An awe-inspiring performance by young Delhi-based apprentice Sameer Khan left punters in a trance at the Calcutta racecourse on Wednesday. Racegoers were dumbstruck as his fearless riding had favourites falling like ninepins. To make matters worse for the hapless turfites, Bangalore ace KPG Appu was completely done in by mounts which lacked potential. The turfites’ ire fell on Christopher Alford who was at the receiving end of three narrow debacles of public choices.

First things first, and it was apprentice Sameer Khan who kept egging on Patrick Quinn -trained Italian Splendour to land the spoils in the final stride of the seven-furlong race for the Regal Bear Handicap. Romantic Quest and Christopher Alford collared the pace-setting Master Marvel near the distance post and appeared to have the race in the bag. However, Sameer had other ideas and though his mount was travelling three deep, he kept pushing him to gain the honours in the final stride.

The Stewards were unhappy with Alford’s handling of the favourite and suspended him for two race days (from August 16-20). The punters were perhaps more dissatisfied with the fact that the hot favourite took a dive rather than her inept handling.

Sameer would have had back-to-back doubles had Glory of North been allowed to keep her race. She had got the better of the on-money favourite Secret Move close home but it was a foregone conclusion that the objection in the True Colours Handicap by Afzal against Sameer would be upheld. It is of course a debatable issue whether Glory of North would have won had she been allowed to maintain her own course. She may have yet come up trumps by the proverbial whisker. But then, that’s neither here nor there. Sameer did what he thought was the best course of action. Had the mare not lugged in so viciously, she would have undoubtedly got the race.

Sameer, however, made amends when he guided She’s Superb to a fairly impressive victory in the afternoon’s final event, The Citi Limits Handicap. The fancied runners, Thousand Stars and Green Valley both failed to match strides with the winner. The disappointment was Flaming Comet’s poor run.

Christopher Alford’s sole winner of the afternoon was Axminster in the Mercury Handicap. The Vijay Singh ward piloted powerfully by Alford to land the spoils. It was however a day of disappointments for both Alford and Appu. The former’s mount Quantum of Solace bit the dust by a nose as Shafiq Khan’s Lizzy Arden pegged back the top-weight in the hands of Shadab Khan who was going hell for leather. Kudos to the Delhi lads who are giving their local contemporaries a difficult time.

The afternoon’s main event, The Arcade Cup, saw Aarti Doctor’s Supreme Attraction raise a great gallop to win from the aged Cosmos. She thus made amends for her costly failure in her season’s first race. The favourite Strength To Succeed was all at sea.