Racing at Hyderabad was at a low with a card just enough to form the Jackpot pool framed for Sunday. Even those five races had poor fields with just 30 horses accepted to run. This definitely does not speak well for a centre that boasts of over 750 horses in training. The outcome of the races also turned out to be uninteresting with four favourites at cramped odds turning out victors with Front Line being the odd one out.

L.V.R.Deshmukh trained Vijay Viraaj (Jeremy-Linette) who had returned from Bangalore where he had won a sprint and later went over a mile in the Colts’ Championship Stakes for the record, won the Dashmesh Stud Plate. The youngster tracked the leader Drum Beat easily till the last 200 metres and surged forward with utmost ease.  Vijay Viraaj went clear to win by 4 ½ lengths with jockey A.Imran Khan was not required to move a muscle. Drum Beat finished second while Shimmering Ice which was in third right from the start finished on to be so.

Ivanova (Equitable-Glare) from trainer Laxman Singh’s stables came out of its maiden ranks in the Deccan Star Plate, a mile trip for 3 year old maiden horses. The chestnut filly headed to the front within the first 100 metres and made it comfortably to the winning post. Vijay Vaishnavee tried her best to make a race of it inside the last furlong but the winner was never threatened and stayed well by 2 ½ lengths. Rebellion and City Tex finished third and fourth respectively.

Laxman Singh led in another winner through Front Line (Ikhtyar-Safe Haven) in the Grand Entry Plate but at longer odds.  Settling off in front in its customary fashion, Front Line kicked on gamely on the straight under apprentice S.S.Tanwar. Big Move found the winner too good and could only bridge the lead to three parts of a length at the finish. Ice Barrier finished third in front of Kohinoor Punch while the favourite Golden Phantom fared badly to be fifth.

Shamsuddin trained Baashagar (Kingda Ka-Le Reve) justified the short price in the Indiscretion Plate. Getting behind the front running duo of Swift Arrow and Flames of Forest as they approached the final bend, Baashagar moved ahead without any fuss and kicked on when Imran Khan gave a couple of cracks to keep Sensei at bay. Sterling Finish was third.

R.H.Sequeira trained Un Un Un (Duja-Serious Trouble) won the Divine Dreams Plate by a street. The bay colt sent in as the ‘money back’ favourite among the five runners set out in front at start and stretched out further on the home stretch to give jockey M Madhu Babu an arm chair ride.

For the professionals trainer Laxman Singh and jockey A Imran Khan scored a brace each.