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The form fluctuations are par for racing but then when there is a definite pattern to it, then it calls for a critical evaluation. This season trainer Sulaiman Attaollahi has played havoc with his horses developing cold feet as favourites but sprouting wings as it were when they are at odds and win so easily as contrasted with their previous efforts that one cannot help but dub him as a magician.
Conceding that Sulaiman has magical qualities about his training, what is unfathomable is the fact that the Stipes (two of them visiting part-time stipes) seem to be lacking in commitment, have left things to drift by their lackadaisical approach. We cannot blame the Stewards because the professionals are expected to do their job. Since the Stipes have failed, it is for the Stewards to stem the rot so that correctives are taken to retain the trust of people in racing as conducted in Bangalore.
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Sulaiman trained Scintillating Lass had finished nearly 20 lengths behind the winner in her last outing. Now backed with conviction to win the 1600 metres Governor’s Trophy, Scintillating Lass produced a winning performance, staving off the challenge of Mysore challenger Chashni in the hands of jockey Srinath. Interestingly, Trevor Patel rode Scintillating Lass when the horse finished down the field and invariably the horses that performed miserably under him having gone on win in the hands of other jockeys. The other horse to show a similar erratic pattern of running was another Sulaiman trainee Malwa who had finished 23 lengths behind Colonel Harty and he beat the same horse by a similar margin. The only difference was that jockey Trevor was not astride the horse but was replaced by Akshay Kumar.
There were just six runners in the fray for the feature event. There was inspired betting on Scintillating Lass to reverse the performance. On the last occasion, Scintillating Lass, as per the race commentary, was last till turn, covered ground leisurely and finished sixth. Ignore the run was what the commentator in the racebooks had written. How spot-on he was!
Jockey Srinath had Scintillating Lass chase Flying Quest into the straight and the filly asserted her supremacy down the final furlong to win by a shade less than a length from Chashni. The latter gave hopes but Trevor was unable to get the best out of her. This season, Trevor perhaps has had the worst season in terms of losing on horses which he should not have and his riding has bordered on being questionable unless one is generous enough to give the benefit of a grave doubt if one were to borrow the favourite expression that one finds in the racing incidents report.
Malwa scored an impressive win earlier in the day in the 1400 metres Leading Owner Trophy, a race for horses rated 60 and above. On the last occasion, Malwa had finished 23 lengths behind the winner Colonel Harty. The alibi was that the horse stumbled twice during the race passing the 400 metres marker. One run prior to that, Malwa had finished 17 lengths behind as a fancied runner to Akita Pro. Jockey Trevor had reported that Malwa did not relish the underfoot conditions and he accidentally lost his whip during the race. Two runs earlier, Malwa had finished about five lengths adrift of Akita Proto to whom he lost again.
The first run of Malwa during the season was a winning one and, on that occasion,, Malwa came home with a blistering turn of feet from way off the pace and scored close to home. Akshay Kumar had Malwa in a handy position and the five-year-old moved swiftly approaching the final bend and was hailed a winner all the way in the final furlong as he swamped the field with a quality effort. Malwa this time out relished the ground, there was no loss of whip or any other hiccup. Alibis seem to be reserved only for favourites! Alexander Dumas was second. Velocidad, ridden by Trevor was the favourite and the six-year-old gelding was loitering in the rear before improving in the straight to pinch the third place. One was left wondering why Trevor finds him replaced on the horses which eventually win and he is riding the loser in the same race?
Irfan Ghatala trained Griffin recorded an encore in a thrilling finish where four horses finished almost in a line in the 1400 metres Leading Stud Trophy, a race for horses rated 30 to 50. Newly apprenticed jockey Salman Khan had the first winner of his career on Griffin on whom he rode an enterprising race. Griff took over the running from a prominent position in the final furlong and held off a host of horses, with Katana missing the berth by a whisker. For the record, the Trevor ridden Katana had finished a dozen lengths behind in his last outing. Twinkle Feet covering acres of ground in the final stages of the race and was two short heads behind the winner. Classic Charm too was closing in aggressively but had to be satisfied with the fourth position. The favourite for the race Mountain Lion dropped his jockey en route to the starting gate and was withdrawn from the fray.
Royal Blossom from the stables of trainer Arjun Mangalorkar proved too good for the field in the 1600 metres Champion Trainer Trophy, a race for horses rated 15 to 35, having the race sewn up a long way from home. From a forward position, Royal Blossom stormed clear in the hands of jockey Anthony Raj. Trevor brought Almanach with a late effort which fetched the fancied runner the runner-up berth ahead of Southernartistocrat.
Ganapathy trained Own Legacy who was showing out in the workouts was backed strongly to win the 1400 metres Premium Spirit Plate, a race for maiden three-year-olds. Trevor Patel took Own Legacy on a start to finish mission and the got abroad filly won by a widening margin of four lengths over Mitsuro and Ohanna.
Mystic Eye, trained by Kishan Thomas, had no problem in recording a repeat win in the 1200 metres Champion Jockey Trophy (Div I), a race for horses rated 15 to 35. Zervan produced Mystic Eye with a well-timed run in the final furlong and the progeny of Green Coast had no problem in containing the challenge of Copper Sunrise and Flamingo Road. Pradeep Annaiah trained Rule of Engagement proved overwhelmingly superior in the lower division of the race, winning in the hands of apprentice Arul by a widening margin of five lengths over Ocean Dunes and Impeccable.
Another newly apprenticed jockey to win his maiden race was Saqlain who guided Lokanath trained Striking Memory to a start to finish win in the 1400 metres Seabiscuit Salver, a race for horses rated 15 to. Happy Dancing came up with a late bid to neck out Adela to take the runner-up berth.
In the day’s other action for horses in the lowest category, Mahmood Khan trained Azeemki Princes held off the late challenge of Song And Dance to land the spoils in the 1400 metres Good-Bye Plate at nourishing odds. Sizzle necked out Je Ne Sais Quoi to save place money.
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Azeemki Princess (H M Akshay up) winner of the Good-Bye Plate
Rule Of Engagement (Arul J H up) winner of the Champion Jockey Trophy (Div-II)
Own Legacy (Trevor Patel up) winner of the Premium Spirit Plate
Royal Blossom (Antony Raj S up) winner of the Champion Trainer Trophy
Griffin (Salman Khan up) winner of the Leading Stud Trophy
Malwa (Akshay Kumar up) winner of the Leading Owner Trophy
Scintillating Lass (Y S Srinath up) winner of the Governor'S Trophy
Mystic Eye (S Zervan up) winner of the Champion Jockey Trophy (Div-I)
Striking Memory (S Saqlain up) winner of the Seabiscuit Salver
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