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Trainer Malesh Narredu`s six-year-old horse, Whomakestherules (Suraj Narredu-up) upstaged a year younger, and the hot favourite, Kangra (A. Sandesh) in battle for supremacy, between generations to stake claim on the 2,000m Indian Champion Cup, Wednesday`s star attraction. The afternoon also witnessed the budding Classic hopefuls, too, fighting a close contest for supremacy in the 1,400m Champagne Stakes which was also picked up by Suraj, doing duty on trainer Vijay Singh`s charge, Jaivant. The day`s nine-event card was otherwise dominated by the Lady trainer Arti Doctor who notched up a prized treble.
The Champion Cup, in fact, produced a thriller as Whomakestherules snatched the victory from the 17/20 hot property, Kangra, virtually in his last stride. Suraj waited and waited in the wrong-end of the field for far too long in the race. His patience was, however, well rewarded.
Arjun Mangalorkar`s five-year-old, Kambaku (C.Alford) , in fact, tried to make things too hot in front, leaving the local hope, Shivalik Showers (David Allan) and the favourite with no other option but to sit and suffer.
The instant public reaction after the first half of the running was, why the last year`s Invitation Cup winner was being held back passing the 800m marker? Was Sandesh trying ride the favourite differently?
Sandesh had been associated with the Western Aristocrat-Georgina daughter‘s most wins in her careers. In past, he would send the mare into the lead between 1,000m and the 800m marker. The early pace in the race was, however, quite moderate.
I for one would give the entire credit to Suraj for timing his challenge to perfection rather than finding faults in Sandesh`s riding. Malesh, too, deserves a fair share of credit for nursing his slowly horse – from a training setback – to the present condition.
It wasn`t Sandesh`s day after all. Half-an-hour ago, Vijay Singh`s unbeaten filly, Vallerysthal, in the hands of Sandesh, had also lost, albeit, badly. Expectations were high from the Multidimensional-Romantique three-year-old daughter, in the 1,400m Indian Champagne Stakes, after she had drubbed the opposition in back-to-back races since debut. Although, she ran true to her form but the statutory six-kg penalty -- mainly against four of the six non-winners in the eight-horse field -- weighed heavy on Vallerysthal. The filly was the 5/2 favourite and was held back, close behind in the company of Vijay`s other two runners, Adhirit (Nikhil Naidu) and Jaivant (Suraj) as Bharath Singh`s Incendio (Arshad Alam), was seen testing her hooves up-front.
In the final stretch, Adhirit was the first one who was shown the daylight but his hopes were short-lived as Jaivant bisected the new leader, and the favourite to gain the, advantage and was gone in a trice.
A new challenger, in the form of Eastern Crown (Robbie Downey) -- another of Bharath`s charge -- emerged in the final furlong. The Knight`s Tour-Second City colt produced an electrifying run, on the wide of the wrong-end of the field to nearly take Jaivant by a surprise.
More than Eastern Crown, it was Downey`s attitude that impressed in the race. The visiting Irishman was at work on the 5/1 shot from the 1,000m marker but the horse hardly responded the jockey early efforts. It was only in the home-straight that Eastern Crown answered Downey`s prayers and what a respond. Impressive indeed.
The nine-event card was packed with other goodies as well. There were so many takers for the 1,400m Republic Cup that the event had to be split in two divisions, which, however, were cleaned of by Arti`s aspirants – Mocha Locha (Imran Chisty) and Poet (app. R.S. Bhati). Mocha Loca worked his way up, from the mid-division, displaying superior acceleration to beat Vijay`s He Calls The Shots (Naidu) who always chased the winner.
Apprentice Bhati, on the other hand, displayed a matured head on his shoulder, as he took on a senior pro like Suraj, partnering the heavily fancied Shyam Habbu`s charge Flag Flying in the lower division of the Republic Cup.
Flag Flying had a clear advantage over the field and the top-weighted runner`s facile victory on the Derby Day, when ridden by Leigh Roche, had displayed it abundance. Suraj, on his part, fitted ideally in the whole set up but the additional penalty, combined with the extra furlong to traverse, remained a big worry. These two factors heavily favoured Poet.
Everything went according to plans for Flag Flying, who however, failed to carry the weights of expectations in final 100m when Poet walked on the scene to cash in on the advantageous factors.
Arti`s third winner, during the afternoon, was Pelion who claimed the 1,600m S.S. Bala Memorial Cup. It was Pelion`s third win of the season and apprentice Bhati made no mistake on the 2/1 favourite, despite the fact that tonnes of money followed in the direction of Harvinder Bath`s filly, Marbella, ridden by Neeraj Rawal. Bhati allowed the senior jockey to dictate terms on Marbella from the start, only to slap a humiliating defeat when Pelion was decided to raise a winning gallop, the shortest way home, inside the last furlong of the race.
The rest of the card was rich in number but lacked in quality. The two divisions of the 1,200m Fame Star Handicap, also threw up long priced winners after keen contests. Trainer Manvendra Singh delivered a well-planned googly in the upper division and his 6/1 shot Midnight Magic (Hindu Singh) managed to stump Habbu`s Bacaardi (Shezad Khan), virtually in the final 50m of the race, after covering miles of ground from the wrong-end of the field.
The lower division of the race was picked up by Bharath`s Jezzabelle who had build up a rapport with aging jockey Md Islam. The pair took to the front from the start and never looked back.
The day`s opener, the 2,00m Colorescence Handicap, also witnessed a long-shot in the form of Jasbir Singh`s Poras (Mohit Singh) ensuring Vijay`s coup on Yuvan (Sandesh) and Darsh (Naidu) fell flat on its face.
The curtain came down with the running of the 1,400m Goodfellas Handicap; which was an easy pick for trainer Shafiq Khan`s in-form horse, Mustang (app. Rupal Singh), who not only defied the wide outside draw in a 14-horse field but also the slated trip which was considered too long to his liking. The form prevailed.
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Poras (Mohit Singh up) winner of the Calorescence Handicap
Midnight Magic (Hindu Singh up) winner of the Fame Star Handicap (Div-I)
Jezzabelle (Md Islam up) winner of the Fame Star Handicap (Div-II)
Pelion (R S Bhati up) winner of the S S Bala Memorial Cup
Mocha Loca (Imran Chisty up) winner of the Republic Cup (Div-I)
Poet (R S Bhati up) winner of the Republic Cup (Div-II)
Jaivant (Suraj Narredu up) winner of the Indian Champagne Stakes (Gr.3)
Whomakestherules (Suraj Narredu up) winner of the Indian Champion Cup (Gr.1)
Mustang (Rupal Singh up) winner of the Goodfellas Handicap
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