Their intentions were clearly reflected by the jackpot pool collection. The pool that normally touches a million rupees mark just stopped beyond Rs 7 lakh. Although, Mr. Verma viewed that the day's total tote collections of Rs 75 lakh was the same as last year's January 1 takes, the dwindling Jackpot figure does make him a worried man.

Moreover, he did acknowledge that nine events on such an important day are too long for a city known for its late sunrise and early sun set. "11.35 is too early in the morning to start the first race. More so because celebrations starting on the New Year's Eve stretch to late hours in the night; added Mr. Verma.

Whatever measures for the next big day, the Derby on January 6, the New Year's Day city racing lived up to the glorious traditions of the past. Every professional and owner longs to lead-in a winner on the day thus making the competition very exciting. Finishes, understandably, were desperately close in five of the nine events and particularly in the jackpot legs. The hair-raising contest was, however, produced by the day's feature event, the Eveready Alkaline Sprinters' Trophy. Also it was a heartening sight to see two owner-mates, albeit from different yards, fighting a tooth and nail battle for supremacy. The horses in contention were the Deepak Khaitan's duo of Ancheta, a 35-100 hot-favourite, and Alcalde, doing the balancing in the betting at 7-2. If the favourite had the services of Aslam Kader, the local champion jockey Cristopher Alford rode the other. Ideally, one expects Kader to make no mistake on such hotly fancied runner and the ace Indian jockey did not do so.

Ancheta hit the front and looked to be quite comfortably placed for a win until the Bharath Singh-trained Alcalde, toiling in the wrong-end of the four-horse field, decided to test his hooves with a late run to pip the brother Vijay-trainee virtually in his last stride. The fact that Alcalde had won his last start from the front, the waiting tactics adopted by Cristopher came as a surprise.

The Indian Produce Stakes, too, was claimed by a wrong one of the owner. With three hopefuls from Vijay's yard sporting Khaitans' colours, the race was expected to be between the Kader's ride Romantic Notes, the last outing loser in a sizzling finish, and the debutante Sea Royal who had done everything asked for in his pre-race trials. Moreover, Announcer had finished way behind Romantic Notes in their last encounter. Therefore, the two youngsters rightly cornered most of the betting with Kader, once again, being a rage with the backers at 6-10. However, it was jockey Shanker who stole the march from the start and foiled all attempts of Kader to retain initiative by half-a-length at the wire. Sea Royale was a flop, though raising hopes briefly at the top of the straight.

Kader's moment of triumph, however, came in the 2,200-metre Nepal gold Cup that the champion rider won the way he liked on another of Khaitans' horse, Altenburg — 25-100 hot-property. Kader did not have much to do on the Razeen-Try Kola five-year-old who, with the unextended victory complimented his mentor Darius Byramji for nursing him back to form after his listless performance since the Turf Invitation Cup in which he had placed a good second to Storm Again.

The afternoon that was expected to be monopolized by Singh brothers, left the champions to collect a brace of wins apiece. Announce apart, Vijay started the day's proceeding, in the Primrose Morn Handicap, with an impressive victory of a temperamental filly Calamint who partnered by apprentice Gajender Singh. The apprentice just needed to ensure that he remained seated on 7-4 favourite filly by Gold Discovery-Tamarisca until he passes the winning-post. Bharath's Aberdan followed the suit with an equally impressive win in the Harkirpal Handicap. Cristopher guided the 6-10 favourite to victory.

The rest of the card, including the only other trophy, the 1,200-metre Oakmead Cup, was left for the other hopeful fellow trainers to pick up. It was Daniel David who dominated the trophy event that his two wards — Soviet Ride and Regency Times — decided between themselves with the verdict going in favour of the former who came with a late run. However, the victory of the five-year-old also prompted the stewards to open an enquiry into the improved performance of the Bold Russian-Summer Line gelding. Soviet Ride had been, however, running forward races and the stipulated 15-day gap between the an unplaced run and the winning effort is, normally, accepted in the Indian turf circuit as a valid reason for such transformation in form.

Another enquiry ordered, into the improved performance, albeit under similar conditions, of Dancing Dreams, the winner of the Sunray Handicap, Division I, may be viewed as no offence, though the Gold Discovery-Gold Standard mare has the added excuse that her first outing was a maiden try on the local track.

Nevertheless, Comedy of Error could have done better in the Soviet Ride race had the Darius' five-year-old not drawn 11 in a 13-horse field. The Don't Forget Me-Badedra son lives to fight another day. Equally impressive were Automatic and Common Spirit in their efforts behind Dancing Dream who, of course, finished full of running to along the rails, though a total of one-length verdict between the three does not tell the whole tale.

Countach presented another of visiting jockey Imran Chisty with a narrow win in the lower division of the Sunray Handicap. With Abashed calling the sot upfront, it looked like Vijay's ward pulling it off until the Tarak Nath Jaiswal-trainee walked on to the scene with his customary late run to settle the issue virtually in his last stride.

Peppy Mistress landed a gamble that was nursed for long to lift the Our Owen Handicap. Known to be a speedy customer, the Mulhollande-Pep Talk filly was ridden in a check and the Javed Khan-trainee literally flew in the last furlong of the race to overhauled Calcuttan, a debutante, and the front running Castle Moon and Jayaashva.