Trainer Karthik Ganapathy’s ageing runner, Juliette (Chotu Singh Jodha-up) achieved a near impossible task of scoring a hat trick of wins in the mother of all battles, the Indian Turf Invitation Cup here on Sunday. The eight-year-old daughter of Musketier out of Gimmesumsugar, once again, unleashed her trademark electrifying finish after trailing the field till about the final turn to leave the large Sunday crowd dumbfounded.
It was a record breaking effort by the even-money favourite Juliette as she eclipsed the existing one of 2min 27secs set by Kangra in the 2018 edition of Cup over a 2400m course.
Obviously the race was run at a fast pace, with Champions Way marginally ahead of Kalamisti while Parana, Touch of Grey were in close attendance as the fancied trio of Synthesis, Jamari and Juliette maintained the order of running till almost about 600m marker. Parana entered the home-straight first but Juliette changed the gear instantly to slip past the opposition, 300m from the wire.
In fact, the opposition, including 7/2 fancied Jamari (Trevor Patel) turned out to no hoper, no sooner Juliette crossed the distance post.
Trainer Rajesh Narredu A Star Is Born (Suraj Narredu) justified the tag of ‘horse for course’ when the 2/1 favourite notched-up his fourth win in-a-row to bag the 1,600m P.K. Mehra Memorial Super Mile.
