Jockey Srinath’s opportunistic riding on Kuts trained Mayfair ensured the six-year old race mare’s win in the 2000 metres Nilgiris Cup that featured Friday’s races.

Racing form pointed to the success of Arjun Mangalorkar’s Ma Baker who had run behind Queenstown in a seven-furlong trip, beaten for speed. Now running over a more suitable and over a staying trip of 2000 metres, the daughter of Green Forest looked formidable. However, as it always happens, the direction of public money was ill directed as Rio Tinto, essaying a trip over the extended trip for the first time was made the firm favourite. Srinath, however, outmaneuvered visiting jockey Francis Norton who otherwise has been an enjoying a fruitful season. Ma Baker’s chances were also affected by the tardy start at the gate that prevented the five-year old from hitting the front which she is comfortable with. She was settled in the rear though jockey Norton did make an attempt to move up front but each time, Srinath had Mayfair coming off the rails that caused the second favourite to shy away.

Mayfair quickened nicely on turning for home, with Ma Baker drifting wide. By the time, Norton got Ma Baker to stride on an even keel, after correcting the drift; Mayfair had seized a winning lead. The finishing burst of Ma Baker only helped to bridge the leeway. Favourite Rio Tinto had a nice opening along the rails but the son of Alnasr Alwasheek progeny did not have the speed to take the gap and the class to beat the opposition.

The race for first season runners, the January Plate, was run in two divisions. In the upper division, Accede recorded a hard-fought win. First timer Zurbaran, trained by Padmanabhan, ran green and finished third. The got-abroad gelding should strike before long. In the lower division of the race, Amber Regent edged out another Padmanabhan trainee Southern Goddess to justify the favouritism. Southern Goddess showed a vast improvement over her previous run.

Michael Eshwer led in a winner through Firecrest who had the first run on her opponents in the Gumbaz Cup (Div I) and then held on resolutely to win from strong public fancy South Cove. South Cove warmed up to the task rather too late to make an impact on the outcome. The lower division of the race went the way of Sunny Spice, who was not unduly extended by jockey Shakti Singh, in getting the measure of favourite Shining Conquest who slackened close home.

Sardar Singh’s So Thrilled who had stripped fit after a good forward run last time out, proved too good for the opposition in the Brig M S Dhillon Memorial Plate, a race for horses rated 20 to 35. The son of Ajaad, despite being none well placed at the top of the straight, came up with a terrific burst of speed to win as he pleased. In the form that he is in, a repeat win is very much in the realm of a possibility.

The Mudabidri Plate, run in two divisions, brought mixed luck for trainer Dominic. In the upper division, his ward Might was backed to the exclusion of his rivals but the got-abroad failed to quicken when it mattered the most and finished a tame third. Fly Past picked up momentum inside the final furlong to get the measure of front-running Beautiful Bird. In the lower division, Vertigo kept her rivals at a safe distance. I Me And Mine who came in for strong support, disappointed and the five-year old race mare appears to be a reliable sort.