Classy Redefined races to glory in the Invitation Cup

Owners M. Ravi and wife Chellam Ravi, Daulat Chhabria, third from left, trainer Satish Narredu, right, along with Sweta and Srinivasa leading in Shamrock (Suraj Narredu astride) after the success in the Maj. P.K. Mehra Memorial Super Mile Cup.
| Photo Credit:
B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

Redefined, the dark bay 4-year-old son of Phoenix Tower out of Symi, lived up to his name and rewrote to script to win the HPSL Royal Arion Indian Turf Invitation Cup (Gr. 1)

Trained to perfection by Prasanna Kumar, and ridden with supreme confidence by the English professional David Allan. he had over five long lengths to spare to Dyf, who in turn was a shade ahead of owner-mate Duke Of Tuscany.

Allan’s win chalked up a second Invitation Cup victory for him, after the 2016 success on Desert God here in Chennai. Of the 13 Invitation Cups that have been run in Chennai, a foreign jockey has come up trumps eight times.

Prasanna produced a reinvented bay gelding who showed that the rest after the Bangalore Derby, where he finished second, had brought him on tremendously.

He put his reputation on the line when he went on record in the press conference a few days earlier to state that Redefined was his best runner of the weekend. And he was spot on!

Two races earlier, Shamrock, by Excellent Art out of Nora, trained by Satish Narredu, and brilliantly ridden by jockey Suraj Narredu pegged back the challenge of favourite Santissimo, to win the Major P. K. Mehra Memorial Super Mile.

Suraj showed remarkable tactical brilliance when he sat behind the front-running African Gold, never allowing Santissimo with Oisin Murphy to creep past him on his inside. It allowed him first run on Shamrock and that slender lead, gained about 400 metres from home, made all the difference. This was Suraj at his brilliant best and Shamrock rose to the occasion.

The results:

1. JAPAN CUP (2,000m): ROYAL NOBILITY (Farid Ansari) 1, Kallania (N. Darshan) 2, Gold Fame (P. Vikram) 3 and Edmund (M.S. Deora) 4. 7-1/4, 1-1/4 and 2. 2m, 7.15s. ₹26 (w), 15 and 23 (p), SHP: 38, THP: 51, FP: 91, Q: 65, Tla: 451. Owner: Mr. A.C. Muthiah. Trainer: R. Foley.

2. OLYMPIA TECH PARK MILLION (1,600m): MAGIC MAYNE (Antony Raj) 1, Zuri (P. Trevor) 2, Emphatic (G. Vivek) 3 and Golden Warrior (Yash Narredu) 4. 1/2, shd and 2-3/4. 1m, 37.87s. ₹49 (w), 14, 18 and 15 (p), SHP: 82, THP: 57, FP: 299, Q: 139, Tla: 594. Owners: Mr. Eugene Aloysious Mayne & Mrs. Joan Mayne. Trainer: Kishan Thomas.

3. AVT CENTENARY MILLION (1,200m): ECHOES OF TIME (Hindu Singh) 1, Merlet (K. Mukesh Kumar) 2, Sweet Redemption (Suraj Narredu) 3 and Vibrant Bliss (P. Trevor) 4. 1, hd and 2. 1m, 11.69s. ₹34 (w), 19 and 43 (p), SHP: 82, THP: 43, FP: 235, Q: 195, Tla: 576. Owner: Mr. A.C. Muthiah. Trainer: Vijay Singh.

4. SURESH MAHINDRA MULTI MILLION TROPHY (Gr. II) (1,400m): KNOTTY CHARMER (Antony Raj) 1, Prana (Suraj Narredu) 2, Siege Courageous (David Allan) 3 Kalamisti (Srinath) 4. 2, shd and 1-1/4. 1m, 22.54s. ₹134 (w), 49, 18 and 15 (p), SHP: 68, THP: 118, FP: 1156, Q: 463, Tla: 3,858. Owners: Mr. K. Kamesh, Mr. Srikanth Badruka, Mr. N. Swaroop Kumar, Mr. K. Balamukunda Das, Mr. Dharmesh Mehta, Mr. M.N. Nambiar & Mr. D. Sanjeev Basapa. Trainer: Prasanna.

5. MAJ. P.K. MEHRA MEMORIAL SUPER MILE (Gr. I) (1,600m): SHAMROCK (Suraj Narredu) 1, Sanrissimo (Oisin Murphy) 2, African Gold (P. Trevor) 3 and Iron Clad (Srinath) 4. 3/4, 2 and 1-1/2. 1m, 35.69s. ₹125 (w), 24, 10 and 11 (p), SHP: 35, THP: 38, FP: 684, Q: 143, Tla: 945. Owners: Mr. Ravi, Mr. Daulat Chhabria, Mr. K. Kaliyaperumal & Mrs. R. Chellam. Trainer: S. Narredu.

6. ROYAL WESTERN INDIA TURF CLUB MILLION (1,200m): RICARDO (C. Umesh) 1, Czar (Antony Raj) 2, Star Glory (Suraj Narredu) 3 and Dedicate (Hindu Singh) 4. Not run: Never Give In. 2-1/2, 1 and 1/2. 1m, 9.99s. ₹31 (w), 10, 16 and 11 (p), SHP: 68, THP: 36, FP: 208, Q: 142, Tla: 513. Owners: Mr. Haider Soomar, Arun Alagappan Racing rep. by Arun Alagappan, Mr. Chandrakanth Kankaria & Mukteshwar Stud. Trainer: Arjun Manlorkar.

7. HPSL ROYAL ARION INDIAN TURF INVITATION CUP (Gr. I) (2,400m): REDEFINED (Phoenix Tower-Symi) David Allan 1, DYF (Cougar Mountain-Soak) P. Trevor 2, DUKE OF TUSCANY (Cougar Mountain-Nicollini) Oisin Murphy 3 and POSITANO (Arod-Satinette) Akshay Kumar 4. 5-1/4, 3/4 and lnk. 2m, 28.39s. ₹98 (w), 19, 18 and 29 (p), SHP: 35, THP: 109, FP: 512, Q: 196. Tlan: 3,325. Owners: Mr. Ashok Ranpise, Mr. Surendra Ramchandra Sanas, M/s. DT Racing & Breeders, Mr. P. Prasanna Kumar, Mr. Kamesh K & M/s. Stride Livestock. Trainer: Prasanna.

8. HYDERABAD RACE CLUB MILLION (1,200m): DEL AVIZ (Akshay Kumar) 1, Divine Star (G. Vivek) 2, Gold Ride (David Allan) 3 and Cache (Neeraj) 4. 1, 7 3/4 and 1-3/4. 1m,10.50s. ₹56 (w), 17, 13 and 14 (p), SHP: 44, THP: 45, FP: 232, Q: 132, Tla: 900. Owners: Hyperion Bloodstock rep. by Mr. & Mrs. Farouq K. Rattonsey, Mr. Sameer F. Rottonsey and Mr. Zaqheer F. Rattonsey, Mr. Nitin Himmatmal Jain & Mr. Jatin Laxmikant Trivedi. Trainer: S. Attaollahi.

Jkt: ₹1,41,539 (9 tkts.), Runner-up: 15,598 (35 tkts.), Mini Jkt: 12,145 (29 tkts.), Tr (i): 6142 (38 tkts.), (ii): 730 (503 tkts.).