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War Hammer wins Derby in a splendid fashion

  January 26 , 2020
   

Prasanna Kumar trained War Hammer kept his date with destiny winning the Gr 1 Meenakshi Sundereshwara Bangalore Derby, the Blue Riband of the Bangalore Winter Season, in spectacular fashion. War Hammer was superbly piloted by jockey Suraj Narredu. The progeny of Air Support put to rest any doubts about his getting the mile and half trip by simply outclassing the field to record his seventh win in a row.

War Hammer had done everything right leading up to the Derby having won each of his assignments in the manner that suggested that he was in the league of his own. Though War Hamer missed the Summer Derby due to a stress fracture, his trainer Prasanna Kumar has done a wonderful job of getting him right and the champion had always performed to his potential. Questions were being raised about his ability to get the mile and half trip as effectively as he had done over a mile, the price offered on him was generous at even money.

The brilliant quality that War Hammer is endowed with is the fact that he can be settled in any position as he has a perfect temperament and his burst of speed was always a factor in demolishing the opposition in the final furlong. Jockey Suraj Narredu relaxed War Hammer in about the seventh position unperturbed by the frenetic activity in front. Speedster went at a good clip followed by Mighty Red, Roman Senator, Square The Circle, Anjeze, Alexander Burnes and Here And Now. Speedster maintained the lead going into the final 300 metres but soon was overhauled by Anjeze. The filly could not keep the lead for long as Suraj brought War Hammer with a well-timed run on the wide outside. The Kunigal Stud Farm bred War Hammer measured the Oaks with ease and went away for a win by four lengths to record a smashing win. Anjeze stayed on to take the second position ahead of late rallying Here And Now. Speedster was fourth with Roman Senator finishing fifth. War Hammer clocked a good timing of two minutes 28.86 seconds which fractionally missed the bettering the existing record.

War Hammer is expected to head to Mumbai for next Sunday`s prestigious Indian Derby. The only drawback for War Hammer would be the fact that he must travel and race in seven days. Given his class, it is within his ability to overcome this disadvantage. Trainer Prasanna Kumar, however, said that he would take a call tomorrow after assessing how the horse recovers from this race. Suraj Narredu said that War Hammer was a dream horse to ride. ``I was confident that War Hammer would tackle the trip as brilliant as he had done over a mile. The race was run at a good clip and War Hammer showed his class with his amazing turn of foot.``
  
  


Saint Petersburg from the stables of trainer Sulaiman Attaollahi showed tremendous speed to sweep the others off their feet from the the word `go` and had no problem in staying clear of Diamond Rays to land the spoils in the 1200 metres Indian republic Trophy, a race for horses rated 75 and above. The withdrawal of Kerazano meant that the principal contenders for the trophy would be Saint Petersburg and Diamond Rays and true to expectations the race was confined to them though the former emerged victorious easier than expected. Attorney General who was bidding for a hat-trick was third while the rest were totally outclassed.

Arjun Mangalorkar trained General Patton was subjected to systematic preparation to making a winning debut in the 1200 metres Mysore Race Club Trophy, a race for maiden three-year-olds. General Patton who is bred as a half-sister to classic winning Shivansh and classic placed Thailand had the speed to take a forward position and skipped into a comfortable lead on turning for home. Though Drusilla covered the ground with big strides, the favourite had enough cushion to pull through by a short neck. Limited Source ran on to take the third position ahead of Sporting Memories who looked far from ready when finishing fourth.

Aravind Ganapathy trained Musterion broke his maidens rank in his 13th outing winning the 1400 metres RWITC Cup, a race for horses rated 30 to 50 at long odds. The race looked like a minefield with winner-picking being a hazardous guess. On The Trot was the designated favourite. Colm Donoghue was able to get Musterion to shoot through a crowded field inside the final furlong and drove out the lesser fancied winner to stave off the late bid of Karadeniz and Another Rainbow. Last start winner Knotty Oak who race up with the pace stayed on to finish fourth while another last start winner Daring Prince who stayed in touch with the field till the final furlong perhaps felt his legs and disappeared from the scene.

Neil Darashah trained Le Marc came out of the maidens ranks in her 10th effort by swamping the opposition in the 1200 metres Saddle Up Cup (Div I), a race for horses rated 0 to 20. The race did not throw any horse as having good credentials to win with Sun Splash and Ruler of the Nation getting tentative support. After Air Force One led the field well into the straight, Le Marc bounced clear and went away for a comfortable win by a widening margin of four lengths over Sun Splash, with Apollo Bay saving place money. Le Marc had some credentials, but the betting trend was not of much help. Azhar Ali trained Shivalik Show came in for one-sided support to win the lower division of the race and readily justified the expectation taking charge from the beginning and skipping clear in the final furlong to win from Phoenix Reached and Song And Dance.

Jockey Nazerul Alam who had guided Le Marc to victory had a rare double when he rode another lesser fancied runner from the stables of trainer Neil Darashah, Sea of Cortez to a comfortable start to finish win in the 1400 metres Totalizator Cup (Div II), a race for horses rated 15 to 35. Sea of Cortez hit the front from the word go and was not under pressure to maintain the lead throughout the race. Favourite Chantelle gave a chase in the final furlong, but it was clear the filly was not going to make an impression on the front-runner. Star Sapphire, who was in serious betting, was a well-beaten third. Neil Darashah led in the winner of the upper division of the race, the third success for the day through the heavily backed Cosmic Feeling. Cosmic Feeling had run an eye-catching second to Aferpi over an extended trip of a mile. Jockey Imran Khan had Cosmic Feeling handily placed behind pace-setter Polar Express. The progeny of Dean`s Kitten had the speed to take charge inside the final 300 metres and spurted ahead. Cosmic Feeling had enough lead to stave off the late bid of Goodwill Warrior to break the maidens ranks in her ninth effort. Custom Cut was third. Another strongly fancied runner Legendary Princess failed to perform to expectations, her jockey David Allan getting into a mess failing to get an opening on a couple of occasions in the stretch running into a wall of horses effectively thwarting whatever chances she had.

Irfan Ghatala trained Show Girl who had recorded back to back wins in the lowest category surprised everyone winning her third straight win over an extended trip of 2000 metres in the T B Hanumantharaj Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 30 to 50. Grey Channel was backed strongly to win based on his consistent efforts behind good horses. Long shot Incitatus went on a start to finish mission and very nearly pulled off a fast one before Show Girl got the better of the front-running in the closing moments of the race. Jockey Vaibhav who rode Show Girl was also associated with the earlier wins of the five-year-old mare. Favourite Grey Channel who graced the wrong end of the field for the most part could not cover up the leeway and had to settle for the third slot. There was a lot of support for Spirit Bruce who failed to give hope at any stage of the race.


*******************



Le Marc (Nazerul Alam up) winner of the Saddle Up Cup (Div-I)




Sea Of Cortez (Nazerul Alam up) winner of the Totalizator Cup (Div-II)




General Patton (Suraj Narredu up) winner of the Mysore Race Club Trophy




Cosmic Feeling (A Imran Khan up) winner of the Totalizator Cup (Div-I)




Musterion (Colm O Donoghue up) winner of the R.W.I.T.C Cup




Saint Petersburg (Trevor Patel up) winner of the Indian Republic Trophy




War Hammer (Suraj Narredu up) winner of the Shree Meenakshi Sundereshwara Bangalore Derby (Gr.1)




Show Girl (R Vaibhav up) winner of the T.B. Hanumantharaj Memorial Trophy




Shivalik Show (Arshad Alam up) winner of the Saddle Up Cup (Div-II)




 
 
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