As predicted, it was a tricky afternoon of racing at RCTC on Tuesday. Only a single favourite obliged in a brief card of six races but followers of Trevor Patel had a gala time as he notched up a lucrative treble astride Zegna (65/100), Cohiba (5/1) and Snow White (5/1).

The main event of the afternoon, The Horendro Kristo Dutt Memorial Cup, saw a close contest between Manvendra Singh-trained Cohiba (Sligo Bay – Dancer’s Fan) and the second favourite Copernicus. The public choice Shourisha was given a below-par ride by Kamlesh and yet ended up a fairly decent fourth. It would be fair to say that while Trevor has mastered the local track with its hairpin hometurn and short straight, Kamlesh has virtually no clue on how to best tackle the tricky course. Neither did he have any set plan, hence he was blocked twice while making his run in the straight. However, the run was anything but straight. He seems to lack the wherewithal to tackle this track in a big field unless his mount is a forward one. While his ride  on Gallop To Glory was appalling and placed him with his back to the wall, on this occasion it seemed that he genuinely tried his utmost but lacked the skill or judgement to do justice to his mount.

Scartella set a cracking pace and never really called it quits. However, Trevor, who was lying fifth till the turn (behind Black Caviour and Riverdown Empress), turned on the heat without taking any chances and took his mount on the outside. He maintained a straight path while Mahesh on Copernicus drifted to the outer rails. That seemed to give Cohiba the edge at the wire.

Trevor started his day with a start-to-finish ride atop Bharath Singh-trained Zegna (Mr Mellon-Crown Princess/ Ruia Stud) in The Arisen Handicap. Second favourite Magical Ability chased him all the way. The others were never really in it.

Trevor completed his treble with a highly alert ride astride Bharath Singh-schooled Snow White (Gaswar- Dancing Flame/ Lingwood Stud). The filly was the first to show out in a large field of 12 runners and then permitted Words to lead till the turn. She took over the running as heads turned for home and under the stick fended off a strong challenge from Fire Falcon. The one for the notebook is Conquest who seems to have come to hand.

The afternoon commenced with an intriguing race that saw the re-emergence of the controversy-ridden Sartaj as the piping hot favourite. Disqualified from the winner’s berth after a dope test earlier in the season, he was installed once again as the favourite in the mile race for The Glen Muick Handicap. Though he shouldered top-weight and put up a brave fight, he went down narrowly to Patrick Quinn-trained A’Ma Shukum (Ivory Touch-A Ma Jaju/ Mare Haven Stud) with Surjeet Singh in the saddle. Asian Rsocket was an unimpressive third while Biloo Badshah burst his blood vessels.

Another close finish was witnessed in the Mossy Bear Plate for two-year-olds which saw Javed Khan-trained Aerona (Chevalier – So Shocking/ Ruia Stud) and favourite Gimme Credit cross the line locked together. Shailesh Shinde on the former was business as usual and his mount prevailed in a tight finish.

Jockey Sandesh has been having somewhat of a raw time at this centre. But he did not let the opportunity pass him by when astride the favourite Luck Luck Lucky (Ivory Touch – Romanza/ Mare Haven Stud) who gradually improved her position in the six-furlong race for the Fiddler Handicap before finally getting the better of Impression who had taken over the running at the distance post.