12 January,2024 09:49 AM IST | Mumbai | Prakash Gosavi
Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai. Pic/Shadab Khan
Displaying good judgement of pace, jockey Prashant Dhebe astride Fortunate Son went on a successful start-ro-finish mission in the Aziz H Ahmedbhoy Trophy, the feature event of Thursday's seven-race Mahalaxmi card. Jumping out smartly from the gates trainer MK Jadhav's ward, who looked the fittest of the lot in the paddock, received good support in the betting ring, and was installed as first favourite, easing out ante post favourite Wall Street. Fortunate Son clocked 1m:38.411s for the mile trip, beating Own Voice (Mustakim Alam up).
Jockey Mustakim Alam, however, went one better immediately in the next race, the R R Byramji Trophy when, astride the Narendra Lagad-trained Alpine Star, he made every post of the seven-furlong trip a winning one. Luck however played a decisive role in his victory as Opus Dei (CS Jodha up) moved like a bullet in the final furlong to swoop on to Mustakim & Alpine Star, but the photo finish print showed the Lagad horse having won by the breadth of a nostril.
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In the opening race, the upper division of the D W Reid Plate, Brahmos scored at lucrative odds in the hands of R Ajinkya for trainer SK Sunderji. The trainer also claimed the other division of the same race with Cyrenaica (P Trevor up), ending the day with a double.
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Despite getting a check approaching the two-furlong marker, jockey Saqlain managed well to angle out the Imtiaz Sait-trained Big Red and swept past the front runners, after the stable mate, favourite Pride Prince (V Bunde up), failed to quicken at a crucial juncture when King's Retreat (K Bhagat up) looked all set to steal the race. Saqlain also gave a vigorous ride to trainer Faisal Abbas's Zukor who bagged the Greater Mumbai Police Trophy.
Earth, trained by Sanjay Kolse and ridden by P Trevor, decimated rivals in the Hyderabad Turf Club Trophy, working up a longish lead before easing up near the wire, but still sparing more than eight lengths to the rest of the field headed by Desert Classic (S Zervan up).
