Trainer Bharath Singh’s ploy to use stablemate Spectacular Style to break ante-post favourite Whispering Wind’s stride, worked favourably for the speedy filly Castle Queen who won the afternoon’s main event, The Arezzo Handicap, in commanding manner. By breaking away into a long lead, Spectacular Style took front-running Whispering Wind and jockey A Imran Khan by surprise. Bangalore-based JG Sampson was in a box seat just behind the Daniel David runner. After the turning for home, Whispering Wind failed to respond to her rider’s urgings while Castle Queen cruised past to win as she liked. This completed a well-deserved double for the well-known colours of Dr Vijay Mallya. With Bharath’s astute placements, one can expect to see the famed ‘white and black V’ silks in the forefront this season.

  Sampson, however, had to work a little harder atop Conquistarose in the opening race of the day, The Amazing Handicap for maiden three-year-olds. The normally front-running top-weight was ridden cleverly in check by the South African ace while Mission Control called the shots. At the start, Honitus from the adjacent box, had dropped rider Domingo but fortunately, the favourite had already been positioned along the rails by then. A couple of reminders at the distance post was enough to her Send past Mission Control and C. Alford. Heavily backed second favourite Queen Vic ran a poor third and did not give her backers a run for their money.

The Imperial Stride Handicap saw Charulata and Great Heart installed as the joint favourites at 5/2. However, neither had any answer to the quietly fancied Big Thrillz from John Stephens’ yard. Malcolm Maseyk had to use the stick freely to keep the aged rig going and bring home the bacon. It may be noted that the winner was in the limelight for the wrong reasons in his last essay when the Stewards questioned the trainer and Maseyk regarding the running of the horse. The Vikash Jaiswal pair of Mirror Image and Swiss King ran well enough to occupy the minor placings.

The Alvarada Cup, run over 1,000 metres, saw a thrilling finish involving the winner India Jones, top-weight Iora and the tote favourite Smiles. After Easter Lily and Shailesh Shinde had called it a day just before the distance post, Smiles took over the running along the rails. Jockey Mahesh however had other ideas as he brought the adventurous ‘Jones’ with a stupendous run on the outside. With barely 100 metres to go, the top-weighted filly Iora made her move down the centre but found her weight acting as a stopper. Barring Castle Queen, the only other fancied runner to win in taking style was Daniel David’s Must Be Magic. She made the six-furlong race for the Reliable Handicap a start-to-finish affair without much ado. Baskerville closed as the second favourite but lacked the ferocity of a hound while finishing a tame fifth along the rails. Then came the afternoon’s biggest shocker. The half-money favourite from Vijay Singh’s yard Art Excellence finished a very poor fifth from among six runners in the seven-furlong race for the Goldliner Handicap. After an untidy start, the winner of three races last winter (one race was unjustly taken away in the Stewards room), failed to find a footing. She refused to settle down and bumped the rails before the turning for home.

When front-running Horse Raddish shot his bolt, Sampson on Countess opted for the rails and looked to be headed for home till apprentice Sameer on Glenbervie decided otherwise. The consistent seven-year-old gelding from Vikash Jaiswal’s yard was locked in a keen tussle with The Bharath Singh filly and won in a close finish.

Jockey Christopher Alford, who had drawn a blank till the seventh race, came alive with a fine win atop the moody Royal Dance in The True Colours Handicap. Last winter, the colt had given Christopher a hard time but he made ample amends this afternoon as those who chose to back him got relishing odds of 6/1. The favourite Awesome Indian failed to match his pace despite the weight advantage while Secret Love was never in it.

Apprentice Md Imran Ashraf notched up his maiden triumph in the last race of the day when Javed Khan-trained Saarah Alam won a pulsating finish from Focus in the 1,000 metres sprint for the Rasalas Handicap. The withdrawal of the ante-post favourite King’s Desire threw the race wide open and Ashraf and his mentor Javed deserve credit for this opportunistic triumph.