Not unexpectedly, the first day of the two-day racing bonanza for Calcutta punters turned out to be anything but a bonanza for them. In fact, barring Passport, not a single well-backed runner obliged, though the filly Adawna did ultimately close as the firm favourite after money had initially come on Speed Angel.

The main event, The Shri Charan Cup, was expected to be Abriella’s for the asking, but alas, racing is not always what is expected to be. The narrow defeat of the Vijay Singh-trained filly at the hands of the Patrick Quinn’s River Blitz (Ikhtyar-Eubee) was unfortunate for the connections of the favourite as well as local punters, but let’s not take away anything from the winner. Jockey Md Islam went flat out in the straight and won by a ‘short-head’ fair and square. Christopher Alford on the beaten brigade, was always in touch with the eventual winner but failed to overhaul him. The filly will be a different proposition after this outing. An airing run is such an important factor! The victory was yet another feather in the cap for the Quinn-RKW liaison.

The business-like manner in which Passport (Ajaad- My Time) won the opening race did not give any indication of what was to follow. Jockey B Sreekanth had the Daniel David-trained filly racing third behind Prince Cyrus and Tim Tam Way. The rider had to resort to the stick in the straight as the front-runner refused to buckle.

Jasbir Singh’s Girl Of Flowers (Greensmith – Vedic Chants) was the first outsider of the day. The filly pulled away from the front-runners Swiss King and Bayberry once the field hit the straight. She seemed to have an extra gear and enjoyed the sharp scurry no end. Surjeet Singh partnered the winner.

Deepak Karki’s Arisen Star had shown an inclination to gallop in his last essay and that had given the connections sufficient confidence to back him down to 3/1. The steady drizzle before and during the seven-furlong race did not deter the five-year-old by Royal Kingdom out of Romantic Pleasure. Jockey Kadam atop Karki’s ward fought it out with front-running Pine Valley and ultimately prevailed close home. The favourite Mythos disappointed, as did Blue Mountain.

The expected duel between Star Alone and Knight Of Romance did not materialise as the former made it a one-horse race after heads turned for home. The blue blooded filly by Steinbeck out of Trois Etoiles from Pesi Shroff’s yard was a facile winner in Trevor Patel’s hands. The property of  Dr Vijay Mallya has more wins in store.

Vijay Singh-trained Adawna (China Visit - Pitlochry) was ridden judiciously by apprentice Ajoy Roy who improved her position gradually. She ultimately collared front-running Burst Of Stardust and drew away for a comfortable triumph.

The afternoon ended with a bang as rank outsider Goliath (Don Micheletto-Funny Girl) outpaced the fancied pair of Ashwa Prabir and Noble Defender all the way. The colt was well in at weights after his previous outing with the favourite and trainer Robert Gowli and his rider MF Ali Khan took advantage of this fact to win a blanket finish involving two other unfancied runners – Generous Thought and Credit Ease. The last named will be worth keeping an eye on.