Top Mover set the pace in the early stage of the race only to pack up on entering the home straight. Kazakh took over for a while before Pesi Shroff astride Wild Eagle stole a march over the field. C. Rajendra soon got busy on Victory March and was not to be let down by the mare. Victory March came with raking strides to grab Wild Eagle just a few strides before the wire. The dickey-legged Zephyr Bay then pipped Wild Eagle for the second place. Unlike his previous run where he was seen biding his time in the rear with Appeaser and then ending a close second to Victory March, Aslam Kader surprisingly decided to chase Wild Eagle on this occasion. The son of Twist and Turn was prominent till the bend and that was all about it. Aslam was left to rue his decision as he finished seventh, way behind the winner.
Iceberg (Placerville-Frost Queen) though not getting the smoothest of starts, prospered as the race progressed and then swept past Flyme To Themoon and Big Bertha to claim the Racing Awards Trophy for trainer Bezan Chenoy. Niall McCullagh rode a splendid race having had to put his head down and work hard on Iceberg right from the word go. Big Bertha latched on to the runner-up berth as Consortium flew in the last part to snatch the third slot from leader Flyme To Themoon, who was tiring towards the end.
Lady-trainer Nina Lalwani got the biggest joy of her career as Divine Intervention won in stylish fashion on debut in the Lt. Col. Govind Singh Trophy. Discman and Ciraja caught the market fancy in this race but failed to live up to the expectations of their admirers. The winner who is by Diffident out of Troika was racing in fifth-sixth position till the bend after which Chris Lemaire switched gears and put Divine Intervention on the fast lane. The bay filly strode out brilliantly to bring the enthusiastic bid of Sonic Symphony to an abrupt halt. Adonesque was not disgraced when finishing third ahead of Discman. Ciraja appeared too gross for a horse expected to win but will have surely stripped fitter after this run.
After being settled behind early leader Louis Cyphre, Green Star (Razeen-Green Medina) was travelling so well in the hands of Niall McCullagh that at one stage it appeared that the filly would swamp the opposition. It turned out to be a hoax. Green Star failed to accelerate and was overpowered by Weathering on whom Lemaire sweat hard. Trainer M. K. Jadhav thus completed a good double having led in Menorca in the first race.
Amaranza scored easily to justify the support he received. Zadmal Singh-trained Right Moment struck again on promotion to register an encore with apprentice S. Sunil in saddle. Pesi Shroff had sentimental reasons in seeking to win the Karl Umrigar Trophy (named after his brother-in-law, a promising rider himself who was snatched away by cruel fate at a very young age after a mishap that occurred on the Mahalaxmi track). Hosidar Daji-trained Monte Carlo Magic fulfilled the ace jockey’s ambition.
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