As expected, the Pesi Shroff-trained Miracle won the Villoo C Poonawalla Indian Oaks (Gr 1) without working up sweat. The Multidimensional – Khalila four-year-old filly, bred by Ameeta Mehra at the Usha stud farm, maintained her unbeaten status when she reeled off her eighth straight victory in less than a year after making debut at the Mahalaxmi racetrack last year in February. Miracle is owned by Mehernosh H Deboo in partnership with wife Auzita. Jockey P S Chouhan, who rode the super filly to the Oaks victory, has been astride her during all her successes. With this exceptional record, Miracle will undoubtedly be a hot fancy for the Indian Derby (Gr 1) to be run at the Mahalaxmi racetrack next month.
Animous (Neeraj Rawal up) hit the front soon after the starter flagged the small field of five runners off. Chouhan settled Miracle, racing on a tight rein, behind Animous who, at one stage, worked up a six-length lead at the halfway stage of the mile-and-a-half trip. However, after negotiating the final turn, Miracle cruised to get alongside the leader, although Chouhan had still not loosened his grip on her. She effortlessly passed Animous at the two-furlong marker, and then bounded away to put almost five lengths between herself and runner up Aah Bella (A Sandesh up), who just about managed to gain a head verdict over Animus at the wire.
Pesi Shroff dominated the Oaks day with a quadruple. Besides Miracle, he sent out three more winners: Sunlord, whom apprentice Kirtish Bhagat brought up with a flourish in the final furlong of the upper division of the Marchetta Plate; three-year-old Supernatural (another Multidimensional progeny, out of Psychic Light) who made a smashing winning debut in the Thumbelina Plate; and Chopin, ridden by Neeraj Rawal, who posted a wire-to-wire victory in the Ramniwas Ramnarain Ruia Gold Cup (Gr 3). Like jockey P S Chouhan (Miracle and Supernatural), Neeraj Rawal too ended the day with a double as he had earlier won the Homi Mody Trophy with the Malesh Narredu-trained Giant Star.
Trainer Vishal Gaikwad pulled off a lucrative double by claiming the last two races on the card with Nothing To Worry (Akshay up), winner of the Tricumdas Dwarkadas Trophy, and Full Of Grace (S Zervan up) who bagged the lower division of the Marchetta Plate.
