Daniel David-trained Tintoretto produced a rip-roaring gallop in the final furlong of the Anticipator Handicap to get the better of Adriano near the winning post and in the process throw the form-book out of the window.

It was an afternoon when favourites took a backseat after Illuminati had successfully delivered the sole gamble of the day in the curtain-raiser. Trainer Vijay Singh and his trusted rider Christopher Alford had to be satisfied with a single win apiece and will hope to see a turn of fortunes in the final afternoon on Wednesday.

Satsuma Star showed plenty of zest early on in the race for the Anticipator Handicap as he called the shots till about the 600 marker where stablemate Highland Prince took over. Adriano locked the latter in a duel down the straight but the pair were taken aback close home as the tardy beginner Tintoretto (Storm Trooper-Aglow) with apprentice Mohit Singh astride flashed past them on the wide outside. It was a complete reversal of form as he had finished a distance behind Adriano in his earlier essay.

The afternoon commenced with the Shafiq Khan-Afzal Khan combo pulling off a fine gamble astride Illuminati (Inhabitant-Imperial Pearl) who thankfully showed vastly improved gatemanners. The ante-post favourite Melody Belle drifted out in the bookmakers’ ring as well in the straight. Though C. Alford tried his utmost to keep her on even keel, she continued to drift out, leaving a large space for Illuminati to make her move but the latter followed suit. Nevertheless, she stretched out in the final 100 metres to bring home the bacon.

Silver Guest was the firm favourite in the Matchbox Handicap but he too had to be satisfied with the runner-up berth. C.Alford gave his mount his head near the 800 marker and the top-weight merrily galloped ahead of the field. The eventual winner Leonidas (Young Senor-Alero) from the Shafiq Khan yard, was gradually improved by Afzal Khan and relished the extended trip. He sailed past Alford’s mount near the distance post to make it an unlikely double for the jockey who was winless in the season till then.

The Vijay-Christopher combo finally struck pay dirt with the fashionably bred Danube Valley (China Visit-Austria) in the third race of the afternoon. The chestnut gelding closed at 4/1 in the ring as Yamlapagladeewana came in for massive support. The Bath-trained runner tried to make it a start-to-finish affair but came apart close home as the youngster made up a good 15 lengths in the straight.

Dance In China was the rage of the ring in the Freelancer Handicap but the winner of two races this season was only a shadow of his earlier self. It could be the frequency of his starts that made him a trifle reluctant to gallop. He was in fact slightly slow off and then gradually made up ground to be third at the bend, but that’s how his story ended. Il Bronzino showed the way from the word go and looked to be heading for victory till Bharat Singh-trained Autocrat (Placerville-Pia’s Baby) and Trevor Patel decided otherwise. The top-weight came with a smooth gallop in the straight to sail past the front-runner.

The Bharath-Trevor duo completed a high-priced brace when they won the Andrada Handicap with Ocean Myth (Warrshan-Starry). The favourite Misty Isles continued to disappoint while recent winner Priceless Pearl may have been nearer at the finish had she been a little closer to the front-runners over this scurry.