Trainer Vijay Singh had the last laugh when his Elusive Study won the Wiseman Cup in a dramatic three-horse finish that the colt could just as easily have lost. Hot favourite Councilofgods called the shots but soon realised that his runaway tactics may not work quite as easily when pitted against stiff company. Hampered by Conquering Love at close quarters, the favourite soon called it a day. Rank outsider Fort Knox took up the running just after the turn and appeared to be heading for the winner's closure when Forces of Destiny loomed up on the outside.

Bisecting the pair in the last 50 metres was Elusive Study and Neeraj Rawal. Rawal's relentless pressure ultimately won him the day.

The day began well for the Jaiswals as their Rock Superstar won at lucrative odds - thanks to a lot of money pouring in on their stablemate Betelgeuse. The second race saw the day's biggest outsider in the form of Grand Pere. The aged gelding from John Stephens yard was piloted with a purpose by Delhi jockey Pawan Sharma. The favourite Body And Soul may be a little overrated, now that she is a six-year old.

Bullet Proof brought the field into the straight and was challenged strongly by Grand Pere at the distance post. When his mount threatened to stop, Pawan used the stick freely to keep the momentum going. Owner Bimal Khemka completed a back-to-back double when his Big Thrillz won the very next race despite being burdened with a statutory penalty of 5 kg.

If John Stephens surprised most with Grand Pere, punters were in for a greater shock when his 11-year-old gelding Way To The Stars pulled off a miraculous win in the hands of light-weight apprentice Sameer Khan. Stephens' modus operandi for success is somewhat similar to David Hill's. Hill used to train in the south India circuit over two decades ago when John was a rider.

'Maintain fitness of older horses, drop in handicap and strike while the iron is hot' is their secret formula but easier said than done. Kudos to John for this brilliant treble and Sameer for a great ride to sink the favourite Sea Monarch in the last stride.

She comes from western India with a great reputation and she kept her credentials intact with a fairly fluent win in the Independence Cup. We are of course talking of Pesi Shroff-trained Apollotina. The fashionably bred filly by China Visit out of Distinction looks slated for bigger laurels. The run of Romanticity was extremely poor while another Mumbai horse Premier Panache was the best of the rest.

The curtain came down on the afternoon's proceedings with a bang - in every sense. The race was won by Stephens-trained Foot Tapper but the horse was disqualified for dangerous riding. Mark Reuben veered out suddenly, causing the fall of jockey Pawan Sharma on his outside. Friendless Cobble Court got the race by default, resulting in the jackpot being carried forward.