Bangalore Derby Day 26/01/15 Analysis and Selections

RACE 1:For class IV horses over 1200 m (Div.II)

Three horses strike right away in this race,Hidden Hero who despite its age appeals first because of its good last run and the fact that there is switch in saddle support to Vaibhav from a claimer and as such that's a positive switch....... 

Alecia who is now the beneficiary of a change in jockey to the man in good form Trevor Patel,has all the positives coming into this race,positive change in the jockey,good form and also an youngster thus merits strong consideration 

Celestial Storm,thanks to its win over a slightly longer trip in the lower class followed by two not so-bad runs in this very class coupled by a switch in jockey now warrants all the attention 

The presence of horses such as Allez Royale along with two new entities makes this race an interesting one 

The last run of Hidden Hero makes it quite a good contender in this race,with a change in jockey and an inner draw on the classic day makes him my choice for the race despite sporting 'S' shoes 

My Choice:#1 Hidden Hero Win 

Race:2 A Terms Race for 3 yo over 1400 mts 

The two last start winners obviously are the front runners for the top prize in this race,Oxford Opinion did take more than a run to clear its maiden ranks,however that run was very pleasing and despite the top weight should be the horse they all have to beat in this race,more so as it gets the same winning jockey in the saddle 

The other winner is New Alliance also gets the same winning jockey in the saddle and has been working well after the run and there will be hope to go well here 

Of the horses who have run,Heaven is Here and Ravelnation attracts,the former ran with a very good horse in SunMoonAndStars. Working well of late and should be in the thick of things 

Castle Key is bound for a second lifetime improvement,good in prep tracks 

Ravelnation gets a switch in saddle support,a very good suggestive last run and being tracked well after the last run makes him my choice over this trip in this race...... 

My Choice:#8 Ravelnation Win/place

RACE 3:A Terms Race over 1600 m (4yo+) 

There are six horses taking part in this race,has a very good contends in Alexandra Mills who is a classic winner this season,made her journey to Mumbai and now back on home turf shoud certainly be the main contender in this race 

It runs over the distance it had won this season and also gets her winning jockey back on the saddle thus making her a very strong contender 

Although she is receiving weight from other horses the question she needs to answer on the track is if she could beat classy horses over a mile 

The duo from Attaollahi's stables and the Mysore based Duma are the ones that appeal here in this set

Arrogant Approach ran a very good race last time out over the 7f trip,retaining the same rider should do well here.Duma is favoured by the terms of the race the presence of K.G.Steyn when Colm Donoghue is available should be because the jockey knows the horse better and as such is the main challenger in this race 

Ignoring Acclaimed on basis of his last run can prove to be a mistake especially when he is going over his favourite trip with his favourite jockey onboard. 

As I had said before it all depends on the youngsters ability to give a beating to some good older horses,I'm hoping that Acclaimed who was a good miler during his classic year should have recovered from his last race and as he is going over his favourite trip and has the winning jockey onboard I believe that he represents good value in this race and as such is my personal fancy 

My Choice:#1 Acclaimed Win 

RACE 4:A class II race over 1800 mts 

Evraz has shown its liking over the longer trips and as such is the horse even at these weights that should be considered as a top contender in this race 

There are two horses that come into this race with rousing form in Royal Rein and Star Of Destiny,the latter is in fine form and despite the change in pilot should be the main contender in this race 

Connemara will be fancied and rightly so as it has the scales in its favour this time around and add to it a top jockey partnering at lower weights 

Then there is Amistad who is now with new stabled retains the same rider and his last start where in he finished a good second to Coriolis is to be noted,has a fair chance here 

Class II races at Bangalore are open affairs and here there are 3-4 very good contenders,Star Of Destiny is the horse on upgrade and also his pedigree suggests the possibility of staying the longer trip and has also been on my radar since his debut and as such is my personal fancy..... 

My Choice:#5 Star Of Destiny Win

RACE 5:A class IV race over 1200 mts (Div.I)

Mandarin thanks to being a horse who is subject to a positive Change in equipment and having finished quite close to good horses in its recent two runs makes him the top contender in this race 

The last start winners in Shes Stunning and Miracles of Life are also in the fray,the latter had won exceptionally well and despite the change in rider is the one they all have to look out for 

Take a look at Rare and Gorgeous who unlike many others in the field is a winner in a terms maiden race and such should not be ignored,as she gets her winning jockey back in the saddle she is the one that stands a very good chance in this race 

Spanish Moon who won in the summer season gets a switch in jockey after a solitary run during the winter season and had a single track spurt to go by...... 

However the two horses who are coming from Maiden Terms to this handicap in Our Little Dragon and Youre Ashwashakti hold the aces in my opinion here,the latter does have a clear handicap advantage but the lay off despite the extensive preparation is a cause for concern 

On the other hand Our Little Dragon has been exposed this season with a run benefit,lost to a horse who was definitely superior and with the same jockey in the saddle holds good chances to clear its maidens here in this very open affair 

My Choice:#2 Our Little Dragon Win

RACE 6:A class III race over 1400 m

A very interesting race this thanks to two horses who come into this race with two distinct scenarios..... 

First we have the horse in great form in Power Of Time,two wins over the 6f trip and now on promotion and bidding for a hat trick...... The horse is also subject to some very good preparation 

Then there is Assiduous who also seems to be the main contender in this race and also the one who on demotion and a change in saddle support should be in the thick of things 

However one peculiar thing is that both horses have performed well over the 6f trip and now with the 7f trip I guess a win bis not guaranteed 

A close at the other contenders brings three horses in Mickey Mouse,Absolute Red and Beauty is Truth into the thick of calculations 

On closer look however it is Absolute Red that appeals despite being the horse who is coming into this race after the lay-off. The reason being he is systematically the better horse with a win in a maiden terms race and a class IV race both over the 7f trip and is now taking on this opposition with decent preparation,a good e/w proposition 

My Choice:#4 Absolute Red Win/Place 

RACE 7:The Legacy Bangalore Derby (Gr.I)

The feature event of the day,although there are a dozen horses participating in this race the classic form so far this year has been pretty much straight forward,will the law of averages catch up with the good results is s thing one can think about............. 

Athens and Alameda come out from the Blore Oaks,the former was the winner who held on from the latter in a very close finish. The change in jockey may make things better for the latter however it is not certain that the oaks verdict can be reversed 

There are two very good horses in the fray who have taken the handicap route in this race,Authentic and Azzuro 

Authentic whose last run is a good suggestion can stay over the trip but the class of a winning a classic is the question to be answered...... He however has possibly the best saddle artist onboard 

Azzuro took his own time before coming to hand and after he did it he scored two excellent back to back wins and with those runs at the back and Trevor in the saddle he certainly has a bright hope in this race 

There is however the towering rather larger presence of the multi classic winner Bold Majesty,he is a winner of three regionl classics since the monsoon season and he is certainly the strong candidate here 

However one cannot ignore the presence of Torchbearer who has come back to Bangalore with two races of a relatively good performance at Calcutta..... The form of the Calcutta Derby has held good so far and as such there is hope on my side that he can improve on that run and bank on his dam's stout staying line....... My personal fancy despite the fact that Bold Majesty has already given him a good beating in the Hyderabad Colts trial stakes

My Choice:#10 Torchbearer Win

RACE 8:A class IV race over a mile (5yo+)

The most open race of the day,talk about positive change of equipment more than half the filed has it........ The penalty factor comes into play I guess 

On basis of recent form Aqua Aria and Abba both have decent chances coming into this race,Capitalize,Ace Empress Jessie,Ice Kingdom all have good change of jockeys........ 

Summer Dawn is working extremely well and merits serious consideration along with Zermatt who is sitting way below its last winning rating 

However on closer look this race has a very good dark one in Jet Set Go who gets a positive switch in jockey is known to run suggestive raves which would suit it over a mile hence my personal fancy 

My Choice:#5 Jet Set Go Win/Place 

RACE 9:A class III race over 1400 m (5yo+)

King Of The Court who has had a run benefit this season now comes into this race as a gelding with a jockey switch to David Allan,it may act as a good stimulant for form reversal and as such holds the ace in my opinion in this race 

The likes of One Of a Kind,Wings Of Fortune,Lads Gladiator and Amazon Bay hold fair chances in this race 

Having said all that it seems that another chance can be given for King Of The Court and as such is my personal fancy for this race 

My Choice:#9 King Of The Court Win

DAYS BEST:3-1 Acclaimed 

GOOD BETS:STAR OF DESTINY,OUR LITTLE DRAGON

HAVE A NICE DAY,GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY