For a change, there was no rain during the afternoon’s proceedings and form held good by and large. The five youngsters to flash past the winning post were Cascades, Credit Squeeze, Ashwa Gamini, Royal Charter and Washington Irvine.
|
Credit Squeeze is a handsome looking dark bay compact colt who is fit as a fiddle. Nevertheless, the odds on him increased to 12/10 as money came on the recent import from Bangalore – Acridian, in the seven-furlong race for the Hokaido Handicap. Vinay Jaiswal took the Bharath Singh ward to the helm of affairs and stayed there all the way to earn the ‘easiest - winner-of-the-day’ tag. Acridian needed the run and will be better for it. Newfoundland was once again a creditable second.
Vijay Singh-trained Aemilia closed as the favourite in the 1000-metre sprint for the Sans Ame Handicap but it was Ashwa Gamini who made every post a winning one. The speedy filly from Bath’s stable outpaced the field of nine runners. Sugar N Salt ran on to occupy the runner-up berth.
Royal Charter’s win in the lower division of the Bright Hanovar Handicap was truly remarkable. The favourite Extraordinaire set the pace till the distance post where Royal Charter collared him and won as he liked. The Vijay Singh-trained runner was piloted by Christopher Alford.
C. Alford completed a double for the same trainer when fashionably bred Washington Irvine (Razeen-Magic Fountain) romped home in the upper division of the Bright Hanovar Handicap. The colt was stretching out in the final furlong to suggest he will relish a longer trip. Darius Byramji- trained Top of The Class won the Court Minstrel Cup after a brief tussle with stablemate Axiology in the straight. Bottom-weighted Diomedes showed the way till the bend where he fizzled out. Apprentice B. Mahesh atop the eventual winner shot his mount through a narrow gap at the top of the straight to land the spoils.
The win of Smiles was long overdue. She nevertheless had to stave off a strong challenge from Sense of Style in the Turf Hawk Handicap. After a not too clean jump-out, apprentice Srinivas Rao positioned her behind the leader Manjhale Nawab before edging ahead and holding on.
