The Hyderabad Winter Races 2008-09 came to an end on Wednesday, at Malakpet. It was a mixed bag for the punters on the extra day’s racing, with four firm favourites obliging and the other five races of the day going in favour of longshots. Leading apprentice of the season, Nitin Singh, drove home two winners and crossed forty wins, thus becoming a full jockey. Narayan Rao and Donald Netto among the trainers, N.M.Sequeira and P.S.Chouhan among the jockeys, were the other professionals to score a brace each. 

Nitin, literarily stole the race on Al Jouf, from the rest, in the higher division of the Grey Magic Plate. Once in the front, Nitin began to increase the lead and was almost eight lengths clear of the field on top of the home stretch. Al Jouf began to shorten his strides in the last 100 metres but the long leeway he had came in handy as he managed to stay in front of Essence, who was finishing on, by a length and three quarters. Al Jouf’s win was a lucrative double for Narayan Rao and Nitin Singh combination, having won the opening race of the day on Kohinoor Magic, in a start to finish fashion.

Two of the firm favourites from Donald Netto’s yard, Firebird and Ruben Stein justified the favouritism. Firebird had to fight out with Green Mist in the final furlong before edging out, to claim the lower division of the Cape Town Plate. Ruben Stein took the lower division of the Divine Colours Plate. After losing about two lengths at the start, Ruben Stein gradually improved his position and was a handy fourth passing the 600 metres. Ocean of Pearls and Storm Command had begun to fight it out on the straight and when asked for an effort, Ruben Stein responded readily, to go clear and win. Storm Command necked out Ocean of Pearls for the second place. Both the winners of Netto were ridden by N.M.Sequeira.

Jockey P.S,Chouhan booted home Hospitality and Integer to convincing victories. Pretty Fit led the field from the start, in the Universal Star Plate but couldn’t match strides when Chouhan brought Hospitality with a sustained run in the last 100 metres. Sugar Lady came in late, covering a lot of ground, in the final furlong, to finish second, ahead of Pretty Fit. Integer, who was sent in as the firm favourite in the lower division of the Grey Magic Plate, scored an encore, beating the second in demand, Walk in the Park, after a brief duel in the last 100 metres.

Ananth Vatsalya’s Secret Asset lifted the higher division of the Cape Town Plate. Radical Player had shot into the lead in the six furlong trip and began to shorten his stride in the last 100 metres. Secret Asset, who was chasing the leader surged ahead and wrapped up the race.

Anupam Sharma’s Garrison Chief scored an upset win, in the Temple Quest Plate. Imran, on Garrison Chief hugged the rails till the final bend and quickly moved away as the field began to take the turn, unleashing a run on the wide outside, to go clear and win from Star Favours.

Al Jameel came with a flourish, from out of the blue, to pip English Indian at the wire, in the higher division of the Divine Colours Plate. English Indian, who had led throughout the trip, had successfully fought out the challenge of China Pearl on the straight and was shaping like a winner when Shoban Babu maneuvered his way through, on Al Jameel to win by the shortest of margin.

With the curtains coming down at Hyderabad, there will be silence on the track, for almost four months before the Monsoon Season kick starts some time in the month of July.