Trainer Vijay Singh and his wards have been simply unstoppable of late. On Wednesday, the champion trainer notched up a cup quartet--a rare feat by any standards. Training for his chief patron Deepak Khaitan, Vijay led in Exclusivity, Oxford Street, Arcology and Aperitivo. The Khaitan stable had yet another winner, Adalira, running under the care of Javed Khan. While jockey Christopher Alford rode Exclusivity and Aperitivo, Neeraj Rawal completed a treble with the other three Khaitan wards. This Mumbai lightweight has indeed made this centre his happy hunting ground.
The main event, the Indian Champion Cup, saw the seven-year-old Aperitivo come good without being fully stretched. Christopher Alford rode a supremely confident race, keeping his mount in the rear of the five-horse field till the turning for home and then releasing the brakes as the front-running owner-mate Arturo began to shorten his strides. The four-year-old Steal The Glory ran a game second. The experience gained by matching strides with the best will no doubt stand him in good stead in the near future. This was the third year in succession that Aperitivo has lifted this cup.
The supporting event, The Indian Champagne Stakes, saw the winner of the Indian Produce Stakes (Accalia) being installed as the firm favourite. The filly, however, ran well below par and finished in the ruck. It was left to stablemate Arcology to do the honours. The filly by Flitch out of Petalumma was however fully stretched by Rutherford Alford-trained Lycia Falcon who was finishing on full of running in the hands of Hyderabad lad N. Rawal.
Rutherford is trainer Alford's son, who has been restricted to a wheelchair after suffering a fall sometime ago. He is courageous enough to take up training as a career despite the handicap and RCTC has obliged by granting the lad a licence. Let us wish him all the best and hope that the Alford legacy continues at this centre where the name has been in the forefront for several decades.
A sudden transformation in the weather seemed to have an adverse effect on the runners in the early part of the afternoon. Favourites fell by the wayside in the first three races. A chilly cross-wind, that had visitors putting their hands in their pockets for warmth, seemed to blow away the public choices till Exclusivity put things in order in the fourth race.
Rank outsider Matrix gave Javed Khan his first win of the day while top-weighted Adalira completed his brace, despite drifting out to the outer rails. Ante-post favourite Elemental Wish ran like a dud but Blood Rayne was right there at the busy end.
John Stephens-trained Alonso made every post of the M.B. Medhora Cup a winning one in the hands of jockey Jaiswal. The short-priced public choice Loughborough appeared to wilt under the crushing impost.
Like Exclusivity in the B.K. Poddar Cup, Oxford Street won the Allodium Cup in great style.
The final race of the afternoon, the Real Danger Cup, saw top-weighted Conde Nast come good after pegging back Javed Khan-trained Art Of War close home.
