Ashwa Pratap proved to be too good in the Class One - Madras Race Club Cup, the feature event of the Tuesday's Delhi races. His ownermate Ashwa Paddma added yet another feather in the cap of the connections by becoming the first horse to complete a hat-trick during this season. By virtue of this, the duo enabled trainer Roopendra Singh Shekhawat and jockey Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to earn a brace each.

A brief spell of rain at least two hour before the day's proceedings had almost made the going heavy, as the timings clocked were quite slower. The rain-affected day saw the much-hyped fillies Stunning Rose and She's Romantic not rising to the occasion. The former, particularly, being the pipping hot favourite, received a big jolt before the classic preparations.

A field of 11 horses began their campaign from six furlongs for the Madras Race Club Cup. Taking the advantage of scale, Cornelia Supra was in attempt of start to finish bid but she drifted out alarmingly in the straight and lost all chances. Awaiting for such an opportunity, Ashwa Pratap, late Adam's Obsession, who came from the sixth position unleashed a terrific run to turn the table on the former.  After seeing his previous winning gallop under excessive use of whip, no one even could have guessed about Ashwa Pratap emerging victorious in an impressive manner in the top class. But it was the great determination of the trio (Owner, Trainer and Jockey), which let every one kept his finger crossed.

"Frankly speaking, his previous winning performance was not satisfactory but that helped him a lot to come up further," Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, jockey, told me. "I had to put in my best again by alerting him after the jump to stay within in a striking position and he responded promptly to my urgings which was missing previously," Gajendra said.

"My trainer and jockey have the full credit of what I'm achieving," Mrs Anita Chauhan, owner, said. "My horse has kept my word and made me proud to stand tall," Anita said further. 

More or less in the similar manner, Mrs Anita Chauhan and Ravinder Pal Singh Chauhan's Ashwa Paddma completed a hat-trick in the Chennai Plate which was earmarked for class four horses. Gajendra once again partnered the gelding. The gelding's achievement came against all odds. He was in receipt of weight against the horse whom he had defeated previously and the standing position (14) was also dicey. "I do not know the basics of handicapping and racing, my family is basically the horse lover and the horses are really paying the dividends of hard work," Ravinder Pal Singh Chauhan, co-owner, said. "we are hoping him to be in unstoppable mood in forthcoming races," he added further.

The day's opener, which was made for the maiden youngsters, saw Shubh Shubh meeting with success. The three-year-old colt, who had splint in forelegs during the previous season, had no mercy over the companions while routing them on a tight reins in the Ball Room Plate. "He is the best horse I have in my stable after Dedication, " Ishwar Singh Parmar, trainer, told me. "He would have had won on the last day of the previous season, but untimely fever forced him not to compete," he said. "He should keep going with his sparkling performance," he added further.

Spade Of Ace dashed the hope of day's hot favourite Stunning Rose in the upper division of the Grand Stand Plate. The three-year-old filly was never settled. In spite of that when she looked all set to have a date with the winning post, a horse four-year-old elder than her came from midway bunch to hand her over a severe defeat. The Mohsin Khan-trainer winner is in rousing form and the way he has been performing yet another win should come his way, while Stunning Rose should come out of the bitter memory in the next outing.

In the lower division of the race, Raffaello extended his winning streak by completing an encore in an impressive manner. His form may help him to complete a hat-trick. Meanwhile, Arabian Tiger tasted an overdue victory in the Guindy Plate. The run of She's The One, She's sexy and She's Romantic should be ignored. The horses to soon strike are: Vagabond, Silver Girl, Faurties, Striving Higher, High Opinion, Hope Springs, Golden Gun and Sun Dancer.