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Prasad’s youngster, Commanding Heights, came out of his maiden ranks in his third attempt, winning the lower division of the Galactica Plate, run over five furlongs. Gnaneshwar rode Commanding Heights in check, till the final bend and when the brakes were released, the son of Hymn and Bumper to Bumper surged ahead with ease. Get Together finished second ahead of First Spot.
Art Connoisseur won the higher division but not before giving some anxious moments. Caladium had started in right earnest in front and was kicking on gamely. Chayanandan was in hot pursuit while Art Connoisseur started to creep up but was lugging out badly. Jockey Fentiman had to ride out, with full use of his stick and it was in the last 30 metres that Art Connoisseur picked up momentum to beat Caladium in the shadow of the winning post.
Donald Netto’s Hussler, stretched out well for an effortless win in the Starsky Plate, run over 2,200 metres, by a comfortable margin of six lengths. Moving in from third position, Hussler overtook the leader Flying Phoenix rounding the final turn and extended the lead on the straight. Vijayam was withdrawn on veterinary grounds.
Racing after a gap of nearly four months, Shehzad Abbas’s Aphrodisiac held on from Alberton Star in the higher division of the Musical Morn Plate. Mclaughlin timed his run well on Aphrodisiac, taking her to the front at the distance post and rode out to hold on by half a length at the finish from Alberton Star, who lost a stride, stumbling on the straight.
Luck doesn’t seem to have changed for Chestnut Charmer, who finished second for the sixth consecutive time. Tristar, with a sustained run, flew past Chestnut Charmer to win by half a length in the lower division of the Musical Morn Plate. John Galt covered a lot of ground to finish third pushing Flaming Ruby to fourth.
The race run in memory of Jockey V. Rajashekar who had lost his life on this track, was divided into two. Deshmukh’s Storm Force won the higher division with a lengthening margin to give rider M. Krishna his fortieth career win enabling him to graduate into a full-fledged jockey. Indradhanush was withdrawn on veterinary grounds. Air Bender, trained by Faisal Hassan lifted the lower division. Setting out on a start-to-finish mission, Jockey Chary gave his mount a breather between the 800 and 600 metres, regained the position and stretched clear of Kohinoor Fairytale.
Narayan Rao’s Cannadian Girl galloped with telling strides to surge clear of Prince of Hebashe to win the Concordial Plate, the concluding race of the day.
Trainer Prasad Raju and S.S. Faisal Hassan scored a double each while jockey D. Gnaneshwar won all his three mounts to regain his lead in the jockeys tally.
