The Calcutta winter meet drew to a close on Friday with plenty of action all round. It was a foregone conclusion that  trainer Vijay Singh and jockey Christopher Alford will be the professional champs. However, it was the Jaiswal clan who stole the thunder with an amazing treble comprising Salinger (trained by Jaiswal senior and ridden by son Vinay), Gallant Commander (trained by Vikash Jaiswal) and last but not the least, the 12-year-old El Cid — also trained by Vikash.
All three runners were available at ten-to-one and over.One has to doff their hat to this family who took on  the big guns with their aged lot.
Jockey Neeraj Rawal from Mumbai became a regular for Vijay Singh’s stable after C. Alford was suspended. He kept picking up winners for the blue-blooded yard regularly. On the last day too, the short-priced winners Askarel and Antenor, gave him armchair rides.
The biggest shocker of the afternoon was the utter flop of the recent winner Elusive Fortune. The fashionably bred chestnut gelding failed to find the form which fetched him his last victory. He finished in the ruck as Starlite romped home in the Bright Future Handicap.
Master Marvel, who was handled tenderly last time out, was ridden to a comfortable victory by Imran Chisty on this occasion in the Curtain Call Handicap. The final race of the season saw the speedy Charulata from Javed Khan’s yard get the better of John Stephens-trained Foot Tapper by a neck. Md Islam rode a hard finish on the winner.

On Thursday, the penultimate day, most of the well-backed runners obliged. The much-backed Antonique at last came good over a sprint despite her top-weight and equally impressive was the victory of Paddington.
Alterity found the trip too short in the Think Big Cup as the wining post came to the rescue of Zephyr who sprung a surprise from Robin Corner’s yard. The Rontgen Cup saw a big gamble on Quantum of Solace come unstuck as Desire Lad completed his hattrick to bring cheer to trainer Rutherford Alford. He has done a good job on the sprinter.
In the hands of Bangalore ace KPG Appu, Diomedes made his rivals look mediocre as he won the Delhi Race Club Cup in style. West Coast Eagle did raise a late gallop but may have found the trip a trifle short. Appu completed his double with Javed Khan-trained Fast Love who won the last race of the day.
Jaiswal senior had his finger in Thursday’s pie too as his friendless Finders Keepers stunned the field in the Beat The Distance Handicap.
All in all, it was a thrilling final two days of racing at this centre!