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Lagarde wins Derby in convincing fashion

  January 26 , 2021
   

Sulaiman Attaollahi trained Lagarde lived up to the top rating when winning the Gr 1 Kingfisher Ultra Bangalore Derby, the star event of the Bangalore Winter Racing Season on Tuesday, the Republic Day. The dual Guineas winner Lagarde found himself in front within the first furlong and jockey Akshay Kumar did not panic and confidently piloted the horse in front to record the biggest win of his career. The Hyderabad champion jockey has been winning a bagful of races but the big one had eluded him all these days.

The amount of luck coming your way depends on your willingness to make the best of it. Jockey Akshay Kumar would not have been piloting Lagarde in the Derby if Suraj Narredu had made his commitment to ride Forever Together for whatever reasons after guiding the Nanoli Stud Farm bred Kingda Ka colt in both the classic wins. He had a clear idea about the class of Lagarde. Barring one run where the colt had flopped inexplicably, Lagarde had won three other races that he had run in. Akshay Kumar came to replace Suraj in the saddle and he grabbed the opportunity with both his hands to enter the classic picture. Akshay Kumar who has been sincerely riding with the hope of getting maximum winners could well say that luck is great but most of life is hard work. He richly deserved the huge win of his racing career.
  
  


The unbeaten filly from the yards of Sulaiman Attaollahi Forest Flame was the favourite though there were doubts whether the filly would stay the mile and half trip. Forest Flame is by a sprinter-miler sire Leitir Mor but her dam is a full sister to Mystical who tackled the longer trip with ease. The fact that Suraj was riding Forever Together ensured that he ended up as the second favourite despite being inexperienced to run in this tough company. Lagarde was available to nourishing odds along with Antibes and Rambunctious.

Surely the element of luck favoured Lagarde as he had a trouble-free run. Akshay Kumar had to hit the front from the wide outside draw as Antibes who led briefly slowed down the pace. Lagarde took charge and set a modest pace as the other allowed him to enjoy an uncontested lead. Forest Flame did not get a great start and got a bump from Rambunctious early in the race and thereafter, the filly ran an unsettled race. She travelled wide while approaching the bend with a quick forward run and everything seemed to be getting better for the filly she got pushed out by Rambunctious causing the filly to travel very wide into the straight. Somebody`s bad luck is the happiness of the other as it turned out in the end.

Lagarde enjoyed the foray in front and had a useful lead going into the final furlong. Forever Together showed up briefly after getting a ground-saving run but by the final furlong, he seemed to have run out of his reserves. Rambunctious too was there to essay her challenge but she too flattered to deceive and as her trainer, Pesi Shroff was to say later, she has limitations over the Derby trip. Forest Flame gave a chase along with Sovereign Legend who was widest of the lot but both these horses had left themselves too much to do. Forest Flame ran on gallantly but was nosed out for the second slot by the late rallying Win Legend progeny Sovereign Legend. Sovereign Legend who was full of running showed that he was a capable stayer and that he had made rapid strides after a disappointing run over a shorter trip.

Padmanabhan trained Knight Templar was the strongly backed favourite to win the 1600 metres Mysore Race Club Trophy, a race for horses rated 75 and above. Akita Pro who was bidding for a hat-trick did not let Knight Templar to do his customary front-running role as she led from the start forcing Trevor Patel to settle Knight Templar in the second position. Akita Pro led deep into the stretch before Knight Templar got the better of the long-time leader. Automatic came up with a big run but his short burst was not good enough to overhaul Knight Templar who was getting stronger at the finish. Roma Victor ran on to take the third position ahead of Akita Pro who weakened to go out of the reckoning under pressure.

The 1400 metres Indian Republic Trophy, a race for maiden three-year-olds had a surfeit of Win Legend sired horses and in the fitness of things, the first three places were all claimed by them. Sulaiman Attaollahi trained Scintillating Lass was the favourite based on her excellent workouts. However, the wide draw ensured that she could not take a handy position and her late charge could only fetch her the third position. Jockey Anthony Raj who had Pecanwood in a handy position quickly got into his act at the top of the straight and got his horse to quicken to challenge the front-running Thousand Words approaching the final furlong. Pecan Wood showed speed to overhaul the front-runner with a minimum of fuss and then had enough legs to stave off the challenge of stablemate Kensington. Both the runner-up and the failed favourite should make amends soon.

Irfan Ghatala trained Cavallini who was ambitiously campaigned in the 2000 Guineas was brought back to race in the 1400 metres T B Hanumantharaj Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 30 to 50. The one problem with the colt was that he was mostly sluggish at the gates and this had affected his winning chances. Though he did not take a brisk start this time out too, he proved to be a cut above the class when he came from way off the pace and flew past those in front in the final furlong to win by a widening margin of five lengths over stablemate and favourite Watchmystars in his eighth effort. Sea of Cortez who did the front-running stayed on to edge out Twinkle Feet from the third position.

Md Khan trained Del Mar who had been relocated from Mumbai came in for one-sided support in the 1200 metres Kumararajah M A M Muthiah Trophy, a race for horses rated 45 to 65 but the wide outside draw perhaps put paid to his hopes. Long shot Alpha from the stables of trainer Neil Darashah produced a winning effort down the final furlong to get the better of front-running Wings of Desire close to home. Regal Music ran on to finish third ahead of Hokkaido who found the six-furlong trip sharp for his comfort.

Arjun Mangalorkar trained Sherwin was running after a break of more than 300 days but still looked good both for the kind of preparatory workouts that he was subjected to and for the fact that his last run was a winning one. Though he was hampered by the widest draw, John did not unduly hurry with the fancied runner and brought him into contention on the wide outside inside in the final 300 metres. Sherwin flew home to with great deal of ease from late rallying Benignity and Niche Cannabis. Handsome who came for strong support made no show. In a tight finish, Gnaneshwar who is seen in action after a longish absence drove out Rosy Rapunzel to a narrow win over In A Breeze and Golden Memory to get the lower division of the race at nourishing odds. The filly who is trained by Dheeraj had run a suggestive race last time out.

Imtiaz Khan trained Tiger Returns looked to be better than the poor lot of horses that were in the fray for the 1200 metres Saddle Up Cup, a race for horses in the lowest category. Jockey Rayan Ahmed took Tiger Returns on a start to finish mission and the favourite had no problem in steering clear of the rest to win by more than three lengths over Nostradamus and Glorious Days.


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



Tiger Returns (Rayan Ahmed R up) winner of the Saddle Up Cup




Sherwin (S John up) winner of the Totalizator Cup (Div-I)




Pecanwood (Antony Raj S up) winner of the Indian Republic Trophy




Lagarde (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Kingfisher Ultra Derby Bangalore (Gr.1)




Knight Templar (Trevor Patel up) winner of the Mysore Race Club Trophy




Rosy Rapunzel (D Gnaneshwar up) winner of the Totalizator Cup (Div-II)





 
 
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