Trainer Manvendra Singh continued from where he had left off at the mid-week races as he notched up a smashing quadruple on Saturday with Chinese Pride, Law Supremo, Macedonian and last but not the least – Cohiba. The five-year-old seasoned sprinter Macedonian (Desert Style-Alexandra/ France) made a start-to-finish affair of the 1200 metres sprint for the No Regrets Cup. Alcander followed him all the way but failed to match his speed. Jockey Mahesh thus completed a double, having earlier ridden Law Supremo (West Virginia – Shades Of Beauty / Nakul Stud) to a similar triumph in The Wise Guy Plate. Aithops continued to play ‘best man’ as he finished runner-up for the third time this season.

Manvedra started his successful afternoon with Chinese Pride (Charmo – Chinese Whispers / Vikram Greenlands). The filly won a difficult race with Sahanawaz astride. As the gates opened for the Whispering Grass Handicap, Snow Ball went on a start-to-finish mission and very nearly succeeded in pulling it off. Chinese Pride, who was following, tried to move along the rails but found the gap closing, so she shifted to the outside and collared the tiring Snow Ball in the final 30 metres. Top-weight Luck Luck Lucky moved from the rear to occupy the runner-up berth eventually.

The man-of-the-moment continued with his good fortune, as along with his apprentice Hindu Singh, he put paid to the pretensions of the afternoon’s hottest property – Meet The  Legend – who continued to disappoint his backers. Jockey Shailesh Shinde in fact rode a flawless race on the favourite and yet went down by the proverbial whisker to the unlikely Cohiba (Sligo Bay – Dancer’s Fan). Shinde and Meet The Legend quite easily collared Goliath and tried to make a beeline for the winning post. Shinde started using the stick in the final furlong and looked to have the race in the bag. But alas, it was not to be. Cohiba was piloted expertly by the apprentice as he forged a passage between the favourite and Meekahara to land the spoils in dramatic manner. A true grand finale to the day’s events.

Trainer Richard Alford’s Parthenon (Moon Prospect –Athinai / Doaba Stud) won the opener of the day, The Immaculate Handicap, quite comfortably. Apprentice Jorawar Singh used his allowance to good effect as he had the light-weight filly racing in the second slot behind pace-setter Crafty Lady from the outset. It was a warm afternoon and the front-runner was beginning to wilt under pressure from the top of the straight. With less than a furlong to go, the much-fancied Parthenon collared her and pulled away. A’Ma Shukum ran on well to occupy the runnerup spot and is one for the note book.

Trainers Vijay Singh and Jasbir Singh drew the wrath of the Stewards for the improved performance of their wards Scartella and Shivalik Shakti respectively. Enquiries have been opened into both these races. Perhaps, there should have been another ‘enquiry’ into the ‘bad last’ finish of Mister Positive – the very horse for which Sandeep Rajput has been stood down for six race days. The manner in which Mister Positive was handled (possibly under instructions from the stable), there was no way he was going to succeed in The Ethics Handicap. In fact, Rajput is now in a position to appeal his suspension. There have been such cases in the past where the Stipes have ordered a ‘change of jockey’ to vindicate their stance. By not doing so, the ball is very much in Rajput’s court and he can smash it down.

Mister Positive was earlier called Hamlet and both his wins over 2000 metres in the Mumbai season of 2012-2013 saw him ridden in check in a forward position. Hence, the entire exercise bordered on the ridiculous, whichever way you look at it.

The race for the Ethics Handicap was bagged by Vijay Singh-trained Scartella (Noverre – Saabikah / Sohna Stud). The leading schooler’s most obvious explanation to the improved showing will be the extended trip. Mister Positive was allowed to bolt and run out of gas at the bend while Shailesh Shinde on Scartella was in a box-seat third. After Massachusettes had collared the front-runner, Shinde made his move and the filly responded gamely to his rider. There was really nothing more to it.

A scrappy mile race for the Artemis Handicap, which saw questionable horsemanship by more than one rider, was ultimately pocketed by Jasbir Singh-trained Shivalik Shakti (Rebuttal-Sopran Cinni/ Hazara Stud) whose in-and-out form cannot be disputed. The favourite Never Apart was somewhat incompetently handled, other than which she may well have come up trumps.