Howrah News Service - Latest news and headlines on Howrah,West Bengal and World

Pomers-bashed devils in the rain

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:57:28 -0400

By Sunit Kaul

New Delhi, May 17: Heavy rain delayed the start of the game and hastened the finish, but in between the near-capacity Kotla crowd was treated to a downpour of sixes in a stimulating face-off between Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI on Saturday

Sporadic rain marred the tie, playing a cat-and-mouse game with the players and spectators, but the Kings eventually managed to eke out a six-run win over the hosts via the Duckworth-Lewis method in an 11-overs-a-side game.

At the eighth-over mark, Kings were 94/3 agonisingly ahead of the 88 needed, before rain intervened for the umpteenth time. Chasing the revised target of 123, the Yuvraj Singh-led team fought till the end with Luke Pomersbach (25) and Mahela Jayawardene (36) providing the fireworks. Their fiery 63-run stand for the fourth wicket poured cold water over Sehwag’s unbeaten 51 off 26 balls with five sixes and two fours.

The Mohali-based team now move to 14 points in the league table. The hosts had put on 118/4 after winning the toss and electing to bat and despite the result not going their way, they looked on top of their game.

Sehwag looked like a man possessed on the day. Up against the form side of the tournament, he perhaps realized his side could not afford any more debacles early on.

Gambhir started shakily, getting an inside edge onto his pads that trickled just inches past the stumps. Sreesanth’s first delivery offered a lot of promise for Kings XI. There was no grass on the surface, unlike the previous game, but overnight rain had juiced up the pitch.

However, It was spoken too soon as the bowler erred in his line, following up with four wides. The over ended with a slash from the Daredevils skipper that cleared the third man fence.

The other pacers didn’t fare any better with the both two openers throwing caution to the winds and getting away in the powerplays without a scratch, putting 68 on board. Had the Kings taken the two chances that went abegging– Sehwag spilled in the covers by Yuvraj and Gambhir at deep thirdman by V.R.V. Singh — things could have well been different.

Sehwag, celebrated his life, clattering 22 in woeful V.R.V. over, though Gambhir fell to a straighter one from Ramesh Powar. Rain interfered thereafter eventually spoiling Delhi’s party.

Gony battles, on field and off it

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:54:05 -0400

By OUR CORRESPONDENT

Kolkata, May 17: For Manpreet Gony, life has been a harsh journey. Losing his baby within just 15 days of its birth, Gony and his architect wife Manpreet were drowned sorrow. But the 24 year-old lad from Roopnagar did not give in. Rather, the disaster made him "even tougher."

"Those days still haunt me. My wife couldn’t get over the shock of losing Diamond (their baby boy) for days. And the Ranji Trophy too was just a month-and-half away. But, thanks to the Almighty, I didn’t go into oblivion and kept my focus on track. The rest, you can see," Gony said at a city hotel on Saturday. And then, to add to his misfortunes, trouble within his family forced him to leave his ancestral house.

However, the opportunity to play in the ongoing IPL has given him a new lease of life.

His wife expecting again has put the icing on the cake for the burly cricketer as far as starting things afresh. "Back in 2005, I was being ignored by selectors inspite of my good performances. Frustration crept in and I almost gave up hope. But all of a sudden, while playing in the Deodhar Trophy, I heard that I had been selected by Chennai. It was really a dream come true."

But Gony did not forget to thank the JJS Club of Chandigarh where he was groomed. The club used to supply him kit during his days of financial instability.

"I am enjoying the glitz and glamour associated with the game. No matter how well I have performed so far, I also do enjoy this yearning of fans for my autograph," Gony said. "I plan to buy a house of my own after this tournament is over," he added.

With 11 wickets in 10 matches so far, Gony emphasised the role played by his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind his run of success. "He (Dhoni) always tells me to keep things simple. Moreover, he stresses more on enjoying the game."

Cricket means more than life to this promising young medium pacer and he is ready to take on the world with this seven-letter word as his "sole" weapon. "I know I have got the talent to make it to the national team. The rest depends on the Almighty."

Knights look to ride past Kings at Eden

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:56:56 -0400

By V. Balaji

Kolkata, May 17: The IPL has reached a stage where past performance will count for very little. The game between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders is significant as a win here for the visitors will take them closer to the knockouts while in order not to fall too far away from the leaders, the hosts will have to get full points. Kolkata’s big loss to the same opponents in their last game adds a bit of intrigue to the contest as both sides approach the game with their confidence at the lowest ebb.

The Knight Riders have been a formidable force if not unbeatable at home. The wicket here has not been at its best and offered more for the fast bowlers than one could have hoped for in a T20 competition. It will take a great effort and mental fortitude by the Chennai batsmen to overcome the combination of Shoaib Akthar and Ishanth Sharma with the new ball. The duo will still be hot to handle in spite of the mauling they received at the hands of Sanath Jayasuriya in Mumbai.

David Hussey has been central to the Knight Riders’ plans. If he fails there is very little they have been able to offer in the middle order. The rest of the batting has not been able to deliver consistently and as a team.

Sourav Ganguly will have to have to bring all his experience as a shrewd captain into play as Chennai have been one of the tougher teams to actually have a game plan against. They have oscillated freely between the sublime and the ridiculous.

After scripting two remarkable wins against quality opposition Chennai hit a new low against Mumbai and the reasons for the loss is not beyond the team to comprehend. The Super Kings have two problem areas that has to be addressed quickly. They lack a strike bowler at the top and as nothing much can be done at this point of time in the tournament it is important for Manpreet Gony and Albie Morkel to curb run flow when the field restrictions are on.

If the duo can do what they did against the Kings XI, then Muralitharan can hope to toss the ball up in search of wickets. The off-spinner has been reduced to playing the restrictive role. If wickets don’t come by in the middle overs it is usually difficult to stop the flow in the final overs.

Dhoni and S. Badrinath have been the bulwark of the middle order and they will do a world of good if they fire again here. Morkel is a genuine talent with the bat and has been under utilised thus far.

He has had very little time in the middle. It will not be a bad idea for Dhoni to have Badri, Suresh Raina and Morkel along with him bat a majority of the overs.

If the team batting first can post a total in excess of 150 it will make an interesting match. The pressure of the situation where the tournament is in, a wicket with life and a vociferous Eden crowd will all combine to make chasing a tough proposition.

Inadequate security measures in Jaipur

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:35 -0400

By ROHIT BHARDWAJ

Jaipur, May 17: Security at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here on Saturday seemed casual even after repeated assurances by IPL chairman Lalit Modi and Rajasthan Cricket Association deputy president Bimal Roy Soni about foolproof arrangements on Friday.

State police personnel and private guards let visitors into the stadium with mobile phones and handbags that were strictly banned for the match between Rajasthan Royals and Bangalore Royal Challengers on Saturday.

"We were not stopped at the gate for bringing mobiles and even our handbags were not carefully checked," said Amrita Mahajan, a spectator.

Policemen checked individuals without any metal detectors and had no monitoring cameras or devices to keep a watch on visitors' movements in the stadium.

The only promise that was kept was no entry of private vehicles, though vehicles with VIP numbers were allowed in. The host association's earlier claims that they expect atleast 10,000-15,000 spectators for the match also went in vain as approximately 6,000 turned up for the show, with the Jaipur heat and a dull looking game playing spoilsport.

Meanwhile, a Rs 6 crore cheque was handed to Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje by the eight franchise owners and sponsors of the IPL towards her relief fund for the victims of the serial bombings that ripped through the city on Tuesday.

This contribution will go towards the rehabilitation of families of the victims.

The eight franchises donated Rs 50 lakh each, while the five sponsors - DLF, Vodafone, Citibank, Kingfisher and Hero Honda - contributed Rs 40 lakh each towards the relief fund.

The players of Rajasthan Royals as well as Bangalore Royal Challengers observed a two-minute silence on the field to offer prayers for the victims' families.

‘IPL has improved fitness’

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:52:05 -0400

By SHAMIK CHAKRABARTY

Kolkata, May 17: The heat is on, and Mahi is game.

Questions with controversial undertones came thick and fast during the pre-match press conference here on Saturday. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was forthright in his comments.

"IPL has forced the older players to be fitter and on their toes.

That’s the demand of this format," said the Chennai Super Kings captain.

Asked about the older players’ performances in this tournament, he said: "It’s not a case of young and old. It’s the case of fit or unfit."

"Twenty20 cricket is very demanding. It takes 80 per cent of the energy level required for an ODI. You have to meet the demands."

It is the same with playing back-to-back matches in searing heat. "We had the schedule beforehand. We knew we had to play as per schedule and perform," said the 26-year-old wicket-keeper.

Dhoni feels that the IPL has entered a crucial phase and teams within sniffing distance of the semifinals will try to win every game from hereon. "Definitely, our idea is to win on Sunday."

However, he doesn’t think that the Kolkata Knight Riders’ poor performance in the last match will give his side a psychological edge.

"You cannot predict in Twenty20 cricket. Every day is a new day, every game a new game. It depends on how the team get over the shock and regroup."

Dhoni said it would be "special" to play at the Eden Gardens where he has had played "loads of cricket" since the under-19 level.

He is not perturbed that this time he has to face an 80,000-strong crowd who would not be supporting him.

He also didn’t single out any particular team as their toughest opponent in the tournament and refused to comment on Shoaib Akhtar and Sourav Ganguly’s performances.

Warne & Co. again present sublime show

Sat, 17 May 2008 15:44:28 -0400

By Ravi Chakravarthy

Jaipur, May 17: It appears as if Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals can do no wrong. Whether they go into a game without match practice or after a prolonged break, the top team of the IPL need to just walk into the SMS Stadium and they are a transformed side.

Swatting away the Royal Challengers like one does an irritating fly, the Royals scripted an imposing 65-run victory to all but seal their berth in the semifinals. Racing away to 197/1, the Royals restricted the Challengers to 132 for nine, to tally 16 from 10 games.

Once again it was a professional performance from the Royals. Though Graeme Smith didn’t look destructive on this day, he was brutally effective. It was surprising that the South African played just 49 deliveries despite carrying his bat through, but his unbeaten 75 (49b, 8x4, 2x6) broke the Challengers’’ resolve.

The Royals’ opening pair was totally untroubled and though Dravid used six bowlers and frequently changed them, it was a futile effort as Smith and Asnodkar put on 109 in 12.2 overs. Having played all their matches at home, the Royals had sized up the wicket perfectly and treated the listless Challengers’ attack with disdain.

The very fact that Anil Kumble picked up his first wicket of the tournament, playing in his sixth match, shows how ineffective they have been all through. Damningly, it was the only wicket that the Bangalore team managed to get.

The Challengers made three changes and gave Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak his first match in the IPL. It was a thoroughly wasted effort as Razzak’s first over cost 17 and he bowled just one more going for 29 in two. When a team are in a slump like the Challengers, these are the kind of selections that return to haunt you.

For the Royals, however, it was fodder as Asnodkar and Smith ran the Challengers ragged. The right-hander, who just couldn’t read Kumble, got to his fifty first, off 42 deliveries with seven boundaries and a six before cutting the leggie to Misbah-ul-Haq at short third-man.

Any hopes of a respite vanished as the in-form Shane Watson (46, 28b) and Smith put on an unconquered 88 for the second wicket off 46 balls with the South African completing his half-century off just 34 deliveries. Though the Royals fell short of the 200-mark, something which seemed a distinct possibility, it was far too much for the struggling Challengers.

The difference lay in the figures. While the Royals ran up 94 without loss in 10 overs, the Challengers were gasping at 5/3 in the third before limping to 38/4 at the half-way mark. If the Royals’ first fifty came off a mere 5.5 overs, the Challengers needed 11.4 overs by which time five of their batsmen were back in the dugout and chewing their nails.

Though skipper Dravid showed he can adapt himself to the format hitting some big sixes at the end in his unbeaten 75 off 36 deliveries, it was merely flogging a dead horse.

The Challengers are dead and buried and Warne’s men, if they play like this, can afford another long break.

Deccan seek to stymie Indians

Sat, 17 May 2008 15:45:08 -0400

By PRATIK BANDYOPADHYAY

Hyderabad, May 17: Many believe that the IPL is not for older men, but Mumbai Indians have proved that youth is not just a physical matter, it is a psychological one. In all of their five victories in the tournament, 34-year-old Shaun Pollock has been impeccable with the ball and in the last two matches, 38-year-old Sanath Jayasuriya has turned the clock back to the 1990s to make the Indians look unbeatable.

With 10 points from nine matches, they now look favourites to make it to the last four of the tournament. When they take on Deccan Chargers here at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday, the Indians will have to be careful about the desperation in the Chargers' ranks as they have nothing to lose.

The Indians have an opening pair which existed only in dreams till the IPL was established. Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar are yet to fire in unison but the southpaw's form in the last two matches has been enough to blow the opposition away. Tendulkar could fire any moment and when he does, it would not be any less devastating than his Sri Lankan partner's.

With Pollock's accuracy and Ashish Nehra's resurgence, the Indians are suddenly looking one of the more balanced sides in the tournament. Youngsters like Robin Uthappa, Dhawal Kulkarni and Abhishek Nayar are playing their parts well. It will be an extremely difficult task for the Chargers to find chinks in the Indians' armour and register their first home win.

The Chargers can take heart from the fact that they made their highest score in the tournament so far in the last match against Delhi, who have one of the better attacks in the tournament. The Chargers seemed to have found the right combination for Twenty20 at last when Adam Gilchrist and Shahid Afridi opened their batting and got down to business quickly. Herschelle Gibbs at No. 3 was also a good option. Had the Afridi-Gibbs blitzkrieg gone on a little further, the Chargers would have recorded one of the best wins in the tournament.

The form of Venugopala Rao down the order is another ray of hope for the Chargers, albeit of restoring some pride. The Andhra batsman has exhibited some clean hitting without taking too much risk and one only hopes the top order does more than they have done so far so that Venu does not have anything improbable to achieve when he comes into the middle.

It has become clear by now that the Chargers cannot hope to get much help from their bowling, they have to rely on how much help the consistent Rohit Sharma and the likes of Venu get from the big names. In an encounter like this where only pride is at stake, the likes of Gibbs and Afridi should not have any problem in showing the fearlessness they are

known for.

Running Bull has credentials to win feature

Sat, 17 May 2008 15:41:39 -0400

By Our Correspondent

Bangalore, May 17: Running Bull, prepared by S. Padmanabhan, looks set to win the Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Cup, the feature event of the races to be held here on Sunday.

The Card

1. The Malenahalli Plate 1400m, 1.30 p.m.:

1. Non Stop Cannon 62 Zia Akhtar 5

2. Ronkonkoma 61.5 Adarsh G 6

3. Awesome Fighter 60 Ravi R 7

4. Prayatna 59.5 Md Shafiq 11

5. Fantabulous Hero 59 GY Rajesh 3

6. Word To Word 57 Christopher 10

7. Miss Marvelous 55.5 Shobhan 2

8. Road to Romance 55 Shakti S 1

9. Gracian 54.5 Pawan 9

10. Everything Nice 54 J Shukla 8

11. Orange Orchard 51.5 BL Paswan 4

2. The Mount Everest Trophy (Div-II) 1100M, 2.00 p.m.:

1. Tomsk 56 S John 2

2. Our Charm 56 S Babu 8

3. Voodoo Moon 56 Zia Akhtar 7

4. See You There 56 Sk Sharookh 5

5. Sunny Colours 54.5 M Narredu 9

6. Supreme Harmony 54.5 Raja Rao 3

7. Theatre Star 54.5 Narasimha 1

8. Holly Go Lightly 54.5 GY Rajesh 10

9. Different Opinion 54.5 Suraj 6

10. Running Splendour 54.5 Jagadeesh 4

3. The Allaire Plate 1400m, 2.30 p.m.:

1. Mighty Heart 62.5 Gnaneshwar 4

2. Grand Madame 62 Srinath 2

3. Hidalgo 61.5 HG Rathod 5

4. Nearco Master 61.5 HImanshu 1

5. Double Elite 60.5 Shobhan 8

6. Ravileena 60.5 B Mukesh 7

7. Moneyinthebank 58 Lisa Jones 9

8. Tactical Game 57 PS Chouhan 3

9. Paint Me Red 55.5 Md Shoaib 10

10. Cabochon 52.5 Mohd Ghous 6

4. The Mount Everest Trophy (Div-I) 1100m, 3.00 p.m.:

1. Astronomer Royal 56 M Ravi 6

2. Luminous Gold 56 Suraj 10

3. Spicy Star 56 Gnaneshwar 2

4. Clouseau 56 M Narredu 7

5. Glorious Princess 54.5 A Imran K 4

6. Blushing Beam 54.5 B Prakash 3

7. Fox Haven 54.5 S Babu 1

8. Sheer Gold 54.5 GY Rajesh 9

9. She’s Spectacular 54.5 Md Shafiq 8

10. Material Lady 54.5 Narasimha 5

5. The M.N. Prakash Memorial Trophy (Div-I) 1200M, 3.30 pm:

1. Fighting Star 62 B Mahesh 3

2. River Island 61 W Smith 1

3. An Equal Music 60.5 A Imran K 2

4. Billy Blackjack 58 C’shekar 4

5. Tina’s Triumph 58 Shobhan 8

6. Bee The Star 58 M Narredu 5

7. Fanaa 57 Jagadeesh 7

8. Hawaiian Sunrise 57 FM Ismail 10

9. Born Beauty 56 Suraj 6

10. Jedi Knight 54.5 A Velu 9

6. The Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Cup 1400m, 4.00 pm:

1. Khaleels Pride 60 Ch K Chary 1

2. Vijayraaj 60 Appu 9

3. Rhapsidion Snow 60 Lisa Jones 10

4. Running Bull 60 W Smith 5

5. Lionheart 60 C’shekar 6

6. Royal Ambassador 58.5 M Narredu 12

7. Aurelian 58.5 A Imran K 2

8. Pastiche 58.5 D Patel 11

9. Jet Fire 58.5 C Alford 7

10. Classic Sky 57.5 Srinath 3

11. Our Little Savage 57 Gnaneshwar 4

12. Dare Don 57 S Rajesh 8

7. The Aureole Time Plate 1200M, 4.30 pm:

1. Gara Fluid 61 Md Shoaib 1

2. Damgood 60.5 Shobhan 2

3. Masurathi 59.5 P Ramesh 3

4. Master Strategist 59 Pereira 4

5. Wile Wench 59 Chethana 7

6. She’s Big 58.5 Gautam Raj 5

7. Splendid Glory 55.5 K Anil 9

8. Chaila Babu 55 S Rajesh 8

9. Zaios 53 Gopal Rao 6

8. The Usha Stud Plate 1400M, 5.00

pm:

1. Stone of Destiny 62.5 Christopher 7

2. Wonder Smile 62 B Prakash 3

3. War Head 61.5 C’shekar 5

4. Lava 60.5 C Krishnan 10

5. Flaming Lamborgini 59.5 M Narredu 11

6. Saptashwa 58 PS Chouhan 4

7. Symbol of Speed 57.5 Sreekanth 1

8. Red Mustang 56 Aadesh K 6

9. Easy 53.5 Pereira 9

10. Rebellious 53.5 MF Ali K 2

11. Artic Blast 53.5 A Imran K 8

12. Welcome Back 51.5 Suraj 12

9. The M.N. Prakash Memorial Trophy (Div-II) 1200M, 5.30 pm:

1. Adorabella 60 Gnaneshwar 4

2. Movie Queen 58.5 C Krishnan 10

3. Masquenada 57 S John 3

4. Powerfuldreams 56.5 A Imran K 9

5. Enforcer 55.5 Suraj 6

6. Seasons Greetings 55.5 J Shukla 1

7. Serious Warrior 55.5 Mohd. Ghous 7

8. Winning Rays 55.5 Sk Sharookh 8

9. Dock of Bay 55.5 Vinod 2

10. Look Alike 55.5 Md Shafiq 5

Jackpot: 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9

1st Treble: 3, 4 & 5.

2nd Treble: 7, 8 & 9

Keen tussle on the cards

Sat, 17 May 2008 15:41:56 -0400

BY MANUJA VEERAPPA

Bangalore, May 17: The area surrounding the Sree Kanteerava Stadium — venue for the Sunfeast 10K Run here — is decked up like a bride ready for the big day.

As many as 20,000 people from all walks of life will put their best foot forward as Bangalore gets ready to host the world’s richest 10K run. The total money on offer at this event is $150,000.

This is also a rare moment for Indian athletics as some of the big names in world athletics are in the fray.

Leading the challenge are Kenya’s Paul Tergat in the men’s section and Berhane Adere of Ethiopia in the women’s category.

Other big international athletes in fray include Kenya’s Moses Masai, Uganda’s Moses Kipsiro in the men’s section, while the women’s start list includes Kenya’s Salina Kosgei and Elvan Ablegessie of Turkey.

In the men’s run it is going to be interesting to see the tussle between a past champion and the current favourite.

Although Tergat is the title favourite, the fact that this is first major event this year may be a drawback. Added to that, he is yet to prove his fitness after suffering a calf injury last year. On the other hand Masai is in great form considering he holds the world 10K run record and is currently the fastest man on the road.

Speaking on his maiden appearance this year, Tergat said: "This is the first race of the year as my preparations for the London Marathon too came to a standstill because of the political unrest in Kenya. But I am here to give this event my best."

On the other hand Masai said, "I expect to do well. This is the last 10K run I will participate before I start my preparations for the Olympics. It is very important for me to win this event, since it will do a lot for my confidence."

In the women’s event, Selena is confident of putting up a good show. "I’m in great shape and eager to make my debut in India. With climatic conditions similar to that of Beijing, winning here is very important for me."

Apart from the athletes a host of celebrates from various walks will participate in the event. Many of them will lend their name to various charities.

The galaxy of sports celebrities who will be seen in action on Sunday include Dhanraj Pillay, Vijay Amritraj, Ashwini Nachappa, Pankaj Advani, Reeth Abraham. Joining them will be cine stars Dino Morea, Rahul Bose, Ganesh, Ramya and Pooja Gandhi.

Comfortable win for Star Wave in the Mayor’s Cup

Sat, 17 May 2008 15:42:15 -0400

By Our Correspondent

Bangalore, May 17: Star Wave won the Mayor’s Cup, the feature event of the races held here on Saturday.

The results

1. The Welcome Plate (Div-II) 1200M: Aquitaine 54.5 M. Narredu 1, Pleasuring 54.5 B. Prakash 2, Mint 54.5 A. Imran Khan 3, You Beauty 54.5 Lisa Jones 4. Won by: 7-1/2, 2-3/4, 2. Time-1:14.76. Fav: Pleasuring. Trained by: S. Attaollahi.

2. The Rare Gem Plate 1400M: Salsera 54.5 M. Narredu 1, Star Presentation 56 Y.S. Srinath 2, Enduring Star 56 Wayne Smith 3, Kickingking 56 K. Gopal Rao 4. Won by: 1-1/2, 8-1/2, 1. Time-1:27.73. Fav: Star Presentation. Trained by: S. Attaollahi.

3. The Sha Tin Plate 1200M: Spread A Smile 56.5 Suraj Narredu 1, King Of Good Times 55.5 Khurshad Alam 2, Princess Emily 60.5 R. Koch 3, Whisper Valley 61.5 Sreekanth B 4. Won by: 3-1/2, 1/2, 3/4. Time-1:17.21. Fav: Spread A Smile. Trained by: V Lokanath.

4. The Royal Command Plate 1100M: Poetic 61 Y.S. Srinath 1, Pied Harrier 62 M. Narredu 2, Smart N Special 57 Himanshu 3, Trafalgar Square 52 J.E. Pereira 4. Won by: 1-3/4, 2-1/4, 3-1/4. Time-1:09.59. Fav: Poetic. Trained by: S. Ganapathy.

5. The Mayor’s Cup 1400M: Star Wave 55.5 B. Prakash 1, Milagro 54.5 Vinod Shinde 2, Repique 54 A. Imran Khan 3, Cart Wheel 52.5 C. Alford 4. Won by: 2, 3-1/4, Hd. Time-1:27.46. Fav: Star Wave. Trained by: S. Ganapathy. 6. 6. The Krishnaraja Wadiyar Cup 1200M: Dinesa 50 Vinod Shinde 1, Mercurial 53 C. Alford 2, Brahmaputra 62.5 Wayne Smith 3, Stylish Bay 51 Suraj Narredu 4. Won by: lnk, 2-1/2, 2. Time-1:13.84. Fav: Mercurial. Trained by: I. Ghatala.

7. The Littleover Plate 1400M: Sangini 58 KPG Appu 1, Mac 62.5 M. Narredu 2, Anoosheek 55 D. Gnaneshwar 3, Allegro 61 Kishore Kadam 4. Won by: 2-1/4, 1/2, 2. Time-1: 30.07. Fav: Anoosheek. Trained by: S. Inayathulla.

8. Welcome Plate (Div-I) 1200M: Own Voice 56 B. Prakash 1, Spark Of Gold 56 S. John 2, Kajuraho 54.5 Vinod Shinde 3, Sprawling Elegance 56 M. Narredu 4. Won by: 9, 2-1/2, 2-1/4. Time-1:14.93. Fav: Own Voice. Trained by: S. Ganapathy.