The betting market pinned their hopes on money on only two juveniles, Ascoval (9-to-4 against) and Miracle (7-to-2 against), to send them out as first and second favourites respectively.
Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai. Pic/Shadab Khan
The Pesi Shroff-trained Miracle, ably ridden by P S Chouhan, posted a smashing victory in the grade 1, Poonawalla Breeders' Multi-Million (PBMM), the stellar attraction of the nine-race card that was framed at Mahalaxmi for Sunday. The winner raced in the silks of Mehernosh H Deboo, who owns it in partnership with his wife, Auzita. Miracle, the three-year-old daughter of Multidimensional out of Khalila, set a new record for the seven-furlong timing--stopping the clock at 1m: 23.16s. Miracle was bred by Ms Ameeta Mehra of Usha stud farm.
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Fluent victory
The betting market pinned their hopes on money on only two juveniles, Ascoval (9-to-4 against) and Miracle (7-to-2 against), to send them out as first and second favourites respectively. When the starter flagged them off, P Trevor astride the favourite Ascoval took a smart jump and led the way, and P S Chouhan settled Miracle about five lengths away in mid-bunch, and made his move only after the field of 13 runners straightened up to deal with the long Mahalaxmi stretch.
Crossing the 300-meter marker, Ascoval came under pressure and his strides began to shorten, and just then Chouhan urged Miracle and put her into the top gear. Miracle responded instantly to her rider's call, and lengthened her stride, stretching out like a leopard in chase of prey.
Miracle galloped with such tremendous speed, she made a sitting duck out of Ascoval near the 200-meter marker, and sailed away for an impressive victory, putting three lengths between herself and runner up Allamanda (Neeraj Rawal up), who finished ahead of Spinoza (Akshay Kumar up).
Juliette rules
In the other grade 1 event on the card, the Darashaw Indian St Leger, the Karthik Ganapathy-trained Juliette pulverized her rivals to post an authoritative victory over the trip of mile-and-three-quarters. Jockey A Sandesh kept Juliette an unconcerned second from last, but on a tight rein, gradually moving up as her main rival Parisian (P S Chouhan up) started improving in the latter half of the trip.
Once in the homestretch, Sandesh gave Juliette her head, and she devoured ground with each stride, whizzing past Parisian and Wizard Of Stocks, making them look pedestrian as she ran away to win by seven-and-a-half lengths.
Doubles & troubles
Three professionals recorded a double each on the Sunday card. Trainer Pesi Shroff and jockey P S Chouhan returned winners with Miracle and Mandeville; jockey Sandesh rode two winners, Juliette and Menilly.
However, ace jockey P Trevor, who rarely disappoints his followers when they pin their money and hope on him, struggled to get going right from his first mount on the card, Lightning Bolt, who looked like a winner until being shocked by Truly Epic (C S Jodha up) on the winning post. Trevor ended the day without a single win. Ironically, five of his seven rides for the day were popular choices--three of them piping hot, on-money favourites. However, in his defence, it must be said that there was nothing wrong with his riding; it was just a bad day at the office for the star jockey which he should be able to put behind soon.
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