The weekday races at RCTC proved to be more lucrative for punters than bookmakers as several fancied runners saw the winner’s enclosure. Ace jockey PS Chouhan notched up a popular treble with Piaffe, Assassin and Smooth As Silk while the other visiting rider Sandesh went home empty handed. The two divisions of the Roubaix Cup were picked up by Assassin and Calypso Girl (Md Azharuddin up). Apprentice Azharruddin thus completed a high-priced double, having ridden Jacqualine Postill to a thrilling win over stablemate Hurricane Andrew earlier.

Trainer Shafiq Khan notched up a well-calculated treble with Tempa Rossa, Jacqualine Postill and Bengal King. In the opening event, The Fastnet Plate for two-year-olds, Well Done, Clear Opportunity and Chennai Express were the ones being backed but it was the 8/1 shot Tempa Rossa who came out of the gates like a scalded cat and made every post a winning one in the hands of apprentice Arman Khan. Stablemate Chennai Express was a worthy runner-up.

Hurricane Andrew (Md Javed up) tried similar runaway tactics in the Cap-A-Pie Handicap and looked a winner at the distance post as none could match his speed. But alas, it was stablemate Jacqualine Postill (8/1) who picked up a late gallop on the wide outside and came with a telling run to pip him at the post.

Shafiq completed his treble with Bengal King in the Kiltoi Handicap in what was possibly the most interesting race of the afternoon. Gararo it was who set a cracking pace with War Games and Ice Fantasy in tow. The fancied pair of Bengal King and Blue Lightning were in the rear of the field. Shailesh Shinde on the latter rode a clever race as he weaved his way along the rails to take up the running in the straight while the heavy-weight Bengal King was facing traffic problems. However when Kadam did manage to extricate his mount from a difficult position, the chestnut flew in the final furlong to score a narrow but deserving win. Seafarer (Sandesh up) who was trying to squeeze through along the rails was baulked for an opening by Blue Lightning who rolled in under pressure.

Chouhan’s first winner of the day was Arti Doctor-trained Piaffe. He rode a copybook race on the even-money favourite as he kept her in a box seat behind Ballet Belle and Decan Princess till the top of the straight and took over the running thereafter. It was the heavyweight Stamp Act who issued a serious challenge while the disappointment in the race was Happy Kingdom who seems to run a better race under regular rider Surjeet.

Chouhan then enjoyed an armchair ride atop Assassin who won the upper division of the Roubaix Cup. Allowing Rithambhra to call the shots till the top of the straight, Assassin simply left the field standing thereafter. The best of the rest was Luck Luck Lucky. The winner stopped the clock at a smart time of 1min 13.63 sec with fasle rails up.

The Hyderabad ace then completed his treble in the afternoon’s final event with top-weight Smooth As Silk. Though seemingly out at weights to Torch Of Life, the vastly improved sprinter from Arti Doctor’s yard was given a clever ride by Chouhan in that he permitted the likes of Trrust In Me and Torch Of Life to call the early shots before making his move in the straight. In the end, the filly retired a comfortable winner.

The lower division of the Roubaix Cup saw money coming on Giocrat (Sandesh up) and Daddy Cool (Chouhan astride) but it was the speedster Calypso Girl with apprentice Azharuddin who shot out of the gates first. Both the fancied runners followed in her footsteps and tried their utmost to catch up with the front-runner but she just would not yield in the straight and held on eventually from a fast-finishing Gorgeous Girl.

After his monsoon caper, jockey Franco Da Silva did not find many takers at the local racecourse but he had the last laugh on this occasion as he piloted David’s Afrah to a thrilling win over Eros in the 2000 metres race for the Fast Flier Handicap. Both the fancied runners Ace Jet and Fervent Quest finished in the ruck. Afrah was allowed to lie second behind pace-setter Rive Pride and took over the running at the top of the straight. Eros came at her hard in the final furlong but Da Silva managed to hold on by the skin of his teeth.