The MiD DAY Trophy, with 15 horses accepting to face the starter on Saturday at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, is likely to turn out to be a very close contest.
The winner is likely to emerge from the quintet of Song Saa, First And Only Home, Sydney, Brown Dynamite and The Other Song.
The last-named is my choice. Meanwhile, 14 four-year-old fillies will line up for the Villoo Poonawalla Indian Oaks (Gr 1), the prime event of Saturday's bumper 10-race card. The winner will most likely emerge from the trioka of Amazing Grace, Circle Of Life and Starry Eyes — the first two trained by Pesi Shroff, and the last-named trained by Cooji Katrak.
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Amazing Grace (P Trevor up), who made a sensational winning debut in Dr Vijay Mallya's colours only a month ago when she annihilated her class IV rivals with such contempt, she made clear she has class written all over her. However, going into this grade 1 race, which is popularly called the ‘Fillies’ Derby’, with only one run, may prove an acid test for her.
Circle Of Life will sport Vijay Shirke’s silks and will be ridden by Richard Hughes who has specially been flown in for this ride, and is easily the only filly who has consistently and dramatically improved with every run, and one thing is clear whosoever wins, she will not go down without a fight.
Starry Eyes, on whom local champion Sandesh will don Y K Hamied’s colours, finished two-and-a-half lengths behind Circle Of Life in the Indian 1000 Guineas. But she can prove altogether a different proposition over the mile-and-a-half trip of the Oaks. I fancy Starry Eyes to emerge triumphant.
First race at 1:15pm
Selections
Tricumdas Dwarkadas Trophy - Div II (For 5y&o, class IV; 1200m) Su O Moto 1, Basic Life 2, Striking Shadow 3.
Rajpipla Trophy (Class I; 1600m) Commander 1, Winston 2, Montezuma 3.
Jasdanwalla Gold Cup (For 3y, maidens; 1400m) Ladybird 1, Discourse 2, Tatiana 3.
Harrish Mehra Trophy (Class V; 2000m) Shishya 1, Blue Swallow 2, Wind And Rain 3.
P D Avasia Trophy (Class II; 1200m) One Kept Secret 1, Deep Diver 2, Emperor Of France 3.
Sahaan Million (Class II; 1400m) Flying Eagle 1, Victoria Falls 2, Providence 3.
MiD DAY Trophy (For 4y, class IV; 1400m) The Other Song 1, First And Only One 2, Song Saa3 Gool S Poonawalla Million
- Gr 3 (For 3y; 1200m) Maisha 1, Shivalik Storm 2, Strategic Move 3.
Villoo Poonawalla Indian Oaks - Gr 1 (For 4y Indian fillies; 2400m) Starry Eyes 1, Amazing Grace 2, Circle Of Life 3.
Tricumdas Dwarkadas Trophy - Div II (For 5y&o, class IV; 1200m) Dark Knight 1, Ice Gate 2, Stormy Princess 3.
Recommendations
Best bet: Maisha (8-2)
Good bet: Commander (2-3)
Chance bet: Su O Moto (1-1)
Upset: Barringo (5-6)
Today's pools
Super jackpot pool: 5,6,7,8,9,10
Jackpot pool: I - 3,4,5,6,7; II - 6,7,8,9,10
Treble pool: I - 4,5,6; II - 7,8,9; III - 8,9,10
Tanala pool: All races
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