Sky Fall wins Madras Race Club Trophy

Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai. Pic/Shadab Khan

The Dallas Todywalla-trained Sky Fall emerged victorious in the Madras Race Club Trophy, the feature event of Sunday's eight-race card. The six-year-old mare, owned by Yohan Poonawalla in partnership with his wife Michelle and father Zavaray, was ridden by the Bangalore-based jockey S Saqlain.

Sky Fall hit the front from the word go, and was stalked by Mozelle (Neeraj Rawal up), with the first favourite Endeavour (A Sandesh up) racing three lengths away, keeping company to Gazino (S Zervaan up) even as Augustus Caesar (Bhawani Singh) was content to race in the rear. After turning for home, Sky Fall quickly managed to shake off Mozelle and appeared to be going away for an unchallenged victory at the midpoint of the homestretch.

Also Read: Endeavour for Madras Race Club Trophy

However, just then Sandesh set alight Endevour who started closing in menacingly approaching the final fulrong. But Saqlain kept urging Sky Fall, who grittily kept the challenger at bay until crossing the wire. The winner clocked 57.96 seconds for the five-furlong trip.

Jockey Saqulain finished the day with a double as he had earlier won the Y M Chaudhry Memorial Trophy astride Believe for trainer Waheed.

Three more professionals matched Saqlain's feat: Trainer Narendra Lagad and jockey Mustakim Alam combined to score with Son Of A Gun (P D Bolton Trophy) and Charming Star (lower division of the M M T Pandole Plate); while trainer Pesi Shroff led in two winners--Hunting Goddess (PS Chouhan up) who won as the shortest priced favourite of the day when bagging the Jehangir P Dubash Trophy; and Swift (N Bhosale up) who triumphed in the upper division of the M M T Pandole plate.