Star Future split sample positive

"I am not thrilled": Farouq Rattonsey

Prakash Gosavi
gosavi@mid-day.com

The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) yesterday upgraded Beautiful Stranger, originally placed third, as the new winner of the grade 1, Indian 2000 Guineas, after a report from a Dubai laboratory confirmed the presence of Boldenone in runner-up Star Future's urine sample. It may be noted that winner Ocean And Beyond was already disqualified earlier for the same reason. The revised result of the 2000 Guineas now reads thus: Beautiful Stranger 1st, Su Chaliyo 2nd, Star Warrior 3rd & Immense 4th.

Beautiful Stranger is trained by SS Shah and is owned by Farouq Rattonsey, the same duo who had won two back-to-back Indian Derbies with Hotstepper and Antonios in 2008 & 2009 respectively. When MiD DAY contacted Rattonsey for a reaction on this lucky development--the owner got an additional sum of Rs 31 lakh thanks to the upgrade--he, strangely, did not sound like a very happy man.

"Frankly," he told MiD DAY, "I am not thrilled. I would have liked to win on the racetrack, that would have given me a high." He further added, "It's also very strange, I mean three horses coming positive for the same substance--it's unprecedented, and I am completely baffled by it."

In a related development, Vivek Jain, chairman of RWITC, told MiD DAY that all the three trainers whose horses tested positive--Pesi Shroff, Cooji Katrak and SK Sunderji--have been given two weeks to conduct their own internal inquiries before the club will take up the matter for decision.

(c) MiD DAY