<p>The one-week wait was more than worth it!<br /><br />In the richest ever horse race in India, Pronto Pronto proved his prowess to take home the Kingfisher Derby Bangalore (Grade I) in a packed-to-the-seams Bangalore Turf Club here on Sunday.<br /><br />A record crowd of more than 22,000 witnessed the Imtiaz Sait-trained colt, brilliantly ridden by YS Srinath, put up a sparkling performance to edge out Severstahl to the Rs 1,42,08,000 grand prize. Severstahl, who will take home Rs 47,36,000, ran a commendable second, a neck behind the winner. <br /><br />Outside bet Romantique, also trained by Sait, finished third while joint favourites Lovely Kiss and Star Marquess came in fourth and fifth respectively.<br /><br />Staying power<br />Before the race started, Sait said he had no worries about the staying power of his horse or at having drawn the final gate, given Srinath’s ability to easily tackle the traffic. The Mumbai-based trainer was proved right on both counts as Pronto Pronto blitzed to victory on the back of a fast final surge.<br /><br />AM Tograllu-steered Magnitude and African Queen, ridden by Vinod Shinde, were the pace-setters. Both horses jumped out into the lead to rapturous applause as the seventeen-strong field went past the grandstand for the first time in the 2000-metre race. Favourites Star Marquess and Lovely Kiss (Suraj Narredu up) were placed nicely in the middle bunch while Pronto Pronto was at the back as the horses completed the first 1000 metres. Preordained, ridden by S John, then made a move and ran up alongside Magnitude and African Queen. <br /><br />Pronto Pronto was still at the back of a closely bunched seventeen, with just about six-seven lengths separating the first horse from the last. As the horses took the final turn, African Queen and Magnitude along with Preordained tried to put some distance between them and the rest of the pack as Lovely Kiss and Star Marquess, surprisingly, failed to push on. <br /><br />Severstahl’s move<br />With about four furlongs to go, A Imran Khan urged Severstahl and the colt, which finished third in the Colts Championship Stakes, sped into the lead with consummate ease and started to pull away from the entire field.<br /><br />The huge crowd was stunned to silence as they witnessed the outside bet seemingly on his way to a comfortable victory. But the dramatic Derby script was far from complete.<br />With about 250 metres to go, Pronto Pronto, who had been slowly making his way forward past the traffic, found some space on the outside. <br /><br />Srinath, knowing the colt’s capabilities very well having ridden an impressive first in the Colts Championship Stakes, timed the final sprint to perfection. <br /><br />Pronto Pronto put on a tremendous surge in the final furlong to take away the Derby from under Severstahl’s nose when the Dominic-trained horse looked odds on to win, in the process making it the second straight win for a Mumbai-based horse in the Kingfisher Derby after Moonlight Romance last season.<br /></p>
<p>The one-week wait was more than worth it!<br /><br />In the richest ever horse race in India, Pronto Pronto proved his prowess to take home the Kingfisher Derby Bangalore (Grade I) in a packed-to-the-seams Bangalore Turf Club here on Sunday.<br /><br />A record crowd of more than 22,000 witnessed the Imtiaz Sait-trained colt, brilliantly ridden by YS Srinath, put up a sparkling performance to edge out Severstahl to the Rs 1,42,08,000 grand prize. Severstahl, who will take home Rs 47,36,000, ran a commendable second, a neck behind the winner. <br /><br />Outside bet Romantique, also trained by Sait, finished third while joint favourites Lovely Kiss and Star Marquess came in fourth and fifth respectively.<br /><br />Staying power<br />Before the race started, Sait said he had no worries about the staying power of his horse or at having drawn the final gate, given Srinath’s ability to easily tackle the traffic. The Mumbai-based trainer was proved right on both counts as Pronto Pronto blitzed to victory on the back of a fast final surge.<br /><br />AM Tograllu-steered Magnitude and African Queen, ridden by Vinod Shinde, were the pace-setters. Both horses jumped out into the lead to rapturous applause as the seventeen-strong field went past the grandstand for the first time in the 2000-metre race. Favourites Star Marquess and Lovely Kiss (Suraj Narredu up) were placed nicely in the middle bunch while Pronto Pronto was at the back as the horses completed the first 1000 metres. Preordained, ridden by S John, then made a move and ran up alongside Magnitude and African Queen. <br /><br />Pronto Pronto was still at the back of a closely bunched seventeen, with just about six-seven lengths separating the first horse from the last. As the horses took the final turn, African Queen and Magnitude along with Preordained tried to put some distance between them and the rest of the pack as Lovely Kiss and Star Marquess, surprisingly, failed to push on. <br /><br />Severstahl’s move<br />With about four furlongs to go, A Imran Khan urged Severstahl and the colt, which finished third in the Colts Championship Stakes, sped into the lead with consummate ease and started to pull away from the entire field.<br /><br />The huge crowd was stunned to silence as they witnessed the outside bet seemingly on his way to a comfortable victory. But the dramatic Derby script was far from complete.<br />With about 250 metres to go, Pronto Pronto, who had been slowly making his way forward past the traffic, found some space on the outside. <br /><br />Srinath, knowing the colt’s capabilities very well having ridden an impressive first in the Colts Championship Stakes, timed the final sprint to perfection. <br /><br />Pronto Pronto put on a tremendous surge in the final furlong to take away the Derby from under Severstahl’s nose when the Dominic-trained horse looked odds on to win, in the process making it the second straight win for a Mumbai-based horse in the Kingfisher Derby after Moonlight Romance last season.<br /></p>
