Time for Phoenix Tiger to consolidate his position atop the Classic pecking order

I like a horse a great deal in Sunday’s first race in Mumbai. It is Captain Abdon. As I look at the Original Vel book, Captain Abdon, in six starts has been worse than fourth only once. In Race 44, with S A Amit up, Captain Abdon was a winner at 20/1. His key victim was Kandinsky who was winner in his next outing. Entrusted with the public purse in an accident-marred Race 104, Captain Abdon, again in the hands apprentice Amit, was a length and a half adrift.

 

On Sunday, Captain Abdon is set to carry 59 ½ kgs and has drawn seven in the 11-horse field. The distance is 1200 metres. Consistency and readiness are the key elements and the entire cause is strengthened by the presence of A Sandesh in the saddle. The trainer is quite willing to give up the apprentice allowance and that is a measure of the connections’ confidence.

 

Spanish Saga had to go to 1-26 to win Race 62. In Race 116, Spanish Saga was a length and quarter off in third when running on promotion.

 

On current form, the first race, in my view, is confined to Captain Abdon and Spanish Saga. The Captain has done much better at Sunday’s level and with the switch to Sandesh, my vote goes to him.

 

In the second race, my choice is Magnolia. Dismissed at 10/1 in her debut as a four year-old, Magnolia ran fourth and was eight lengths off the winner. In Race 116 in Mumbai, Magnolia, now a five year-old mare, was the 11/10 favorite with N S Parmar. She was fourth again beaten a length and a quarter and she runs again in ten days.

 

Sunday’s jockey is Jim Crowley, It is Crowley’s first ride in India. As he left London late Friday for Mumbai, jockey Crowley won with his last two mounts at Loingfield Park. The fact that Magnolia was the 11/10 chalk tells a story. With Crowley in the saddle, it is reasonable to think that Magnolia will be able to elevate her game. Post 10 in the 1600-metre race will not be a handicap. It is not a given as Rain Dance, Azadegan, and Top Wizard check in fit for the fray. Normal progression is what Magnolia needs to deliver.

 

A word or two on Teofilo, Magnolia’s sire.  A son of Galileo, Teofilo was the champion two year-old in Europe in 2006. He ran five times and won all those races.  In the Group I National Stakes, Teofilo beat Holy Roman Emperor at the Curragh. Holy Roman Emperor went to Paris and was victorious in the Lagardere, Europe’s richest race for freshmen. In a rematch in Newmarket’s Dewhurst Stakes, Teofilo gained a narrow verdict over Holy Roman Emperor. Teofilo was made the early favorite for the 2007 Two Thousand Guineas and the Epsom Derby. An injury three weeks before the 2000 Guineas took him out of England’s first Classic and a promising career ended. A stallion, Teofilo is beginning to enjoy some success.

 

Paddy Power, the Irish betting behemoth, refunded the Guineas and Derby ante post wagers made on Teofilo because of the Irish connections. Jim Bolger, trainer of Teofilo, called the Galileo colt the best he had trained. Bolger rated Teofilo better than St Jovite. A son of Pleasant Colony, the Bolger-trained St Jovite won the Irish Derby in 1992 and also the King George VI Stakes at Ascot that summer. St Jovite, 27 years of age, died on Friday.

 

Let us now take a look at the sixth race, the 2000-metre R R Ruia Gold Cup. Phoenix Tiger is a tiger on the loose. His appetite is growing. The Phoenix Tower colt has won five races from six starts. The Todywalla pupil is yet to taste defeat with Colm O’Donoghue in the irons. Phoenix Tiger’s win in the 2000 Guineas was impressive. He did what needed to be done to win. The 2000-metre trip should not be a problem. O’Donoghue is a world class rider. He is capable of making smart decisions. Yes, there are worthy adversaries but Phoenix Tiger is in a class of his own. I do not see any chinks in his armour.

 

Airco is an above average sort but it is clear that he is not in the classic mould. Colombiana is one step below the required level but the Nanda-owned colt tries hard every time. The sparingly raced Gestapo is two for two and the son of Mastercraftsman has the services of Jim Crowley. Gestapo shows considerable promise but he lacks the exposure and experience of Phoenix Tiger. Jefferson has had some battling successes but I believe he needs to elevate his game a great deal to be effective. Magnificence lacks the tools to be a viable threat. Ostwind, the only horse in the Ruia field to have beaten Phoenix Tiger in Bangalore, gets Suraj Narredu. A son of Holy Roman Emperor, Ostwind has not kept pace in terms of development with his more accomplished rivals. Saker comes off a win in Race 16 in Mumbai and that was a 2000-metre race for 40-66 players. There is no question Saker is in deeper waters in the Ruia Cup. Sea Lord has a record that would normally be enviable  but he has to reach new levels to have a shot. Sentosa Cove, a Teofilo gelding, is yet to show the potential that would make him a frontline contender.

 

The Magician is another I like in Sunday’s tenth race. He was a going-away winner in Race 102. He steps up and has drawn four. It was an optimism-generating victory. I believe The Magician can make another winning bid.

 

In Hyderabad, Vijay Vaishnavee goes for a hat trick in the opener. Given her cracking form and with P S Chouhan up, the daughter of Yeats, looks home and dry. Yeats won the 4000-metre Gold Cup at Royal Ascot four years in a row from 2006 to 2009.

 

Vijay Vidhata is in burning form and is the one to stop in the third  race.

 

The Healer figures to be a deserving favorite  in the fourth. The Healer is by Lord Shanakill. Jim Crowley’s Group I winner in France is Lord Shanakill. Jockey Crowley makes his Indian debut at Mahalakshmi on Sunday. A coincidence worthy of mention.

 

Good luck   

 

 

Dare To Dream and Desert God set for big winter campaigns

Getting reacquainted has been my primary activity in my first week in Chennai. My arrival was delayed by three weeks because of the flood situation.

 

One heartening feature is the new look that Guindy is getting.  Yes, it is a hackneyed cliché but it apples in full measure to Guindy. No stone is being left unturned.

 

It is indeed a daunting task to restore luster to a track in such a short time. There is an indefatigable  team headed by Dr Karthikeyan that is in place. Staging the Invitation  racing weekend is an arduous task. In Guindy’s case it is more than arduous. It borders on the herculean.

 

A thought or two about evening racing in Mumbai. The suggestion is that evening racing should be an exclusive racing program. Last Saturday, Kolkata started at 1 P M and ended at 4 P M. Mumbai started at 4 P M and ended well past 8 P M. There are many who like to wager on both centers and it becomes a nine or ten-hour racing outing. The tail end suffers because the fans are physically and financially drained. Evening racing, if offered as a stand alone, will be much more palatable.

 

I understand there are complexities that are not easy to sort out but I believe that the Race Clubs will be able to come up with a solution.

 

The dual-announcer concept is a good experiment. I think it is not working well. It is an idea that is practised in France. Especially, in the Prix Du Cadran, a 4000-metre race, there are two announcers. In Mumbai’s case, Deepak Rajpal and Mahendra Mallyam are good but their styles differ. Getting them together, to me, is a case of sending mixed signals. Deepak is high strung and vibrant. Mahendra is laid back and deliberate. I love hearing both.

 

Here are some horses that caught my eye. Dare To Dream has improved beyond recognition. Dare To Dream’s thrashing of Azurro in Bangalore was breathtaking. There is no doubt in my mind that the Hyderabad-based Dare To Dream will be a serious player in the 2016 Invitation Cup. Oath, Dare To Dream’s father, owns the distinction of winning the slowest-run Epsom Derby.

 

Desert God has been a revelation. He is taking small but sure steps on his way to stardom. The Padmanabhan-trained Desert God won the Kolkata Derby by a two-length margin. It is the Kolkata to Mumbai route that In The Spotlight took that Desert God will be asked to take. The Kolkata Derby will be used as the springboard. David Allan and Desert God have formed a formidable partnership. Phoenix Tiger and Costa Del Sol have glittering credentials but it will be unwise to underestimate Desert God in the Indian Derby less than four weeks away.

 

Sun And Moon Stars made light of a long layoff when recording an eye-catching win. An encore is in the cards.

 

Heather, who won the Golconda Oaks, is a daughter of Champs Elysee. It is the name of the most beautiful tree-lined avenue in Paris. It is also the name of a racehorse that raced in Europe, in America and in Canada. Champs Elysee enjoyed success in Group I contests.

 

D K Ashish’s passing has caused me indescribable sorrow. I spent a great deal of time with Ashish in 2013 in Mumbai. When in the Satish Narredu house, I often met Ashish. He was a good rider and beginning to make a mark in his profession. He showed me courtesy. I remember calling Ashish to congratulate him on winning the Bangalore Fillies’ Trial with Moisha. He was extremely grateful. I’ll miss Ashish.

 

The 2016 harness racing season began at Hawthorne Racecourse in Chicago. The thoroughbreds are off until the third week in February. The first program was on Friday, January 8. There was snow. There was rain. The temperature was in the below freezing range. Winners were hard to come by. In 30 races in the first three days, I had seven winners for the Sun-Times. The best priced was 9/2.

 

II am beginning to spend more time. It will not necessarily mean that I will have more winners. It will only mean that I have done my best and that my best is not good enough.

 

Jim Crowley sent an email giving information about his career. Jockey Crowley is expected to ride for Pesi Shroff in some big races. I have a story ready. I am waiting for Crowley’s name to appear in the Mumbai racecard. I will send it to RWITC and racingpulse.

 

Siklvestre De Sousa has taken a short-term license to ride in Hong Kong. He has already ridden a winner at Sha Tin. Silvestre is also riding in England on the All Weather. He is quite serious about defending his British Riding Crown this year.

 

 

Costa Del Sol and Dancing Prances ultra impressive

That was an imperious display by Costa Del Sol in Mumbai on Sunday. It was a five-horse field. The only worthwhile adversary was Bullrun, the Pune Derby winner. Trevor Patel stayed several lengths off the lead, made headway with 800 metres left, pounced on Bullrun who had taken over in the lane and drew away. Costa Del Sol’s record speaks for itself.

 

At this point, Phoenix Tiger and Costa Del Sol, in my opinion, sit atop the pecking order in the ‘Classic’ division. The Indian Derby is about four weeks away.

 

Dancing Prances made mincemeat of his rivals in the Bookmakers’ Association Million over 1200 metres. The six year-old gelding by Ace has struck a purple patch. Gold Bag, reunited with Suraj Narredu, had a large following. Jockey Sandesh elected to hold Dancing Prances up. He angled out straightening for home and swept past the front runners in effortless fashion. It was an awesome performance. Gold Bag was outclassed and outpaced.

 

Intelligence had won in Hyderabad and failed in her next start in Bangalore. She carried top weight in the 1400-metre Squanderer Double Stakes for horses rated 60-86. Trevor Patel got Intelligence alertly away from the gate. Intelligence set a ‘friendly’ pace and had enough left when a bunch of challengers made their bids.

 

Personify came out of stall 12 in the 1600-metre Bright Hanover Double Stakes. Excolence and Angelic Aria were in a duel in the final 300 metres and the former was emerging the winner. Neeraj Rawal, on Excolence, was hoping the wire would come to his rescue. It was not to be. An energy-drained Excolence was passed by Personify and jockey Sandesh. The Dr MAM Trust-owned Personify unleashed a sparkling turn of foot. I will put Personify in my notebook for an encore.

 

In the Greater Mumbai Police Cup, Schiehaillon had what appeared to be a winning lead but suffered a life-threatening injury and came to a halt. Advance To Contact landed the generous odds offered on him.

 

Cavalia and Dasrath Singh grabbed the lead leaving from post 12 in the 12-horse field in the 1600-metre Pradeep Vijayakar Cup. Cavalia was so well rated by Dasrath Singh that the Chevalier filly kept finding more in the stretch. She ran out an easy winner. It has to be borne in mind that Cavalia won in 1-26 company. Given the manner of winning, she may have a chance on promotion.

 

In Chennai on Sunday, the Hyderabad betting ring was large enough. The Mumbai ring was congested. You cannot move around. You get pushed. My suggestion is that the entire ring be used. It will give fans much needed breathing room.

 

There is more wagering on Chennai races and more than one bookmaker told me that the Chennai races are attracting more attention. It is a positive development.