B. Prakash steals the limelight

MUMBAI

BARRING THE Indian Oaks day fixed for January 21, all the horse racing action at Mahalakshmi during January has been programmed for mid-week days. This is because other centres have been given their due, with regional classics set down for decision.

Thursday's action began with a superb four-timer from B. Prakash, returning to action after a spill. As if to make up for lost time, he reeled off this sequence of consecutive wins, leaving his rivals for the title in disarray. Persistence on Persian Lord paid off in the opener, although it has to be said that he did not have too much opposition. A great disappointment so far, Wings Of Fire missed this opportunity to earn that vital winning bracket which would have established her value as a broodmare - she was a tame third.

The next stepping stone was Texas King, from S.S. Shah's stable. Like Persian Lord, he came into the race off a recent placed effort and went one better this time. The good-looking Dalsinghar was far behind in second and might benefit from a step-up in trip, as would As A Rule, the third-placed runner.

Both these wins came for outside stables. Prakash sported the silks he is most commonly associated with on Green Paradise in the next and took the Todywalla-trained racemare on a start-to- finish mission. Despite strenuous efforts by the riders of Immaculate and Soviet Ride, neither could make any impression. Aries Rocket bled yet again and his career must now be in jeopardy.

Although Super Sword led by lengths in the maidens' event, the once-raced youngster shortened his strides in the home stretch and was nabbed in the last 20 metres by the fast-moving Supreme Statesman. This well-bred youngster would have been better- fancied had he not had a certain burly look about him, but apparently this is a family trait of the descendants of the well- performed Parfait Amour. Prakash persisted on the Steinbeck colt when all seemed lost and once again proved the old adage that a race is not lost till it is won.

Much the same could be said about Bajrang Singh's effort astride Rapallo. The lead kept changing until Adam's Blessings looked home and dry in the straight. Suddenly, Rapallo unleashed a very late effort that resulted in his shooting to the front close home. Zadmal Singh did a grand job in getting this Young Senor gelding into winning condition, after a lengthy absence caused by a surgical change in the colt's masculine status.

There was a certain degree of insensitivity on the part of the R.W.I.T.C. authorities in failing to make an announcement regarding the tragic death of Maj. Pradeep Mehra. Nor did they see to it that the jockeys sported black armbands, as has been done in the past in certain instances. It was only the next day that wisdom dawned.

Meanwhile, what really took the cake was the statement, after Regal Equity had won the day's feature, the Maharaja Sir Harisinghji Trophy, that the winner was owned by ``Mr. Deepak Khaitan representing Soom Stud Farm Pvt. Ltd. and Maj. P.K. Mehra''. Really? Could not the words ``Estate of the late Maj. P.K. Mehra'' have been used instead?

The race itself was a tribute to the late master of the Usha Stud as the winner and the third-placed horse were bred at that establishment. Ryan Marshall kept his cool astride Regal Equity, a grand old stager who runs best when fresh. Hugging the rail, he came out when presented with an opportunity and timed his finishing effort to a nicety. Star Fortune on his outside flattered to deceive, while Top Mover found running room too late to affect the result - he was a fast closing second by a neck, with Star Fortune a further head behind. Rashid Byramji trains the seven-year-old winner, who was a 12 to 1 shot.

With C. Rajendra replacing Hamir Singh, it was no secret that Royal Secret had been licked into winning shape. He attracted support along with Adam's Touch and Natural Spark in this Class IV sprint and interestingly, they finished in the order mentioned. Narendra Lagad saddled the Sizzling Melody colt, who gave his sire his first double ever at Mahalakshmi, having begun the day through Persian Lord.

Prakash somewhat blotted his copybook when giving Zongrilla too much to do in the 2400m event. The Placerville colt was kept too far back and was finishing on when third from an impossible position. Meanwhile, Count Dracula called on his reserves of stamina and drew ahead of Suratha, who was the first to show in the straight. P. Belose steered Magansingh Jodha's four-year-old, who is useful but with faulty conformation that might compromise his progress.

The afternoon concluded with another surprise from the same stable. This was Rigged For Revenge, who knocked whatever jackpot tickets remained, into the neighbouring Arabian Sea! Visiting rider S. Rajesh did duty on the decently-bred gelding, who came up from nowhere to seal the fate of Balahak, Demedici and Valid Appeal.

As Inimitable had trounced Machrihanish, who subsequently franked the form with a runaway win, she could hardly have lost in Sunday's 2400m opener. Sure enough, once given the office by Niall McCullagh, Inimitable displayed a clean pair of heels to National Velvet as the four runners ended up well strung out. As long as she remains sound, there is no telling where the Zadmal Singh-trained daughter of Cruachan could reach.

Deep Blue is no longer what she once appeared to be - a top- class filly in the making. Here, despite facing an apparently weak field, she could not cope with the front-running Gold Berg, who completed a hat- trick. The booking of Pesi Shroff to guide the Antia-trained winner was surely significant. Deep Blue would do better over a shade further, but it will take a Herculean effort for her to ever redeem the reputation she enjoyed last year.

Very often, failures in the classics rebound at their next starts, when returning to handicap company. One such customer is Afilado, who made all the running in a 1400m Class IV affair and shrugged off topweight to score with a modicum of ease. Imtiaz Sait's ward was guided by Mark Gallagher and checked in five lengths clear of the erratic Champagne Gold.

Star Of Attention cornered most of the interest in the 1000m juvenile event, but only just managed to scramble home from a baying pack consisting of Wild Wind, Tasmac and Star Power, who finished short heads apart. The got-abroad winner is by the speedy Pursuit Of Love out of a mare felt to be best at 2000m, so clearly was defying an unsuitably short trip here. Wild Wind burst a blood vessel and will be out of action for a while.

For some time now, the Dawn Mills-sponsored R.R. Ruia Gold Cup has been a less informative contest than it used to be in the days when the members of the classic crop were not as thoroughly exposed as is the case nowadays. For example, Perceived Value had already won a classic event at the 2000m trip, so seemed a readymade winner. Kept restrained as her stablemate Stone Ridge made the running, she powered her way to the front when asked by Richard Hughes and scored. She now goes for the Indian Oaks.

This was the second Graded Stakes winner by an offspring of Razeen in two days. Stone Ridge was a grand second at the very first occasion he has been allowed to race over a sizeable piece of real estate. The disappointment of the race was The Proletarian, who seemed not to stay and only just managed to hold off his barnmate, Torres.

At her low mark, Romanza should have been able to account for this company, but it would seem that the 1400m trip selected to test her prowess was too sharp. As a Twist And Turn half-sister to Republic, she is bred for twice as far. Her running style - a late effort - confirms the diagnosis. As she could not fulfill the role envisaged for her by the betting market, it was left to Millennium King to come home alone under a typically vigorous ride from Gallagher, who completed a double.Ever since he has moved to Dilip Chavan's yard, Rumaan has been a revelation. The Sir Bordeaux gelding gained his second win from two efforts from that stable with a facile effort. C. Rajendra was engaged for the purpose of delivering the goods and duly did so, while favourite Arabella could find nothing extra in the straight and was wayward under extreme pressure. Nuclear Power got up late to deprive the latter of the runner-up spot.

Silver Blue led up the straight in the concluding event, but was collared by Infamous in the closing stages. However, it was plain as a pikestaff that Mallesh Narredu had angled in rather abruptly on the ``winner'', putting paid to the chances of third-placed Stellar Angel. An objection was lodged and duly upheld, so that Silver Blue became the beneficiary of the decision to place the offender behind his affected rival.

DARK LEGEND

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