A selection of high-profile racehorses caught the eye during Saturday morning's training sessions at the Bengaluru racecourse. As preparations continue for upcoming racing fixtures, several contenders demonstrated strong form, with Prokofiev, Tipped Off, Once You Go Black, Mandate, and Iron Flame all producing notable displays on the track.
The morning exercises, conducted on both the inner and outer sand tracks, provided trainers and observers with a clear look at the current conditioning of the local string. While many horses were put through their paces with steady, routine work, the aforementioned group stood out for their fluid movement and readiness.
Standout performances on the outer sand
On the outer sand track, the 1200m gallops provided some of the most significant highlights of the morning. Prokofiev, partnered with Chatan, delivered a pleasing display over 1400m, clocking 1:38, with the final 1200m covered in 1:23.5 and the 1000m in 1:10. Similarly, Tipped Off and Once You Go Black both impressed over 1200m, with Tipped Off recording a 1000m split of 1:10.5 and a 600m finish of 41.5, while Once You Go Black completed the same distance in 1:29.
Iron Flame also drew attention during the 1200m sessions, showing sharp form by clocking 1:31 for the full distance, with a 1000m time of 1:11 and a 600m sprint of 41.5. Mandate, meanwhile, looked to be in fine shape over 1400m, stopping the clock at 1:42, with a 1000m sectional of 1:11. Other notable efforts included Czar, who clocked 1:29 for 1200m, and D Fronx, who moved well over the same distance in 1:27.
Inner sand and additional track updates
The inner sand track saw African Gold, under R. Pradeep, produce a sharp 600m effort in 37 seconds. Tyaaraa also showed attractive movement over 1400m, finishing with a 600m split of 40 seconds. Elsewhere on the outer track, several horses maintained a steady rhythm to keep their fitness levels high. N R I Ace moved in fine trim over 600m in 44 seconds, while Diana and Sea Gold both strode out well over 1000m, each recording a time of 1:14.
In the pairing exercises, Cyrus The Great finished two lengths clear of Flamingo Dream over 1200m, while Star Comet held a three-length advantage over Sensuous in their 1400m workout. With the morning's work concluded, the focus now shifts to the upcoming race days as these contenders look to translate their training track form into competitive performances.
