Saeed Shah saddled Dilnawaz (Cruachan-Shifa), ridden by the 5kg-claimer Vikram Walkar, capitalised on the handicap advantage and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. The 20 to 1 long shot Rage of Angels appeared all set to cause a major upset when Dilnawaz flared his nostrils as the photo-finish camera swung into action. Caring didn’t have the luck of the race and ended a game third. Caring dropped back to the rear after apprentice Vikram Jodha was dislodged from Gracy and fell in front of Caring during the race. It may be recalled that jockey Yogender Singh had suffered fatal injuries when partnering Dilnawaz at Pune.
The outcome of the second division of the Silver Phantom Trophy appeared to be of academic interest only as Proteus stood head above shoulders over his rivals or so it seemed. The moneybags took a big hit as trainer Vinayak’s protégé failed to overhaul Mysterious Land close home and blotted his career sheet. The Dallas Todywalla saddled filly took charge of the running from the tiring leader Seattle Swan in the straight whilst Proteus was in the process of launching his assault. Inspired in the saddle by Imran Chisty, Mysterious Land waged a grim battle with the favourite and stretched out magnificently in the end to leave the punters in a heap of ruins. Proteus, who had opted out of the Super Mile Trophy run last Sunday, probably found the trip too sharp for his liking as such it would be advisable for the racegoers to ignore his doleful show. However, Shockwave (Alnasr Alwasheek-Shocking), who was the shortest priced runner of the day, gave no anxious moments to all concerned and received a confident ride from apprentice Anil Baandal in her wire-to-wire journey.
