As we head deep into mid April, there is yet another special race day to savour at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai. As part of the Mumbai Meeting Winter Edition 2018-19, this special evening race event has eight races, including a Plate race, a Million, and several Division II and III races. Here are our top Indian horse racing tips for two of the most exciting races scheduled for Sunday, April 14.
What Are Our Indian Horse Racing Tips For The Weekend?
1. The Stylecracker Million
This race has a narrow field of just five contestants. Nevertheless, it looks like an exciting prospect because of the quality of the horses involved. The 1400m race is open to three-year-olds and has some serious contenders. Out of the five, here are our Indian horse racing tips for the three we most like the looks of:
– Top Picks
Gallantry – Trained by M Narredu, this chestnut colt has had a good start to his racing career. The horse has had a win and a third-place finish in his first two races. After a convincing win in the 1200m opener, he faltered a bit in the 1600m race in March. The drop in yardage on Sunday should suit him fine. With jockey Trevor in the saddle, Gallantry is highly fancied to finish in the top three on Sunday.
Silver Flames – Sired by the famous Leitir Mor, this thoroughbred has shown great promise in his short career so far. A strong win in the first race in February (a short 1000m event) was followed by another decent run in a longer 1200m race on 21st March. Under the tutelage of trainer Altaf Hussain, Silver Flames has shown excellent progress so far. If jockey Sandesh can coax out the hidden potential in this colt on Sunday, he could dominate the field.
Princess Annabel – Despite pipping Silver Flames to the post in that March 21 race, Princess Annabel will start the race tomorrow as a less fancied prospect. The filly has only run that single race in her career. Therefore she is still very much an unknown quantity. Add to that a 3kg penalty and she has her job cut out for her on Sunday evening.
Our Pick – Gallantry for the win if the bookies list him at 5/1, with Silver Flames to run him close. For punters seeking a longshot pick, Princess Annabel, our enigmatic filly with a 100% record should do nicely.
2. The Godspeed Plate
This is one of the most challenging races to preview for Sunday, due to a crowded field of 11 horses. To make our lives harder, many of those 11 horses also happen to be some of the best four-year-olds currently training in Mumbai this season. This handicap race is around 1400m long and open to horses rated 40 – 66, with those between 20 – 39 also eligible. If we had to pick any three out of the pack of 7-8 top contenders, our Indian horse racing tips would have to be the following:
– Top Picks
Bakhtawar – At six years, this gelding from the stables of trainer C Rajendra is one of the more experienced horses in this race. He also happens to be having a memorable season in 2018-19. He has recorded three wins and a second place finish in four races so far. With a kinder handicap, Bakhtawar is certain to be a serious contender on Sunday and will have jockey Neeraj Rawal riding him.
Cormorant – This four-year-old gelding comes into this race with an unbeaten record in March. During his two wins last month, Cormorant showed all the signs of a young race-horse who has plenty left in his tank. Trained by Faisal Abbas, this gelding has a really good chance of completing a hat trick on Sunday.
Excellent Sorrento – Like Cormorant, Sorrento has scored two wins in its last two outings in March – April. Needless to say, this young colt is in very fine nick. He also has scored a win over one of the top contenders here, Bakhtawar. With two wins and one place in his five starts this season, Excellent Sorrento has shown plenty of promise. Trained by veteran M Narredu, he should be considered one of the top contenders for the Sunday race.
Our Pick – With so many young thoroughbreds in the fray, it is hard to make a prediction in this one. But we would fancy the chances of Cormorant to score his third win on the trot if odds-makers list him at 5/1, with Bakhtawar most likely to upset that party. Excellent Sorrento should run them both close.
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