After the hype of the Indian 2000 Guineas last weekend, we return to more “sedate” horse race action this time around. There are only 6 races on the cards for the final race Sunday of 2019 at the Mahalaxmi Race Course.
Of these, the juiciest has to be the Grade 2 Scindia Trophy, which we will cover in this preview. Along with it, we also have what looks like one of the best bets of the day, in a 1000m Class 3 horse race.
The Kusumben Dhirubai Shah Trophy
The third race of this Sunday will be a 1000m affair with 6 horses on the race card. A class 3 race, it is open to horses rated between 40 and 66. Based purely on recent form, this one seems like a no-contest for the top-ranked contender. A grand total of INR 450000 is up for grabs in this race. It has a 3:30 PM start time.
These horses look the most promising:
Storm Breaker – The 3-year-old bay colt is certain to be the tote favorite, with a 64 rating and a recent record that has 3 wins (1-1-4-1-5). The son of Leitir Mor (IRE) trained by M Narredu is expected to win handsomely in this race. Yash Narredu will ride the young colt on Sunday. Five of his seven starts have ended in the top four.
Arc Shine – The 5-year-old grey mare is the progeny of Varenar (FR) with over two years of experience (30+ starts). Trained by SN Joshi, she has scored 3 wins in her career, with another 18 races finishing in the top four. Her recent record is a bit patchy – 2-6-4-4-5. Malam Singh will ride this mare on Sunday.
En Sabah Nur – In the same age group as Storm Breaker, this bay gelding is the son of Diffident (FR). Trained by Narendra Lagad, he has shown some promise in his 7 starts so far, winning a pair and having another three podium finishes. Jockey A Sandesh has been roped in to pilot him in this race.
Our Picks
It is virtually impossible to look beyond Storm Breaker for this event and is our pick if the bookies start listing at 5/1 or longer odds. The experienced Arc Shine has a decent shout for at least the second position, with En Sabah Nur an excellent long shot with a 52 rating.
The Maharaja Jiwajirao Scindia Trophy
Arguably the highlight in Mumbai is this Grade 2 event for horses 3 years and over. At 1800m it is one of the longer races on the Indian calendar. The stakes are also quite high at INR 1,500,000. Six contenders have been signed up for this horse race, and there are some popular runners here. The penultimate event of the day, this race has a scheduled 4:30 PM start.
Here are the top contenders:
La Rondine – The famous daughter of Kingda Ka is a 4-year-old bay filly hailing from the stables of trainer Vishal Gaikwad. In her 12th race this Sunday, she will be looking to chalk up the 5th win of her career. With a 114 rating, she is widely considered as the horse to beat in this race. David Egan will be her jockey for this one.
Bronx – Keeping La Rondine company at the top of the rating table is this 5-year-old bay gelding sired by China Visit (USA). Trained by Nosher Cama, Bronx has 5 wins out of 13 starts, with another 5 as a runner up. His recent record is also quite good – 5-2-2-1-4. PS Chouhan will ride him in this race.
Tasawwur – Down in the ratings but high on the number of wins is the 4-year-old bay gelding sired by Multidimensional. Under the tutelage of Adhiraj S Jodha, he has 4 wins out of 7 races, but he is very much untested at higher levels. He is very much in the form right now though, with a recent record of 3-8-3-1-1. A Sandesh will be his jockey in this race.
Our Picks
It is going to be a close race between La Rondine and Bronx, with the filly narrowly ahead in our books. La Rondine makes for a good punt if the bookmakers begin listing at 5/1 or longer oods. Tasawwur could be a dark horse worthy of a long punt in this race.
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