A competitive field lined up for the fifth race of the afternoon at Bangalore Turf Club, and it was Golden Thunder who stamped his authority on the Civil Service Cup, a testing 2000-meter handicap for horses rated 60 to 85, carrying a prize purse of Rs.7,00,000.
Trained by Karthik Ganapathy and ridden with precision by Antony Raj S., Golden Thunder raced to victory in a time of 2:05.51 for owners M/s. Arun Alagappan Racing LLP, represented by Mr. Arun Alagappan. Displaying strong staying ability and tactical speed, the gelding made his move approaching the final meters and sustained it well under pressure.
Not far behind was Arkadian, guided by S. Saqlain and trained by Pesi Shroff, who clocked 2:05.64 to finish a close second after a well-judged ride and a determined chase down the straight.
The third spot went to Cape Wickham, trained by James Mckeown and partnered by C. Umesh, who completed the race in 2:05.99, staying on well in a tightly contested finish among the front-runners.
The Civil Service Cup added depth to an already engaging race card, and with five events now completed, anticipation is at its peak for the next feature – The Zavaray S. Poonawalla Colts Championship Stakes, the most awaited contest of the day. The mile-long classic offers Rs.49,50,000 in prize money and promises a thrilling showdown among India’s finest colts.
