Stud Poker, Edison, Whistling Glory and Sigrid emerged as the most notable performers when horses were exercised at the track on Friday morning, Sept. 25, with a series of timed gallops on the inner and outer sand suggesting several runners are nearing peak condition.
The morning session, monitored closely by trainers and stable hands, produced a number of encouraging efforts across multiple distances. While the work was routine in nature, the sharpness and fluency displayed by several horses stood out, particularly among those sent out over 1200m and beyond. In a sport where morning exercise can often provide the earliest clues to race-day readiness, the day's work offered a useful snapshot of the stable's current strength.
On the inner sand, Refined Aggression covered 600m in 39.5 seconds and was reported to have moved well. Evermore, under Shreyas, clocked 40 seconds and strode out well, while Hazel, also timed at 39.5 seconds, stretched out well. Xaily, partnered by Rajesh K, and Alpha Legend, with Kiran Rai aboard, both went 600m in 40 seconds, with Xaily finishing four lengths ahead, a margin that underlined the former's stronger finish in the workout.
The longer inner-sand gallops were equally informative. Interceptor, ridden by S. Imran, completed 1000m in 1 minute 8 seconds after a 600m split of 39.5 seconds and strode out well. Charlie Brown, also with S. Imran, was timed at 1 minute 6.5 seconds for 1000m, with a 600m split of 38.5 seconds, and was said to have stretched in the last part. Money Bags, with rb in the saddle, worked over 1200m in 1 minute 22 seconds and recorded 1 minute 7 seconds for 1000m and 40 seconds for the final 600m, finishing the exercise in fine nick.
The outer sand produced the day's most eye-catching reports. Seize The Grey, ridden by Salman, covered 600m in 45 seconds and moved freely. Spiritual Light, with Antony up, went 1000m in 1 minute 13.5 seconds with a 600m split of 44 seconds and shaped well. Supernal, partnered by Kiran Rai, clocked 1 minute 15.5 seconds for 1000m with a 600m split of 46 seconds and moved well, while Il Volo, also with Kiran Rai, registered 1 minute 16 seconds for 1000m and 45.5 seconds for the final 600m, moving freely. Mister Brown, under R. Pradeep, completed 1000m in 1 minute 16 seconds with a 600m split of 43.5 seconds and was said to have pleased.
The standout names, however, came in the 1200m and longer gallops. Stud Poker, with Antony aboard, produced a fine display over 1200m, clocking 1 minute 22 seconds overall, with intermediate splits of 1 minute 8 seconds for 1000m and 41 seconds for the last 600m. The report described the effort as a fine display, a strong endorsement of the horse's current condition. Edison, ridden by S. Imran, also impressed over 1200m, recording 1 minute 21 seconds, with splits of 1 minute 8.5 seconds for 1000m and 44.5 seconds for the final 600m, and was noted to have moved impressively.
Sigrid, another Antony mount, was equally fluent in a 1200m workout, finishing in 1 minute 27 seconds with splits of 1 minute 10 seconds for 1000m and 41.5 seconds for the last 600m. The horse moved fluently, suggesting there is more to come. Whistling Glory, partnered by Aleemuddin, was one of the most convincing workers of the morning over 1400m, completing the trip in 1 minute 42 seconds and finishing six lengths ahead of Waitara, who was ridden by Antony. The splits for Whistling Glory — 1 minute 25.5 seconds for 1200m, 1 minute 11.5 seconds for 1000m and 43 seconds for the final 600m — pointed to sustained rhythm and a strong finishing effort.
Estelle, also with Antony, rounded out the longer work with a 1600m gallop in 1 minute 57 seconds. The horse recorded 1 minute 42 seconds for 1400m, 1 minute 27 seconds for 1200m, 1 minute 13 seconds for 1000m and 43.5 seconds for the final 600m, and was said to have strode out well.
Taken together, the morning's exercise session suggested that several runners are in good heart, with Stud Poker, Edison, Whistling Glory and Sigrid making the strongest impression. For trainers and connections, such gallops are more than routine fitness checks; they are an important indicator of readiness, stamina and finishing power. Based on Friday's work, those four horses appear to be moving in the right direction as the racing calendar progresses.