A horrendous piece of pace-judgement by Daniel Grant ensured on-money public choice Raghuvansh’s ignominious failure in the Calcutta St Leger run on Saturday. This ward of Arti Doctor who finished an eye-catching second in the Calcutta Derby, was also the victim of a huge reversal of form – thanks to a poor piece of horsemanship by Grant who committed hara-kiri when he permitted the pace-setter Bountiful Talent a massive break of fifty metres or so near the 800 metres marker. With its final hairpin bend and short straight, the Calcutta track sounds the death knell for any horse who is not positioned before the 600 metres marker.

Let’s face it, Raghuvansh is not in the category of Squanderer, Everynsky or Own Opinion who were known to devour ground in the final furlong. Even with his immense potential, the last named had succumbed
to Sun Lion for being given a little too much to do too late. With the filly Apollotina running close to the pace, things were made that much easier for Grant. He just had to be within 8 to 10 lengths of the second placed horse.

One would have excused the foreign rider for his lack of knowledge of the course had he not ridden Focus to a flawless win in the Navy Cup two races earlier.

Apprentice Amandeep Singh was an elated man as his mount Bountiful Talent crossed the winning post. And why not, this was the first classic of his career. Second favourite Grand Madame, with B. Prakash astride, was happy to sit at the tail of Raghuvansh and while away his time. After all, it was his stablemate and pacemaker doing all the running and looking a winner at the 600. After the race. Daniel David thanked his boss MAM Ramaswamy for adding one more classic feather to his cap.

The Mayor’s Cup run over seven furlongs saw a duel unto death between the two fancied runners Arktouros and Samarkhand. Christopher Alford on the former showed his mount daylight after the turning for home and appeared to have the race in the bag. But Mark Reuben on Samarkhand had other ideas as he engaged him in a stirring duel in the final 100 metres to pull off the afternoon’s narrowest win.

Diyena won the DK Sinha memorial Cup without raising a sweat. The speedster gave Alford an armchair ride as she made every post of the five-and-half furlong trip a winning one. Second favourite Driven By Desire was simply outpaced.

The INS Hooghly Cup saw the on-money favourite Acrology bite the dust. He was pushed from the outset and somehow crawled to occupy the runner-up berth as Spirited Star retired a comfortable winner. Apprentice Nelson Maseyk opened his career account with a victory in the day’s opening event, the Amazing Princess Handicap. Betelgeuse was the surprise runner-up.

The afternoon’s proceedings drew to a close without any surprises as the on-money public choice Axiology was piloted by Neeraj Rawal to a comfortable victory. C. Alford was declared unfit to ride in the race and the winner fell into Rawal’s lap who made no mistake.