Indian jockey Imran Khan instrumented one of the thrilling finishes in local horse racing in recent times, steering ‘Meheran’ to a deserving win, ending the continuous winning streak of ‘Alcazaba’ and claiming the RTC Magic Million Cup with a cash award of Rs. One Million, in the RTC Magic Million Cup Raceday at the Racecourse in Nuwara Eliya last Sunday (16).
Jockey Khan had laid the foundation by winning the Blackpool Hotel Cup 1600metre race for Class 2 Thoroughbred horses on Kingson Town and was starving for a win in the main race, the RTC Magic Million Cup, the 1800metre Class 1 race.
Khan set the pace from the beginning by holding on Meheran in the lead dearly challenged by Deepthika Jayakody’s Silver Streak, ridden by S.D. Mahesh.
But Jayakody’s winning horse, Alcazaba, made progress from behind to the centre of the bunch, as it usually does, but it had to negotiate the challenge of Charlemagne and Rowald before coming close to Mehran in the final 400metre stretch.
Jockey Khan and Meheran proved to be combination hard to defeat. Jockey Aneel took Alcazaba to the front 300metres from the finish line but Khan made sure not to let the grip go off his hands and gave Meheran its first win in the second race on Sri Lankan soil.
The Jayaratne Stables had a fine day for the first time in the races organized and conducted by the Royal Turf Club (RTC) winning three races and placing third thrice.
Deepthika Jayakody may have had felt the whole world falling apart when Alcazaba gave in a first place for the first time, but later on her riders put her back in the optimistic mood by winning the top two places in the Ministry of International Trade Cup and Sporting Star Cup races and a third finisher in the RTC Challenge Trophy, which was won by the Jayaratne’s Airborne II.
The RTC Magic Million Cup Raceday was the second of three races lined up for the April Holiday Season by the Royal Turf Club.
The RTC conducted the Selvaratnam Challenge Trophy on April 2 and the month’s race schedule will come to an end on April 29 with the RTC Governor’s Cup at the Racecourse in Nuwara Eliya.
Results
Race 1: RTC Pony Welfare Raffle Cup (1000m for ½ Bred)
1: Sri Lankan Queen (L. Ravikumar / Nawaneetha)
2: Eye Touch (A. Dilan / r. Balachandran)
3: Misty Queen (M. Mohanraj / Ajantha Soyza)
Race 2: Sporting Times Cup (1400m for Class 5 Thoroughbreds)
1: Honorious (S. Pradeep / Fearless Stables and Stud Farm)
2: Musical Treasure (JWDL / Ananda Bandara)
3: Augusta (K. Sanjeevan / Jayaratne Stables)
Race 3: The Blackpool Hotel Cup (1600m for Class 2 Thoroughbreds)
1: Kingston Town (Imran Khan / Hasanga Jayaratne & J.R. Irugalbandara)
2: Celestial Fire (A. Vishwanath / Anura Delgoda)
3: Gazaki (Aneel / Mr and Mrs Edwards)
Race 4: RTC Magic Million Cup (1800m for Class 1 Thoroughbreds)
1: Meheran (Imran Khan / Hasanga Jayaratne)
2: Alcazaba (Aneel / Deepthika Jayakody)
3: Roswald (Y.S. Srinath / Deepthika Jayakody)
Race 5: Ministry of International Trade Trophy (1600m for Class 3 Thoroughbreds)
1: Captain Haddock (Y.S. Srinath / Deepthika Jayakody)
2: Glittering (Aneel / Deepthika Jayakody)
3: Icelandic (Imran Khan / Jayaratne Stub Farms)
Race 6: Sporting Star Cup (1400m for Class 4 Thoroughbreds)
1: Supreme (Aneel / Deepthika Jayakody)
2: Colorato (L. Dayalan / Deepthika Jayakody & Charini Suriyage)
3: Crimson Quest (S. Suganthan / Jayaratne Stud Farms)
Race 7: RTC Challenge Trophy (1000m for ¾ Breds)
1: Airborne II (S. Dasadaran / Jayaratne Stables)
2: Queen of the Hill (M. Ishan / R.M.C.K. Rajapakshe)
3: Cabresse (M. Mohanraj / Deepthika Jayakody)
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