King Ke, with apprentice jockey S S Siddharth in the saddle, registered his second victory as a combination when the duo landed the Maharashtra, Gujarat & Goa Area Trophy at the Mumbai meeting held at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse here on Sunday.
In this three-horse contest, it was Alpine Star who broke smartly from the gates and set the early pace. The gelding from Narendra Lagad’s stable took charge upfront, with King Ke tracking him closely in second position, while Kimiko settled in behind the leading pair.
The order remained unchanged as the field crossed the 1000-metre marker, with King Ke kept under a tight hold and showing no urgency, biding his time just off the leader. Alpine Star continued to dictate terms, though the pressure from King Ke was beginning to tell.
The race took a decisive turn as they entered the home straight. Siddharth asked King Ke to quicken, guiding him smoothly into contention and making his intentions clear. Responding gamely, King Ke surged ahead with a telling burst of speed and quickly asserted his superiority.
From there on, it was a one-sided affair. King Ke powered away to score an emphatic victory by over five lengths, leaving Kimiko to finish second, while the early leader Alpine Star weakened in the final stages to end up in the last position.
