Palme D’or is the French for Golden Palm – the highest award given at Cannes film festival. The Shafiq Khan-trained filly by that name definitely deserves the highest award at Calcutta for continuing to defy the handicapper and winning races without much ado. The five-year-old front-running chestnut mare was far inferior at weights in comparison to Cameo and Secret Whispers, yet she kicked on merrily in the straight in the hands of apprentice Mohit Singh to lift the Stay In Shape Cup.

As for the favourite Fire Within, he definitely needs to change his name as he seems to lack fire in the belly. However, trainer Javed Khan is a shrewd tactician and he may place the gelding in a fairly weak field over seven furlongs which may just be to his liking. It’s still early in the season when horses have yet to settle down. Furthermore, the going was on the softer side. As such, not too much should be read into the order of placings at this early stage. Their improvement has to gauged over the next couple of weeks.

Shafiq Khan’s first winner was Chief Justice who had been knocking throughout the winter meet. The three-year-old gelding got the better of the four-year-old filly Torrential close home while aged Charulata was a game second in the race for the State Treasure Handicap. The speedy favourite was running well till the distance post but may have found her weight a stopper on a track which was giving a little. Jockey Afzal Khan, atop the eventual winner, was hemmed in along the rails but managed to forge ahead with a little help from the whalebone.

Trainer Vikash Jaiswal’s Ariela closed as the favourite in the opening event, The Andrada Handicap. However, it was stablemate Swiss King with brother Vinay atop who made it a start-to-finish affair. Old-timers will tell you that there was an era when the Totalisator would actually pay you for ‘googlies’ from the same yard. Alas, the odds are heavily stacked against the punter nowadays.

Daniel David-schooled Whispering Wind showed a clean pair of heels to the field as she made every post a winning one in the race for the Picture Perfect Handicap. Jockey A Imran Khan left nothing to chance. Castle Queen was a good second and will be worth keeping an eye on. Snowberry was a poor third but may have needed the run. As is her wont, Easter Lily showed early speed in the race for the Moon Mission Handicap but her efforts came to nought as Bharath Singh-trained Jump Away and Christopher Alford drew away from the field. It was Alford’s best mount and he did justice to it. Ebony Princess was a good second and may go one better next time out.

The curtain came down with Bath-trained Cromwell making mincemeat of his rivals despite being a little long in the tooth. The favourite Great Heart was in fact out on handicap to several runners and the race vindicated that finding as he finished fourth. The win of Cromwell gave apprentice Shezad Khan the second winner of his career.