As the sun began to dip over the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) on Day 16 of the summer meeting, the penultimate event, the Lagarde Plate delivered a thrilling contest over a sharp 1200 metres. It was Del Aviz who emerged on top with a commanding performance, showcasing excellent timing and turn of foot in the final stages of the race.
Trained by S. S. Attaollahi and ridden with precision by Akshay Kumar, Del Aviz crossed the finish line in 1:12.33, securing the winner’s share of the Rs. 7,00,000 purse. The runner races in the colours of Hyperion Bloodstock Pvt. Ltd. rep. by Mr & Mrs Farouq K. Rattonsey, Mr. Sameer F. Rattonsey and Mr. Zaheer F. Rattonsey, Mr. Nitin Himmatmal Jain & Mr. Jatin Laxmikant Trivedi, a notable ownership group with a history of success at the track.
Finishing a close second was Jersey King, trained by S. Dominic and partnered by C. Umesh, who delivered a strong effort to clock 1:12.49, just shy of the winner’s mark. The runner showed grit throughout, holding off the late challenge for the runner-up position.
Mazal Tov completed the frame in third, timed at 1:12.59, under the guidance of Antony Raj S. and trained by Neil B. Devaney, rounding off a tightly run contest where margins made all the difference.
The Lagarde Plate served as an ideal buildup to the day’s concluding race, the Southern Empire Plate, as the summer meeting at BTC edged toward a spirited finale.
