After three wins on the trot this season without raising a sweat, Vijay Singh-trained Dandified (Rebuttal-Dandoona) was stretched to the hilt by Manvendra Singh’s Crown Rule (Kishore Kadam up) who was on a start-to-finish mission in the seven- furlong race for the Stewards Cup. Though the 10-to-4-on favourite Dandified moved up second at the top of the straight, Crown Rule appeared to have something in hand and the chestnut continued to maintain a lead of over a length. So confident was Christopher Alford of his mount’s ability that he restrained himself from going for the whip till well inside the final furlong and the big-made bay responded to his master’s call majestically to peg back his rival at the wire. Despite finishing second best while in receipt of 6.5kg from the top-weight winner, Manvendra Singh’s ward displayed phenomenal improvement and will be worth keeping an eye on in the future.

In fact, trainer Manvendra had a winner this afternoon which too displayed prodigious improvement vis-a-vis River Pride. The four-year-old gelding Chalaque showed that he had come on sufficiently after his lung-opener to quite easily account for the likes of Secret Whispers and River Pride. The ante-post favourite American Pie showed some early speed but faded out thereafter. He appears to be a one-pace horse who was virtually gifted the only win of his career last week and penalised 4kg for that effort.

Trainer Javed Khan pulled off an excellent cup-double with Conquest (Mull Of Kintyre-Shfoug) and Follow The Dream. Jockey Islam rode the former to a smashing win in the Defence Forces Cup. Allowing Words to lead till the distance post, with Hurricane Star in tow, Conquest came with a fluent run in the straight to sail past the front-runners. Fancied by some, Amika was never really in it.

Shailesh Shinde made every post a winning one while astride Follow The Dream in the race for the Unknown Warrior Cup. If there was a prize for the ‘most improved horse of the season’, it should surely go to Jasbir Singh-schooled Tasveer (currently under the care of Christopher Gleich). The filly’s rating has shot up from 37 to over 70 this season. In the process, she has picked up two races and placed thrice. Furthermore, she has displayed admirable versatility and a strong inclination to go flat out each time she takes to the track. In contrast, the poor run of Arrow In Auto Mode was extremely disappointing to say the least. After his sluggish run, it may be more appropriate to name him Barrow-in-auto-mode. The run of the ante-post favourite Accurate was equally dismal.

Richard Alford-trained Hamdani was handled judiciously by Md Islam to land the spoils in the curtain-raiser. Allowing Thrice Blessed and Sumangala to call the shots till the straight, the daughter of Oath out of Tralee produced a winning gallop to triumph fairly comfortably in the end. Her last run was in stiffer company and that no doubt helped her cause.

Vijay Singh-trained Gorgeous Girl was running after nearly ten long months but nevertheless showed enough class to get the better of Good Wood Princess in the lower division of the Armed Forces Handicap. With apprentice Munna Alam astride this daughter of Mellon out of Drop Dead Gorgeous (a full sister to Accoast), Gorgeous Girl galloped on to a fine victory. Don Magnifico burst his blood vessels in this race while third placed Hurricane Bird continued to earn his corn bill.

Vijay Singh completed a treble when the fashionably bred filly Altanza (Multidimensional-Alvarada) made mincemeat of her eight rivals in the Ex-Serviceman’s Handicap. As outstation challenger Flash was heavily backed, the odds of Altanza expanded to 6/4. Though a trifle slow in the beginning, Altanza showed a marvellous turn of foot at the top of the straight to allow Shailesh Shinde to wave adios to her rivals. Giocrat ended up second while the public choice Flash was a none too impressive third to ensure that YS Srinath returned empty-handed after his rather unexpected visit to this centre. His other rides were Silverina and Amika.

The last race of the afternoon was possibly the most thrilling of the day. It featured a blanket finish comprising Exxin, Ocean Sunrise and Calypso Girl, with the latter prevailing by a narrow margin. She thus repaid the losses that punters suffered on her last run when Da Silva handled her like a novice. Exxin’s trainer Javed Khan was however a disappointed man, in that he felt that his apprentice couldn’t do justice to his mount. Rather unfortunately, the right rein slipped out of Jorawar Singh’s hand after he had cleverly squeezed his mount through along the rails when front-running Ocean Sunrise shifted out a trifle. That split second lost to gather up the reins again, may or may not have cost him the race. It’s rather difficult to state with conviction either way, considering the verdict was a neck. Kishore Kadam atop Calypso Girl was going hell for leather on the outside and the filly was the best moving at the wire.