumably the Indian 1000 Guineas but she probably had another minor setback and missed that race, reappearing 3 weeks ago after a 3 month break. In spite of the absence, she ran a cracking race from the front, seeming to make all and only nabbed by Makhtoob right on the line. She is likely to have stripped fitter after that run and with K. Nazil retaining the ride, she looks very capable of resuming her upward curve and getting back to winning ways and looks a strong fancy.
CONCLUSION :-This should be quite competitive with several well performed potentially progressive 4 year olds in the fray but I feel that SUNRISE RUBY ran a cracker after a long lay off last time out and may be able to control the gallop from the front and hold them all at bay. Rhapsody is likely to be sharper after her run last time out and shapes as the main danger while both Nekhbet and Gallantry cannot be discounted either. Revelator has been in great form this season but looks a little high in the weights now.
Race No. 3:- The Jimmy Bharucha Trophy – Terms, 3 Years Old Only – Distance :- 1200M
JOAQUIN :- Strong travelling son of Saammid from the stable of Shazaan Shah who has been having quite a good run in the last few meetings, this 3 year old colt made an impressive debut on Derby Day in the B.K. Rattonsey Multi Million, travelling strongly for quite a long way and kicking on to finish a good 3rd to Golden Oaks. He duly built on that next time out when shedding his maiden tag in impressive fashion, again making all and having all his rivals in trouble turning for home, keeping on gamely till the line to hold off Market King. A big powerful sort, he looks to have maintained his form and fitness and with A. Sandesh retaining the ride, he looks a leading contender to go in again and continue the winning thread.
LEOPARD ROCK :- An unknown quantity from the Malesh Narredu stable, this son of Kingda Ka made a very favourable impression on his racing debut when totally unfancied and clearly not ready but coming with a late burst to shock the field and score by 2 ½ lengths from Aegon over 1000M. He is sure to have improved for that run and stripped fitter today and the additional furlong also looks likely to suit. His gallops since the run suggest that he has made further progress and he has a very positive jockey switch with SurajNarredu taking over from S.Amit. He looks to have the potential to be anything at this stage and should make a brave effort to maintain his unbeaten record. Respected.
SOARING HIGH :- Another interesting and potentially smart contender, this one from the stable of Vishal Gaikwad, he too was unfancied on debut but came with a strong run along the fence to shock El Capitan and Rising Sun and score over 1000M on debut, looking strong at the finish suggesting that this extra furlong will be right up his alley. He has been given time to strengthen and improve since then and is returning after a break of 2 months. He is another unknown quantity who is likely to have come on a great deal from that debut experience and with Akshay retaining the ride, he is worthy of consideration in this competitive event and is capable of being involved.
EXOTIC QUEEN :- Runaway winner on her debut over 1000M when scoring by a wide margin, she found the opposition too tough next time out in the Gool S. Poonawalla, proving to be no match for California and finishing up 5th. That run was almost 2 months ago so she too has been rested and given time to improve and has been showing out quite well in the morning gallops. This is only her 3rd start so she too has plenty of scope to improve and Imran Chisty has been booked to ride today. She does need to prove that she has the stamina to see out this extra furlong but looks capable of returning to the winner’s circle if she does get the trip. Interesting.
SKYFALL :- LeitirMor filly trained by Dallas Todywalla who has run twice before, not getting the best of runs on her debut early in the season over this trip and finishing down the field but showing significant improvement next time out to score an authoritative maiden success over 1000M, making all the running and holding on well to see off the late finishing Market King. She looks closely matched with Joaquin on a line through that rival and appears to have made further improvement from that last run, judging from her excellent last couple of workouts. David Egan who has been in prolific form this season keeps the ride, she looks to have improved again and in spite of being upped to this longer trip, looks a strong each way player and could prove very dangerous to ignore.
FIRE N ICE :- Got abroad debutant from the powerful Pesi Shroff yard who looks to have been painstakingly prepared to be fit enough on debut and has been given plenty of preparatory work so should be fit and ready to go. A paddock check is advised to ascertain her fitness and she is being given a tough ask against some promising types on debut. However, she could prove to be a potentially classy type and may be good enough to win first time out if looking the part in the paddock. N.S. Parmar takes the ride today.
CONCLUSION :-Another difficult event with plenty of chances but JOAQUIN has been very impressive in both his runs so far and is selected to add to his earlier success in this competitive event. He seems to possess a high cruising speed and should be able to control the gallop from the front. Leopard Rock is an unknown quantity who could potentially be very smart and shapes as a live danger while Skyfall and the debutant Fire N Ice also merit consideration.
Race No. 4 :- The Assert The Right Plate – Class V – Distance :- 1600M
SANDALPHON :-Exposed and experienced maiden 6 year old gelding from the small stable of trainer Himmat Singh who is as yet winless from 17 starts although he has managed to finish runner up on 3 occasions. He has been tried over a variety of trips till date, this season running twice over 1200M before being upped to 2000M last time out. He has not been the most consistent till date but his best effort seem to have come over middle distance trips so he is worth trying over this mile trip and C.S. Jodha is a positive jockey booking. He does not appear to be a reliable sort but has been working well this term and merits each way consideration in this weak field if running up to his best. Trainer has a poor win record which is also a factor which needs to be taken into consideration and others probably appeal more.
FLYING DRAGON :- Aged and experienced 8 year old gelding trained by S.S. Shah who was rated much higher in his younger days but his form has gradually eroded as he has gotten older although he looks to have come down to a workable mark at present. A veteran of 49 races, he has won thrice before and also finished runner up on 7 occasions. He has had 3 runs this season so fitness should not be an issue and although he has been largely out of form, he has been eased in grade into the lowest class. He did manage to score in Pune when dropped into this grade and with A.S. Peter taking over in the saddle from M. Ayyar, he looks a strong each way prospect in this field and is likely to be involved.
PAOLITA :-Unexposed and improving 4 year old filly trained by Sanjay Kolse, she made her racing debut this season back in December and has made steady progress in her 3 runs till date. Needing the run on debut where she finished well down the field, she showed a little improvement next time out when tried over 1400M finishing 6th behind Peerless and again seemed to have progressed last time out, when making the frame, ending up 4th to Regal Shot again over 1400M. She has looked to improve with each subsequent run so is likely to have progressed again from that last effort and Neeraj Rawal takes the ride today in place of Nicky Mackay. In a field with very little form to go on, she seems to be a progressive sort and hence looks to have an excellent chance to get off the mark today with the longer trip probably working in her favour. Strong contender.
HIGHDARE :- Another unexposed 4 year old, this one from the stable of Rehanullah Khan he is unplaced in his 7 runs till date but has come down significantly in the weights as a result and does not appear to have been seriously tried or fancied till date. His first 4 runs were over inadequate sprint trips but he has been upped in trip the last twice and seems to be slowly coming to hand. He has run twice before this season given a lung opener over a mile on his opening run of the season and last time out over 2000M, he was given a strong rider for the first time with P.S. Chouhan taking over and ran a forward race before retiring in the straight to finish 6th.That run may just have been a test run, he drops back to a mile today and P.S. Chouhan keeps the ride. He is expected to strip fitter today and run a much better race than last time, and again looks a strong contender in this company.
ARIZONA PIE :- Maiden 5 year old mare trained by Imtiaz Sait who is winless in 8 starts so far but has looked to be improving in her last few starts although she seems to be coming back from a setback, having last run at the end of December. She showed some improvement during the Pune campaign where she performed modestly in 3 runs over middle distance trips and ran perhaps her best race on her opening run this season over a mile, ending up a close 3rd behind Whispering Queen. She is returning from a 2 ½ month break so will have fitness to prove but P.S. Kaviraj is an encouraging Jockey booking and if she has improved from that last run then she looks to have a good chance to do even better and must come into calculations.
CONCLUSION :-Another race which is probably best avoided with very little form to go on and it should be between the 2 unexposed 4 year olds PAOLITA and Highdare with preference for the former who has been improving with each run. Arizona Pie ran promisingly last time out and is feared if she is fit and well after returning from a short break.
Race No. 5 :- The Royal Deeds Plate – Class IV & V, 5 Years Old & Over – Distance :- 1200M
THOMAS HARDY :- 5 year old gelding trained by Vishal Gaikwad who has won 2 of his 9 starts till date and made a very promising start to his career but seems to have gone off the boil after his first few runs and is looking to stage a revival. Both his prior wins have been over this trip but he has finished well beaten in all his 3 runs this season, dropping into this grade last time out but still finishing 12th of 14 in spite of having A. Sandesh in the saddle. That run was on the first of February so he has had a month and a half off and his recent track movements suggest that he may be coming to hand now. 3 ½ kilo claimer N.B. Kuldeep has been booked to ride today but has not been among the winners this season which tempers enthusiasm somewhat and he also has top weight to defy. He has bagged the No.1 rail draw though and if reproducing his good recent work, he can take a hand in the finish and bounce back to form. Given a small chance to upset.
HIGHLAND LASS :- 5 year old mare from the stable of Dallas Todywalla who has a nice pedigree and has performed quite well in her 8 race career, winning just once but finishing runner up on 4 occasions. Her maiden success was a runaway one over this trip in the lower grade and she began the season promisingly when runner up to Slam Dunk in a similar event but went back on that run when only 5th last time out although admittedly against younger horses. She will enjoy returning to her own age group, P.S. Kaviraj has been booked to ride and from a good draw in Stall 2 she looks an each way contender and should finish in the frame today.
SUPER MARIO :-Lightly raced maiden 6 year old who has gone close without succeeding on a number of occasions and is now in the care of Shazaan Shah, having begun his career with Faisal Abbas. He has only had 10 starts despite being a 6 year old and finished 2nd on 4 occasions so he looks capable of shedding his maiden tag in one of these contests and will be partnered by A. Sandesh today. He seemed to be knocking on the door for quite some time, finishing runner up 4 times in 5 starts and he made a pleasing reappearance on his only other run this season, making headway to finish a good 4th to Mystic Bay in the higher class. He made up a lot of ground from the rear that day, has now been eased in grade into the lower class and should be a lot fitter today. He seems to have plenty of ticks in the right boxes with his recent trackwork also encouraging and looks a strong contender who can finally get off the mark today.
DIREWOLF :- Well bred but not totally sound 5 year old trained by Nosher Cama who looks to be coming to hand just now and scored his maiden success over course and distance last time out, coming with a strong run to get the better of Golden Steal who has gone on to frank the form by winning subsequently. He has been given a 4 ½ kilo penalty for the win which seems quite fair and P.S. Chouhan retains the ride. He looks to have maintained his form and fitness after the run judging from his recent workouts and looks a leading contender to go in again.
STICK TO THE PLAN :-5 year old gelding from the stable of S.K. Sunderji who has managed to win once from his 9 runs so far and still appears to be finding his feet. Needing his first few runs to come to hand, he got off the mark on his 4th start with a narrow ½ length win over Suarez in the lower class and then ran well under a penalty next time out to finish a close 2nd to Articulate with whom he is weighted to gain revenge today. He has taken his time to come to hand this season running unplaced on the first two runs but has finished 4th in each of his last 2 starts and looks to be regaining form. A fair 4th to Antarctica over 1400M last time out, he will prefer the return to 1200M and with C.S. Jodha in the saddle today, he is another who looks to have each way claims and is likely to be involved.
CONCLUSION :- Like most of the races today, this one is quite competitive but SUPER MARIO looks likely to finally get off the mark having made a promising start to the season and with the yard recently hitting good form and an in form rider in the saddle. Last outing winner Direwolf can improve and shapes as a live danger while Highland Lass should also run well.
Race No. 6:- TheBehram A. Engineer Cup – Class IV & V – Distance :- 1400M
MOUNT MORIAH :- Improving 4 year old gelding trained by Dallas Todywalla who changed hands after his first 3 starts and scored his maiden success in new colours for his new connections, running a bit erratically but scoring by 1 ¾ lengths with Oui Savage back in 3rd that day and he is 1 ¾ lengths worse off with that rival on the handicap today. That was just his 4th start so he looks open to further improvement and a 5 kilo penalty seems manageable. He did finish runner up to Lion King on his opening run of the season and is 2 ½ kilos worse off with that rival so he does need to find significant improvement if he is to reverse the form with his better handicapped rivals. He does seem to be in good nick though and with David Egan keeping the ride, he is likely to make a brave bid to repeat and stands a good chance to do so.
OUI SAVAGE :- 4 year old colt trained by Adhirajsingh Jodha who has already had 8 starts, winning once and finishing a close runner up on 1 occasion as well. His maiden win came over 1000M in his juvenile season but he has since matured and seems to prefer at least 6 furlongs now so this trip should prove suitable. He has made the frame all 3 starts this term, finishing a close 2nd to Palomar over 1200M on reappearance before ending 4th behind Del Mar and finally 3rd to Mount Moriah last time out upped to this trip. P. Trevor who rode him last time out keeps the ride, he is 1 ¾ lengths better off with Mount Moriah at the weights so on paper looks to have a good chance but seems to lack the scope of his rival to improve and is not certain to reverse the form. One to consider though and likely to finish in the frame again.
LION KING :-Interesting looking Win Legend 4 year old with a similar profile to Mount Moriah, winning once from 4 starts and looking to be progressing with his racing. Back from a long lay off, he needed the lung opener on his first run of the season and showed immediate improvement when turned out again 8 days later, racing prominently and holding off Mount Moriah to score over course and distance. He was upped to a mile in a strong race next time out on the Derby weekend and again acquitted himself well under a 4 ½ kilo penalty finishing a good 3rd to Bait and Switch. He is a strong galloping sort who seems to lack a change of gear so the drop back to 1400M is not ideal but he is better off at the weights with Oui Savage and Mount Moriah today and looks a leading contender to score with A. Sandesh in the saddle.
POWER OF NEATH :- Dickey legged 5 year old who recently was sold into S.N. Joshi’s yard from BezanChenoy and pulled off a smart gamble last time out to win smartly for new connections at the second attempt, making all the running and kicking on to hold off the late finishing I Am The Way by 1 ¼ lengths in the lower class. That was his maiden success so he should take confidence from the win and does have the scope to progress again being quite lightly raced. He has a 4 ½ kilo penalty to tackle for that win and has also been upped in grade and pitted against younger horses so seems to have a tough ask. A. S. Peter who rode last time out keeps the ride, he looks to be well within himself and should try hard to repeat but seems more likely to fight it out for minor honours.
NORTH WINDS :-The unknown quantity in this field, this once raced Multidimensional Colt trained by MaleshNarredu is returning from an extended lay off but seems to be quite a highly regarded sort. Making his debut in the Bangalore Summer way back in July in a strong race, he drifted out to the outer railing before running on to finish 2nd to Speaking of Stars over a mile. He has not run since then so is returning from almost an 8 month absence so a paddock check is clearly advised and he is entitled to need the lung opener. He has moved quite attractively though in his limited pieces of work and SurajNarredu has been booked to ride. He could prove to be the class act in this field and may be good enough to tackle this lot if fit and ready to go. Very interesting.
PRINCESS SCARLET :-Improving 4 year old filly from the small stable of Vinesh who has shown marked improvement this season and ran very suggestively last time out hinting that her turn was not far away. Winless from 7 starts till date, she has run twice before this season, finishing on from the rear to be 4th to Memorable Memories on reappearance and coming with a rattling run from the rear last time out over 1200M to finish a flying close 3rd to Golden Steal over 1200M again. Admittedly both those runs were in the lower class and she has been upped in grade without a win and is taking on stronger opposition. The additional furlong is likely to suit her though, Neeraj Rawal has been booked to ride in place of Imran Chisty and she could prove dangerous to all from the bottom of the scale and must be considered.
CONCLUSION :- Another competitive event and on form Lion King looks to have a very good chance but if the odds are attractive, it may be worth chancing the promising Malesh Narredu ward NORTH WINDS. Granted he is returning from a very long break but he was entered in a tough Million race on debut and finished a good 2nd in spite of being very wayward. His trainer has taken a long time to hopefully sort him out from that and he has been working very well. Mount Moriah is also a progressive sort and completes the short list.
Race No. 7 :- The Six Speed Plate – Div. I – Class V – Distance :- 1200M
GOLDEN STEAL :- Improving 4 year old from the Dallas Todywalla yard who has been making steady progress this season and after going close on his penultimate run when runner up to Direwolf who runs earlier in the card, he finally got off the mark last time out over course and distance, edging out Mikayla’s Pride and Princess Scarlet in a close finish. He appears to have maintained his form and fitness since the last run and gets another chance in the same grade with David Egan retaining the ride. He has only been penalized 4 kilos for the win and looks to have a good chance to earn another quick bracket and is likely to make a bold bid for a quick encore.
AME :- 8 year old veteran from the stable of M.K. Jadhav who has run 52 times already, managing to win on 4 occasions and place 12 times as well. All his 4 wins have come over this trip and most of them have been when he has been given a chance by the handicapper and dropped back into Class V in contests similar to this one. He has already run 5 times this season, the first four runs coming in the higher class before he was dropped back into this grade last time out and he immediately made an impact, finishing on late to be 4th behind Power of Neath with Nicky Mackay, who is unfamiliar with him, a chance ride due to Sandesh being indisposed. Sandesh who has been up for his last 2 wins returns to ride him today, he looks to be in good nick and although he would have preferred running in an older horses contest, he looks a good each way contender and should finish in the frame.
TWINSPIRE :- Relatively unexposed 4 year old trained by Imtiaz Sait who still seems to be coming into her own and has run just 4 times so looks open to plenty of improvement. Unplaced over 1000M on debut, she caught the eye on her very next start again over 1000M when making headway from midfield and finishing on late to be runner up to Chephirah which made her go into many notebooks. She again needed her opening run of the season when returning from a 2 month break in a 7 furlong maiden and finished midfield behind Noble Heir but was strongly fancied on her handicap debut last time out but was no match for Black Cherry and ended up a tame 4th. She has been working quite well since that run and drops down slightly in trip and A.S. Peter takes the ride replacing NeerajRawal. She does look open to further improvement so merits serious consideration in this company and stands a very good chance to win this.
PEZULA :-Another unexposed but quirky 4 year old filly, this one from the stable of Bezan Chenoy, she has a similar profile to Twinspire being winless from 4 starts, her best effort being when 4th over this trip on her 2nd start, behind AlauddinKhilji in Pune. She has had 2 runs this season, being withdrawn once in between and after running on the opening day, she reappeared over 1400M a couple of weeks ago where she was likely in need of the run. 5 kilo claimer Aniket Karande has been booked to ride today so she might attempt pillar to post tactics and could prove to be an interesting outsider who may be able to upset.
BLAZING BAY :- Maiden 4 year old trained by Karthik G who is a bit more experienced but also exposed than some of the other 4 year olds having had 13 runs till date and is still searching for that elusive first success. He has been tried over a variety of trips without much success but has been confined mainly to sprints during the current season and has finished 4th in 2 of his last 3 runs, suggesting that his turn is not too far away. He was 4th to Divine Hunt over this trip last time out and with Bhawani Singh retaining the ride, is another who could add some spice to the finish if he happens to have his galloping shoes on.
CONCLUSION :-Last outing winner GOLDEN STEAL looks to have been given a chance by the handicapper and is selected to score a quick encore remaining in the same grade. Twinspirewas well backed last time out but failed to sparkle and is given another chance to show her ability
(Disclaimer : Views are entirely that of the correspondent only and RWITC takes no responsibility for the same).
