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Awesome Fighter had joined Bipin's stable a few months ago. Starting from a near zero rating, this horse had won four races in quick succession. The margins of victory were always narrow and, therefore, he escaped with small penalties. Half a dozen unplaced efforts during the Winter season were enough to bring him back to his winning mark. Bipin sharpened him for the occasion and Stephane did the rest. He took him to the front and the others were soon off their bridles. Secret Fury and Hero's Dominance were the best of the rest.
The other professional to score more than once was jockey Vivek. He started the proceedings by winning the day's opener. The withdrawal of favourite Game Face allowed Vishal Yadav's Aryansh to scamper home for a narrow victory. There were quite a few in this bunch that were almost abreast as the runners came charging down the straight. With Vivek riding a strong finish, Aryansh proved to be marginally superior to Halo Of Splendour and Stinger. His victory astride Champions League was equally exciting. The pace in this race was spoilt by the runaway Matter Of Opinion. He led by more than eight lengths at the bend to put immense pressure on his pursuers. The whips were taken out at this stage, and the field started to bunch-up. Nermai on the rails and Champions League on the wide outside began their charge at exactly the same moment. Once again, it was Vivek's riding that made the difference. Champions League made light of his heavy impost to win smartly. Stampede came from way off the pace to save place money for his connections.
A real competitive field of a dozen acceptors lined up to face the starter in a seven-furlong race for horses rated 60 and above. Kalpavruksha and Danger Diabolic were the market leaders in this event. Danger Diabolic had finished a close second on the second day of this season, while Kalpavruksha had advertised his chances by showing out in his morning trials. A groan greeted the start of this race. Danger Diabolic had lost considerable ground at the gates while Kalpavruksha was seen losing pace with the passage of time. It was apparent that we were in for a big upset. Top-weighted Dare Don led into the final furlong before surrendering to Looking To Lead and Beauty On Duty. The latter proved to be the stronger of the two. In the hands of Ravinder Singh, Beauty On Duty scored another point for the Md Sajid stable while accounting for Looking To Lead and Dare Don.
Darashah's Real Magic had burst her blood vessels while disappointing as a favourite in the month of December. She reappeared on a track after a longish break from racing. The speedy filly was considered to be a bit rusty and was neglected from a betting perspective. With loads of money flowing in the direction of Rakesh-trained Elementto Style, the five year-old mare was backed down to odds on favouritism. The speedy True Force led from Real Magic and Hakuna Matata as the runners made their way into the straight. He shortened his strides thereafter and handed over the baton to Real Magic. Under the persistent urgings of Appu, Real Magic posted an authoritative victory, finishing way ahead of Hakuna Matata and a tired True Force. Railbirds were shocked to see the favourite running a lethargic race. A public announcement confirmed that Elementto Style had burst her blood vessels during the running of the race.
The most impressive winner of the day was Dinesh Pujar's Hitz. The eight year-old had surprised as a rank outsider on the concluding day of the previous season. The timing of one Minute Twenty Four Seconds on that day had been truly impressive. All those who had ignored that performance and considered it to be a "flash in the pan", were suitably shocked today. By defying a huge penalty, Hitz showed that he is in the best form of his life. Hitz led from the word "go", and kept increasing the tempo. He wasn't unduly extended while posting this victory, finishing many lengths ahead of Secret Command and Red Dawn. The winner will be a strong contender to pick up a race in the highest class.
