05 February,2011 07:45 AM IST | | Prakash Gosavi
An excellent 10-race card is framed by the Royal Western India Turf Club to usher in the Derby weekend in style.
The grade three, Kunigal Breeders' Produce Stakes is the feature event of the card in which half a dozen talented three-year-olds are in the fray, including Nearness Of You, a Poonawalla family-owned & bred filly by Diffident out of Forest Fantasy, who was unlucky to narrowly lose on her debut at Bangalore.
And although I personally downgrade any Bangalore runner facing the Mahalaxmi track for the first time, I am tempted to make her an exception. In fact, despite Maddox and Picasso, two promising local youngsters being in the fray, I nominate Nearness Of You as the best bet of the ten-race card. Bullet, much better placed at the weights as compared to his last run, may be considered a good bet in the United Spirits Challenge, a five-furlong sprint affair for class II horses.
First race at 1 pm. Selections: Bouvet-Ladubay Championship - Div II (For 5y&o, class V; 1200m)
Distinguished 1, Game Of Power 2, Hisham 3.
Bouvet-Ladubay Championship - Div I (For 5y&o, class V; 1200m)
Hickory 1, Blau Himmel 2, Top Action 3.
United Spirits Challenge (Class II; 1000m)
Bullet 1, Ocean Wish 2, Dear Liza 3.
Black Dog Trophy (Class V; 1600m)
Tomorrow's Dreams 1, Last Tango 2, Excelltastic 3.
McDowell Signature Trophy - Div II (Class IV; 1400m)
Dancing Dame 1, Bold Dancer 2, Harlamoff 3.
White Mischief Challenge (Class III; 2000m)
Frost Fairy 1, Lunar Quest 2, Tender Romance 3.
Antiquity Rare 'Fusion of the Finest' Cup (Class I; 1200m)
Attila 1, Scholar 2, Forever Young 3.
Whyte & Mackay Challenge (For 3y, maidens; 1000m)
Elena 1, Silk Cut 2, Miss Starlight 3.
Kunigal Stud Breeders' Produce Stakes - Gr 3 (For 3y; 1400m)
Nearness Of You 1, Maddox 2, Picasso 3.
McDowell Signature Trophy - Div I (Class IV; 1400m)
Scarface 1, Tzigane 2, Blue Mellon 3.
Recommendations
Best bet: Nearness Of You (9-6)
Good bet: Bullet (3-7)
Chance bet: Hickory (2-10)
Upset: Siooux Chief (1-3)
Today's pools
Super jackpot pool: 5,6,7,8,9,10
Jackpot pool: I - 4,5,6,7,8; II - 6,7,8,9,10
Treble pool: I - 3,4,5; II - 7,8,9; III - 8,9,10
Tanala pool: All races.
Odds for Sunday's Indian Derby
Here are the likely Derby odds for all the dozen runners in the fray, in the bracket is
the figure of profit that you will get for the risk of one rupee if your horse wins:
Ocean And Beyond 14/10 (Rs 1.40)
Moonlight Romance 2-1/4 (Rs 2.25)
Xisca 11-2 (Rs 5.50)
Macchupicchu 8-1 (Rs 8.00)
Sunlight 10-1 (Rs 10.00)
Berlusconi 12-1 (Rs 12.00)
Unleashed 15-1 (Rs 15.00)
Camacho 15-1 (Rs 15.00)
Dear Henry 25-1 (Rs 25.00)
Ocean Admiral 50-1 (Rs 50.00)
Batista 100-1 (Rs 100.00)
Odds courtesy: Pradeep Navin Reshamia, owner of book making firm Praveen
