Iaepetus (Major Impact-Limelite) made every post a winning one en-route to an inspiring victory in the A.P.Chief Minister’s Cup, the feature of Sunday’s racing at Hyderabad. After running a mighty second to Aristos, in the HRC Golden Jubilee Commemoration Cup exactly a week ago, Iaepetus landed up as the favourite among the four horse field in the race. Shehzad Abbas’s trainee loves to cut the wind and Iaepetus did just that, setting out in front to cut a fast pace. On top of the straight, Kyles Of Bute and the 1000 guineas winner Practicallyperfect tried their best to get the better but found Iaepetus too hot to handle. Iaepetus got the mile trip in a fast timing which was fractionally short of the one set by Aristos, in the same race last year. Kyles Of Bute finished second ahead of Rapture of Victory and Practicallyperfect with just a length and a half covering all of them.

Laxman Singh’s Napoleon (Glory of Dancer-Little Pleasure) won the Police Cup, a seven furlongs race for horses in Category I. Vendetta led the field early while Vijayrath, Napoleon and Coral Gables followed in a single file, with Ice Mountain tailed off last. On the home stretch, jockey Gary Carter worked his way on Napoleon and the favourite galloped readily to get past the unrelenting Vendetta. The eleven year old Coral Gables showed lot of zest and came with a forceful run towards the last furlong but failed to match strides with the winner and finished an impressive second.

L.D’Silva’s Scubarioo (Ontario-Speedwell), who was just beginning to find his lost form, galloped resolutely under Ashaad Asbar, to claim the Glory of Dancer Plate. Brianna, the favourite Dixie Bell and Scubarioo entered the home straight together and began to fight it out. Scubarioo travelled the best of the three to surge ahead and held on by a slender margin from the fast finishing Drayton. Dixie Bell and Brianna finished third and fourth respectively.

Jockey Deep Shanker was the only professional to score a double on the day. He rode Donald Netto’s Dauntless (Young Senor-Victoria Rose) to a maiden victory in the Div II of the Makalu Plate, the opening race of the day. The favourite Dazzling Princess had an advantage right through the home straight but turned out to be no match when Dauntless, running just his third race, picked up speed after galloping green, to surge clear and shed his maiden ranks. The double for Deep Shanker came through Shamsuddin trained Prince Paladin (Dark Night-Racing Dream), in the Red Surprise Cup. The top weighted Ponte Verdi was the first to step up the moment on entering the final straight with Front Line and Prince Paladin joining the fight. Prince Paladin travelled the best of the three and shot ahead to win by half a length from Front Line. Ponte Verdi finished third a further half a length adrift. This was Price Paladin’s second successive victory and the manner in which he got it suggests it would be wise to follow that the 3 year old when raced next.

Trainer M.Sathyanarayana’s Russian Rhytham (Tirol-Russian Maid) shed her maiden ranks in her fourth attempt, winning the higher division of the Makalu Plate. Settling behind Fanaka till passing the 600 metres board, jockey Vivek took the half-money favourite Russian Rhytham to the front and stretched out to register an easy win. Nano Angel rallied late to take the second spot ahead of Ziv.

Friendless Friendly Equation (Greensmith-Modesty Blaise) caused a flutter in the lower division of the Red Orchid Plate. Setting out in front over the six furlongs trip, Friendly Equation kept going on the final straight to score an upset win which paid a whopping Rs.457/- for a fiver at Hyderabad. Zulu Punch was in chase of the winner throughout the straight and lost the runner-up berth to Grey Shot close to the winning post.

The higher division was won by Ananth Vatsalya trained Ziglar (Bee’s Prospector-Dream Image). Ziglar, who hadn’t seen the winning post till his last run rallied late and moved on the extreme outside to get past the front running Paris Time and score an encore. Paris Time continues to be a maiden at 4 years and a shorter scurry should be more suitable trip for this Hassan’s trainee. Kohinoor Glory and Cicilia filled the frame.