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.