Altenburg turns up trumps in Bangalore Derby

BANGALORE

AT ABOUT the time Polar Falcon was flying the Indian flag at Kranji in Singapore by winning a Class II sprint there in a smart time of 1:11.1 seconds, the talk around the Big Stage set for the Bagpiper Gold Bangalore Derby centred around the dearth of true stayers. Ironically, that is precisely why the Winter Derby itself had such a wide look this year. None in the field could be singled out as a doughty stayer.

When everyone in the field carries a question mark of that sort the test is all about who survives the final furlong more than who conquers it. Altenburg turned up trumps in the nick of time to wrench the race from the clutches of a ghastly outsider in Il Diablo. The climax had a touch of theatre about it. If at all there is a sob story it concerns Hello Brother who was dealt a rather cruel blow by fate just when he had picked himself so very well in the final stages. A tiring Chevalier came frightfully close to Hello Brother who shied away. By the time Rakesh recovered his poise and Hello Brother his momentum it was at least two heads too late. This is one loss which may make the connections shudder in disgust everytime the finish is discussed. Those two heads separated the first three and none were prime betting propositions which meant that the result was not so palatable for followers of money which in huge measures was thrust on Chevalier. The Placerville-Nauka gelding flopped, unable to raise himself to the demands at crunch time. The critics were quick to pounce on this no show to suggest that the gelding was yet to win in Bangalore and all his previous wins had come on the rather flat Mysore course and too much had been made of them. Il Diablo was left so loose in the betting that he returned a 100 to one on the Second Horse Pool and was vital in ensuring the biggest Trinalla pay out in recent times.

Aslam Kader allowed his exuberance to show the moment he knew he had nailed Il Diablo and Mark Gallagher in the last stride. Little did he know at the time that a stride more Hello Brother would have been all over him. What Aslam needed to reassure himself that the deft touch of his is still with him was a rousing finish of this nature. Having pulled the chestnut out of the fire, he was obviously delighted more out of relief than the weight of accomplishment. Aslam had reached a stage where whatever he did appear to come under a microscope including his choice of mounts. As a topline trainer put it Aslam had never been under so much pressure to prove himself as he had been in the last month or two. Altenburg and a day later Allaire have now boosted Aslam's stocks again.

Those who had seen promise in Altenburg's last win stood to gain. The Razeen-Try Kola gelding had come on nicely after this win prompting the rider to privately claim that the Byramji trainee would be right there in the reckoning. The betting line though did not buy this theory and Altenburg hovered in the region of sevens and eights. The victory by Altenburg is a flowing tribute to the late Major P. K. Mehra who part-owned and bred this well proportioned gelding. For the Deepak Khaitan silks the victory meant a back-to-back success, Alchemy having won last year.

When Allocated was drafted in as a final entry at just over Rs 2 lakhs the game plan was obviously to let him set a pace that would go well with his stable companion Chevalier, who it was thought needed a truly fast run race. Allocated did his job to the hilt only that Chevalier couldn't quite come round as Shroff found to his chagrin when he pressed him for that crucial final run. It was evident that the pace had gobbled quite a few in the bunch by the time the field swung in and among the survivors, Il Diablo looked the part to sustain that lead he had shot into. Gallagher was making a grand job of it when Aslam smoothly brought Altenburg. The duel worked out tremendous excitement before a confident Aslam hauled his mount past Il Diablo and then twirled his whip hand in celebration. In the melee Hello Brother had got on to the act with all force and the three-way photo was inevitable. It turned out to be a disappointing day for Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy's camp. The Oaks winner Fantastic Belle was undone by the pace and Sendawar failed to stay as well as the connections wished him to. Stone Ridge and Torres suffered the same malady imports here normally suffer.

The most weird happenings are when the card looks easy to solve. A punting population lured by a Jackpot pool swollen to nearly Rs. 30 lakhs was left high and dry when form horses were pushed to the background by unbargained outsiders. The pool went unclaimed.

It would have been beyond the intuitive brilliance of any sane mind to get the order of Little Pleasure-Altenburg-Concur-Finest Flare- Alluring Bay right. Of the five, Concur and Alluring Bay had form support and Altenburg could be passed off as a fancied outsider. What about Little Pleasure and more shockingly Finest Flare who had run 11/11 in the last week of December.

On Saturday, Finest Flare performed as if he had been fitted with a new set of springs in his legs. Like the mysteries of human mind, it would be interesting to read the equine ones, particularly of the Finest Flare variety. Since they are mute, we make do with human translations. What is it that turns them around. Are the punters not entitled to know how the professionals explain away such violent (cruel for punters) form swings. The stewards did well to summon both Irfan Ghatala and Mrs. Silva Storai but little of substance has come out by way of a convincing explanation. All that we know is that the Stewards have accepted the trainer's stand. So that is that.

It in effect means that this is not a case punishable for either inconsistent running or improved performance. Looking back over some of the cases of either improved performances or inconsistent running the Stewards have chosen to crack their whip on, it defies logic as to why Finest Flare does not figure in that category. It is gathered that the trainer's contention was that the going did not suit his ward last time and that the horse was fitted with a tounge strap this time. Interestingly there is not much of a difference between the state of the going on December 30 when Finest Flare last ran or Saturday, if the penetrometer reading is any guide. Is it that the Stewards have no faith in their own penetrometer readings or is it that this French acquisition an ornamental piece to show the world that Bangalore has one too!. Or how else could this theory be bought. If seen in isolation neither the presence of a tongue strap nor a slight change in the state of the going can bring about such a metamorphosis in a horse.

Somehow the hint of a topsy turvy meeting was dropped in the opener when Darashah-trained Nairn sprinted out of reach to deal public expectations a huge blow. Rich Crown had been sent out odds on. This full brother to Running Flame, who is now training in the United States, left no one in doubt that the distance was too sharp for him. By the time Rich Crown and Hughes warmed up, Nairn had stolen a healthy march. The quality of blood came to the fore when Appu steered the second in demand to a comfortable victory to signal an impending treble. With the first two stretching clear the fight for crumbs was won by Tasman who should live up to his dam's name and bustle along soon enough.

Arristo was looked upon as a good thing and there is no dearth of good things beat in racing. Arristo was one such. Added to Arristo running against tough opposition came Aslam's less forthright approach. Dust On The Bottle travelled wide but well in the hands of Appu who had the measure of Great Occasion whose late rally was a notable feature of the race. Arristo may do well over a slightly longer course.

The battle of two greys was won by Go Honey Go. At one stage it looked as if Magic Stride would pull it off. Sriram Komandur- trained Go Honey Go refused to budge as Appu's third leg of a personal treble went up. The rest were outshone. Flaming Tower who has a severe problem with his denture showed up a good third.

When two seven year olds, who are both Mysore based, finished one-two in paradoxically the Mysore Race Club Trophy, the quality of the Bangalore youngsters in the highest class was put in right perspective. The draw to a great degree deterred Desert Gold's bid even as Royal Satin and Arrakis failed miserably against older opposition. Harish's happy tidings this season continued as he coaxed Little Pleasure to the kind of victory that brings graveyard silence to the stands. At little over 40 to one the sight of the Abdullah trainee swamping the opposition was no pleasurable one for followers of form. Sensational News made the finish itself one such and the ignominy for the youngsters was complete. D.Patel's handling of Silver Patriarch had an air of aloofness about it.

Concur duly built on his last run promise though the connections were rather lucky in extracting a price that looked too generous, given the strength of the opposition. Given a free rein by Dickie, the Abdullah- trainee powered clear of a laboured Priceless Ally. Well fancied Almost Heaven was never a force. Gush of money on Classic Liason knocked the Byramji trainee as a prime fancy though the mare had no form to back up as such. A race of several twists and turns was finally won by Alluring Bay who withstood Guruprasad's extravagant use of the whip and a sunny challenge by Forest Emperor who was shaping like Lynch's first winner in Bangalore. The placings would have altered if Md. Hesnain had alerted Sqeeze to the task of catching the front runners up a bit early. Classic Liason finished in the ruck.

H. S. MANJUNATH

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