JOIN USA dash of colour, a sunny evening and a strong performance from one of the contenders lit up the Kimmane Bangalore Derby (Grade I) here on Saturday.
A sizeable crowd that turned up at the Bangalore Turf Club belied talks of a cool day at the races. On the track, it was Red Baron who emerged the strongest in a field of eight. Piloted by Colm O’Donoghue, the horse owned by Dr MAM Ramaswamy, came up with a powerful finish to take the plum event to silence those who were rooting for Super Storm and Snow Bird.
While it was business as usual for punters and regulars, the youngsters were more concerned about making a style statement even as the races progressed. Dressed to kill in all possible hues, the youth meandered with nothing but racing on their lips. Celebrities were few and far between, but the crowd in the members’ stand did more than enough to make up for their absence.
Cine star Ambareesh was among the regulars enjoying the atmosphere that became charged up as the evening progressed. Being a holiday, the crowd rolled in gradually at the start but the numbers increased as the sunny day sprinted towards the day’s feature event.
Once the 2400M race kicked off, the fans slowly took over.
On the final bend, Athletic Star, which was the first to take off, was in the lead but when the fancied horses began their surge, voices hit a crescendo. Red Baron and Super Storm made their move with little less than 400 metres to go. Red Baron then showed that he had a little more fuel left in him as he crossed the line ahead of the S Narredu ward to claim the winner’s purse of Rs 35,70,000.
For a predominant number backing fancied Snow Bird—who eventually finished fifth—the verdict was a bitter pill to swallow but lady luck smiled on those who had plumped for Red Baron.