Bangalore: RCTC’s two challengers – Agnostic and Success – are expected to make headlines in their respective events, the Sprinters’ and the Stayers’ Cups here on Saturday, that marks the opening of the 61st running of the Invitational weekend races.
In the 1,200m Zavaray S. Poonawalla Sprinters’ Cup, Agnostic (Akshay Kumar-up), a five-year-old trained by Bharath Singh, boasts of winning eight races in a row but the Top Class-Kabini son takes on another reputed speedster Iron Age (Trevor Patel), from Mumbai who, however, maintains his winning form at the age of eight.
But Iron Age will be testing his hooves on the Bangalore turf for the first time, and this factor may work against the interest of Imtiaz Sait’s favourite.
Trainer Vijay Singh’s champion filly, Success (Suraj Narredu), on the other hand, selects herself for the 3,000m Dr MAM Ramaswamy Chettiar of Chettinad Memorial Stayers’ Cup. The Havana Gold-Columella daughter has bagged the RCTC Triple-Crown. More importantly, her Oaks and the Derby wins were collected in bare 13 days.
SELECTIONS
1.15pm: Foi 1. Divine Blessings 2. Cyrenius 3.
1.50pm: Stormy Ocean 1. Santorino 2. Triumphant 3.
2.25pm: Golden Peaks 1. She Can 2. Kind Of Magic 3.
3pm: Philosophy 1. Last Wish 2. Supreme Dance 3.
3.35pm: Agnostic 1. Leopard Rock 2. Iron Age 3.
4.10pm: Forseti 1. Yukan 2. Shubankar 3.
4.45pm: Success 1. Arc De Triomphe 2. Silvarius 3.
5.20pm: Aldgate 1. Agera 2. Sheer Bliss 3.
Day’s Best: Success Double: Stormy Ocean & Forseti.