Horse racing is in the news again as the fresh Winter Season begins at the Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai this Sunday, November 17. The first race day of this season is jam-packed with over nine different events. While a lot of them have fields with lower ratings, there are a couple of promising ones with quality horses signed up.

As usual, we will focus on two of the best races of the day, which in this case happens to be a pair of handicap races. Let’s see what is so special about these two horse racing events before exploring betting options:

The Snow Dew Plate

With a 1:30 PM start, this is the second horse racing event of the day at the Mumbai racecourse. It has a max distance of 1400m. The race is open to all horses rated between 40 and 66. Seven horses have signed up for this race to take a shot at the INR 450,000 total stake.

 These three horses look the strongest out of the bunch:

• Pablo – The 4-year-old bay gelding is a ward of trainer Sanjay Kolse. French stallion Varenar sired Pablo, who hails from Equus Stud Farms. He is one of the best horses in this race with a current rating of 54. Jockey A Sandesh will ride him on Sunday.
• Hunt for Gold – Renowned trainer P Shroff trains this three-year-old filly. Bred at Poonawalla Astonish, she is an off-spring of the famed Leitir Mor off dam Pleasure Hunt. Hunt for Gold is among the top three contenders for this even with a rating of 50. Suraj Narredu will take her reins on Sunday.
• Notting Hill – The lightweight chestnut gelding is well known in these parts. Rated at 44, Tariq (GB) sired the four-year-old who is now trained by SK Sunderji. Neeraj Rawal will have an allowance of 50 when he rides Notting Hill on Sunday, given the gelding’s lower weight of 54kg.

Our Pick:

We have Hunt for Gold as our top pick if the odds makers begin listing at 5/1, with Pablo a close second. Notting Hill makes for an excellent long shot pick.

The Royal Calcutta Turf Club Trophy

The best horse racing event of the day is open to horses rated above 80 so you can expect some high-quality racing. And at 1400m it is long enough to offer some excitement in the final stretch. The total stake is worth over INR 520,000. This prestigious event has accepted only five horses.

With fine margins in a quality field, we think these three horses have what it takes to come out on top:

• Awesome One – The four-year-old is one of two horses with a three-digit rating in this event (100). The dark brown colt is the progeny of Deans Kitten (USA) off Aim to Achieve (IRE) and hails from Sohna Stud. Deepesh Narredu currently trains him while Yash Narredu is likely to ride on Sunday.
• Excellence – The son of Excellent Art from the stables of trainer Dallas Todywalla is a top contender for this race. Rated 92, and weighing in at 55, the bay gelding holds a lot of promise. A Sandesh will have a weight allowance of 51 when he gets on the saddle for this race on Sunday.
• Holy Smoke – Coming from Manjri Stud and rated at 92, the seven-year-old stallion trains at the stables of Faisal Abbas. Phoenix Tower sired this veteran dark brown gelding, who will have the widely experienced and decorated jockey S Zervan in the saddle on Sunday.

Our Pick:

We like the look of Excellence and would choose him as the top prospect if the bookies begin listing at 5/1 or longer odds, ahead of Awesome One, with Holy Smoke as our third choice.

 

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